"Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor. Not a spiritual advisor."

Prayer In Medicine Survey

I had a brain aneurysm concerning this unscientific hogwash of a survey, but I think that everyone should take the survey as an example of the state of conversation in the US. In short, my problem is with the style of questions. The questions assume that it is okay for a doctor to advise you on anything but medical matters. Sure there is an argument here that people with faith use that faith to help overcome emotional problems, but giving the medical doctor the leeway to "approach healing holistically" is bunk nonsense. Doctors are trained to deal with medical problems. Asking them or being hold by them about faith or spirituality on the hospital bed seems like a bad idea to me. It is like going to a mechanic to get your car fixed and while he is trying to fix your transmission asking him to give you legal advice on your upcoming divorce. "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor. Not a　spiritual advisor."

The silly part of the whole survey is that you have choices for some questions (Very likely, likely, unlikely, N/A) which don't even correspond accurately to the questions. When the question says something to the effect of, "Will you seek spiritual or faith based information from an information packet?" Where is the "No Fucking Way" button? 'Unlikely' and 'N/A' don't satisfy my survey destroying blood-lust.

I was turned on to this survey by the science geeks over at Pharyngula.

Perhaps I will find some inspiration and write something of my own today after lunch. Maybe...