TELL THE ELDERS SHE'S HAD AN ABORTION

by steve2 22 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Scully

  Under Ontario's Regulated Health Professionals Act, 1991 anyone who breaches patient confidentiality is liable for immediate termination of employment, revocation of professional licence, a $25,000 fine, and jail time.

  I wrote an essay about this very topic for my Ethics class in nursing school. I interviewed an Elder™ (and had the "Flock" book/elder's manual as a reference) and basically the WTS's position has not changed one iota. They expect a health care professional to conform to the "superior demands of divine law" even if it requires that they breach "Caesar's Law". Yet, they are not prepared - in any way, shape or form - to assist someone who obeys that directive. No financial assistance, no legal assistance, and you could possibly even be disfellowshipped if it becomes newsworthy and Brings Reproach on Jehovah™. You will also be disfellowshipped for not reporting any matter of this nature to the Elders™, for having become a "sharer in the sins of others". Even worse, your professional association cannot back you up if you breach hospital policy. So no legal or financial assistance from them either. A person can lose EVERYTHING if they breach patient confidentiality or become a party to it (including elders who illegally receive confidential patient information from another person), and the WTS will hang them out to dry.

  JWs have such a Loving™ Mother™, don't they?

  In matters of health care, the bottom line is:
• 

  AlmostAtheist

  I don't care what they say about using your own conscience, blah blah blah, to cover their ass, the WTS is playing with fire. They are still an accessory to the crime, and yes, it is a crime now. They can vomit the words 'theocratic warfare' all they god damn want, but the bottom line is that they are endorsing crime.

  So Pam, I'm a little confused. Do you support the Watchtower, or are you ag'n it on this issue?

  Sweet work, nicely put all the way around.

  Dave
• 

  steve2

  A person can lose EVERYTHING if they breach patient confidentiality or become a party to it (including elders who illegally receive confidential patient information from another person), and the WTS will hang them out to dry.

  Absolutely agree with you Scully. I guess one reason this has not emerged as a major litigious area for the JWs is - to the best of my knowledge - the rank and file have taken a pragmatic approach to the issue. That is, witnesses working in the health sector know very clearly about the consequences of breaching patient/client confidentiality and silently choose to ignore what the Watchtower says "Christians" should do. Let's face it: The mere fact that the main channel of published material, the Watchtower magazine, has not restated this remarkably contentious piece of policy since it was first published more than 18 years ago speaks volumes. Yes, "officially" it may well be still in place (elders' manual). But - again to the best of my knowledge - it is not actively pursued as an issue because in more recent years health practitioner legislation has made perfectly clear the draconian consequences regarding breaches of confidentiality.

  To borrow a phrase I used earlier regarding the Watchtower writing department but extending it to the rank and file: The witnesses might be dull, but they are not stupid.

  If anyone reading this does know of an incident, publicised or not, in which a JW has breached health-service confidentiality that has led to another witness being hauled before the judicial comittee, let me know. I suspect that, despite the policy still being in place, it is largely a "silent" policy that no one in the higher echelons of the organization intends to pursue - which is not to say that maybe one day a hapless witness in the health care sector does breach confidentiality in the name of a religious duty. Watch for the fireworks then!