Should Doctors Talk About Religion With Patients?

Healing, health and happiness: Doctors, patients and religion

Should doctors talk about religion with patients? Every patient expects his or her doctor to be able to talk to him or her about the possibility of healing, as well as with respect to his or her general health and happiness.

Is it ever possible to separate a patient's healing, health and happiness from the realm of religion? Healing, health and happiness are important to everyone, as well as some of the most important and central concepts found in religion.

In order for a patient to be truly whole, his or her medical and health care must touch upon and include every possible dimension of his or her personhood. Healing, health and happiness, as different aspects of personhood cannot be confined, restricted or limited to just the realm of physical care. Total patient care includes the spiritual, as well as the mental, emotional and physical realms.

If one limits or restricts what doctors should talk to their patients about over time, some important aspects of their medical and health care will be missing. In other words, if a doctor is not able to or is prohibited from speaking to a patient about religion, the part of patient's medical and health care that pertains to the patient's spiritual realm, will be absent also. This in turn, will affect the mental and emotional realms of his or her health and general well-being. Ultimately, it may also affect the physical realm, in an adverse manner.

One must also ask whether anyone can legitimately deny freedom of speech, either to doctors or to patients. In every part of the world, freedom of speech is a basic human right. Everyone should be able to speak freely about religion to anyone, at any time, without fear of retaliation from anyone. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, there is still no freedom of speech. For many reasons, freedom of speech, particularly as it pertains to religion, is often severely restricted. Invariably, at the root of this, lies fear.

"Perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

"God is love." 1 John 4:16

Those verses from the Bible speak from a Christian perspective. Of course, doctors and patients have differing religious beliefs. Diversity is a global norm and something that everyone should expect to see and learn to understand, particularly since the world is becoming increasingly global in its perspective on medical and health care issues. The diversity should be something that is accepted and appreciated for what it is and signifies for humankind.

Religion often proves to be an area of controversy, concern and conflict. This may result in difficult, non-effective communication or no communication between doctors and patients, but globally, there is one uniting factor in every religion and that is love. Doctors and other health care professionals seek to help and assist patients because of the care, compassion and concern or the ultimate expression of love that they have for their fellow human beings.

Love is central in any true religion, east or west, north or south. This has been true right from the beginning of time up to our present, contemporary era. Globally, there is a multiplicity, complexity and diversity of expressions of love, realized in a wide range of religious beliefs systems.

One might also ask, if there can ever be medical and health care morals or ethics without religion and love. Moral-ethical concerns, issues and questions are invariably a vital part of doctor-patient communications and interactions, as well as their medical and heath care. Without religion, moral-ethical concerns have no basic grounding or guiding principles.

Are doctors able to talk to patients about religion? That might be a better question to ask, because while some doctors may be comfortable talking to patients about religion, other doctors might prefer not to enter into that realm of discourse, as they find it difficult. Some patients may wish their doctors would talk to them about religion, while others prefer not to have doctors talk about religion, at any time. Religion can be or become a controversial topic. It can also be a prohibitive topic with regard to other cultures that have different, belief systems.

Another important aspect of the question of doctors talking to patients about religion has to do with the topic of death and dying. Doctors deal with these issues on a daily basis. When patients are confronted with the question of life and death, it is often unexpected and sudden. Religion is important to patients at that time, but it is important at all times whether patients understand that or not.

Doctors should have the freedom to decide whether to talk to their patients about religion. Invariably, they seek to do what they know is going to be the most beneficial for their patients.

Educating doctors, as well as patients, about religion will help to eliminate a lot of fear about doctors speaking to patients about religion.

Religion is far more important than the majority of patients realize. Yes, doctors should talk to patients about religion. Patients should speak to doctors about religion, too.

Do you have questions about religion that you would like to discuss with your doctor? Doctors are quite approachable. If they are not able to answer your questions about religion, they will certainly be able to help you to find someone who can answer them for you.