To think that religion shouldn't come into contraception advice?

[Sugarmuppet]

or am I being terribly nieve?

Having grown up in the country in the middle of no where, religion has never been a part of my life. Everyone just go on with everyone regardless of what religion you were. The question just never came up.

I recently moved into a very 'catholic' area of Glagow, my husband and his family are all practicing catholics. What an eye opener!

I joined his Doctors practice. Had nothing but great care during my pregnancy. Didn't even know it was a 'catholic' practice. Went today to get some contraception advice, I had eclampsia and the consultants at hospital warned me against going back on the pill. Anyway, my Doctor today says 'we are a Catholic practice. It is against my religion to deal with contraception requests, please go to your local family planning clinic'

Is that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard?

Agentprovocateur they only get paid for contraception if they choose it. Its not part of General Medical Services, its an extra add on.

SO if the practice don't offer it, they don't get paid for it.

Its a seperate thing.

Wow that is strange. When I saw the thread title I thought maybe your GP had mentioned that if you had certain religious beliefs you may not want the coil etc and should use a barrier method, but that seems to be going bit far to say that he won't treat you. Unless all contraceptive queries are supposed to be dealt with at the family planning clinic and everyone already knows this.

Altincum, I'm not referring to the Catholics, only to the catholic church, there is a difference between a follower and a leader. I strongly believe that if it wasn't for the hateful drivel on contraception spouted by the catholic church, lots of people would not have caught aids or got pregnant and died after botched back street abortions. I love how catholic clergy ie male virgins ( at least supposedly) can dictate how women should lead their lives.

Serendippy: I sort of see your point. However, gay people do not, generally, stop other people from going about their lives or restrict their access to resources on the grounds of their own gayness, whereas people with imaginary friends are quite often very fond of sticking those imaginary friends into other people's lives and using them as a reason to deprive other people of things they want and need.

Even if their being gay does not affect anyone else in any way, same as being religious for most people I have met, we can still be prejudiced against them because being gay is not something 'inherent'?

Altinkum, so much work and resources have been put into educating people about using condoms and the catholic church simply sabotages it. If that does not make them responsible then what does?

altinkum, when you read stories about a charity's campaign to encourage responsible family planning in Africa because of the number of women dying in childbirth each year, or the effects of obstetric fistula, and see it alongside another news article where the Catholic church has issued another proclaimation against the "evils" of condoms, it's really hard for a normal sane person to really give a crap about catholic bashing on a higher level (not trying to excuse personal attacks here, i'm talking more as a collective bashing of a group of people).

I want to point out again I'm not bashing Catholics, as I also don't bash Muslims, Jews nor Christian orthodox. It's the organised leaders with their misogynistic harmful drivel I have a problem with. I have every respect for individuals, until they abuse their power like this doctor.

Too right Nelly, religion is fair game while breaches of human rights occur in its name.

Exactly scurryfunge and frgr

Thanks, Weegiemum. I didn't know that. I shall stop fuming silently when I pass it now.

Serendippy 'it has not yet been scientifically proven (that I am aware of, please correct if I am wrong) that there is a biological predisposition to being gay'.

Erm and there is no scientific proof either that there is a god! In fact it is to the contrary!

People do not choose to be part of a group which are stigmatised by society! I did not choose to be heterosexual..so sexuality is NOT something we choose!

catholicathiest that's what I mean, I don't agree that we should be allowed to be prejudiced against any group of people because of their way of life and what they believe in just because it is something we don't understand or feel ourselves. I am sure some strongly religious people would say that they did not choose to believe in God, it is an overwhelming feeling that there is something 'out there' I am not religious so do find it hard to be specific but am trying to make the point that you should not be allowed to be prejudiced against anyone rather than as SGB said earlier, being allowed to be prejudiced if what you are prejudiced against is not something the person was born with or is out of their control.

Again very badly put, am trying very hard!

Actually Serendippy, thinking about it, I can sort of understand that some people feel this deep abiding inner conviction that there is some sort of imaginary friend out there, some Higher Power or whatever, and they feel this belief is a big part of them.
But I'm not going to let them all off, because there are, basically, variant belief systems, some of which are far more toxic than others. If you must go along with this idea of sky fairies FFS pick a nice one, or the nicest flavour of your chosen brand. IE there are liberal Muslims, liberal Jews, liberal Christians etc, the warmongering, misogyny, child abuse and genocide bits of it all are kind of optional - and if you insist on hanging on to the homophobic, woman-hating, socially repressive bits of your myth system (generic 'you' here) then fuck you and your imaginary friend.

SGB, I think I'm in love with you

Btw, papal opposition to abortion is relatively recent (in the context of a church that is more than 1,000 years old*). Hasn't always been the case. Think up to about 150 years ago the RC church allowed abortion up to quickening, i.e. when the woman can feel the foetus move.

So opposition to abortion isn't an absolute, therefore opposition to contraception clearly can't be an absolute.

• Can't remember what is generally agreed to be the date of the founding of the RC church so I'm hundreds of years out, but around the time of Emperor Constantine or later, perhaps?

Edam, that's absolute nonsense. The teachings of The Church have consistently been against abortion in any form and have been stated and re-stated throughout the Centuries. Can you provide me with any statement, issue, or proclamation from any Pope, Cardinal or Bishop supporting abortion from any time in history?

Anyway, I'm pissed. So. Imagainary friends. Hahaha. But. Toleration. Anyway. Grow up you everyeone.

Why CAN'T we all just get along?

@ TCNY

SparklingExplosionGoldBrass

you may enjoy this quote...

Religion is unusual among divisible labels in being spectacularly unnecessary. If religious beliefs had any evidence going for them, we might had to respect them in spite of their concomitant unpleasantness. But there is no such evidence. To label people as death-deserving enemies because of disagreements about real world politics is bad enough. To do the same for disagreements about a delusional world inhabited by archangels, demons and imaginary friends is ludicrously tragic.

written by Richard Dawkins