Does Religion Have On Healthcare - 2655 Words

What impact does religion have on healthcare? Most individuals believe that religion and prayer play a big part in healthcare but they still believe in conventional and modern day medicine. Hospitals across the country even implement chaplain services for families. However, there are some religions that do not believe in certain medical procedures or any kind of medical interventions. Religion and medical interventions usually don’t counteract each other but in certain religions it does. What happens when this religion affects the health of a child? Adults have the right to refuse medical care for themselves, but is it morally acceptable to refuse medical treatment for children because of the beliefs of the parents? Religion can be†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, should children be exempt from religious beliefs for their own well-being and how old do they have to be before they can decide their own fate? Jehovah witnesses believe in medical care but they do n ot believe in blood transfusions. Their belief stems from certain passages in the bible that say to abstain from blood. These passages include, â€Å"Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must not eat† (Genesis 9:3-4); â€Å"Abstain from†¦fornication and from what is strangled and from blood† (Acts 15:19-21). â€Å" You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. I will set my face against the person who eats blood†¦Anyone eating it will be cut off† (Leviticus 17:10, 13-14)(Catlin, 1996, p. 195).† They have the ideation that if they receive blood they will not be able to enter into kingdom of heaven. Jehovah witnesses generally carry a form of identification with them incase of an emergency indicating that they do not want to receive blood transfusions. This identification can be a medical bracelet or necklace, a card in their wallet, or possibly even a tattoo that identifies them (C atlin, 1996). There are many cases where Jehovah Witnesses have refused blood transfusions for their children. An example of a case that shows this is the case of a little boy who had sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is a form of an anemia in which the red blood cells become sickled and damaged and