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Atheists, a question. . .believers need not answer.

Summerwind

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Fellow atheists,

Would you disqualify an intellectual professional whose services you might choose (doctors, lawyers, accountants, and such) because he/she believes in God?

Y'know I think I am to that point. Honestly I only want a staunch atheist cutting me open, or determining the best tests, the best medicines. I don't want someone who might think that the responsibility for the outcome of his/her decisions lays partially with an imaginary being. So with doctors from now on, I am going to seek that information and decide accordingly. But wonder how far into the intellectual professionals I should take this. I have tried to not go there with religion and religious folks; but if the religious are asking the same question and leaving if the professional doesn't believe in God (and I hear this is happening quite a bit, now). . .well, I guess it is time for me to make distinctions based on the same criteria. If I don't then a false impression that more people want believers as their professionals will grow because I've tried to be nice, and I haven't asked, and I left religion to stay out of my decision making.
 
Doesn't bother me in the least. In fact my adviser is a devout Catholic and I still trust his knowledge on physics very well. All that really matters to me is how good of a professional one is. In the end, if it came down between dying and being operated on by a theist...I'll take the operation.
 
Doesn't bother me in the least. In fact my adviser is a devout Catholic and I still trust his knowledge on physics very well. All that really matters to me is how good of a professional one is. In the end, if it came down between dying and being operated on by a theist...I'll take the operation.

Yes, I am making the assumption that there is a choice of professionals, not just one or death.
 
Fellow atheists,

Would you disqualify an intellectual professional whose services you might choose (doctors, lawyers, accountants, and such) because he/she believes in God?

Y'know I think I am to that point. Honestly I only want a staunch atheist cutting me open, or determining the best tests, the best medicines. I don't want someone who might think that the responsibility for the outcome of his/her decisions lays partially with an imaginary being. So with doctors from now on, I am going to seek that information and decide accordingly. But wonder how far into the intellectual professionals I should take this. I have tried to not go there with religion and religious folks; but if the religious are asking the same question and leaving if the professional doesn't believe in God (and I hear this is happening quite a bit, now). . .well, I guess it is time for me to make distinctions based on the same criteria. If I don't then a false impression that more people want believers as their professionals will grow because I've tried to be nice, and I haven't asked, and I left religion to stay out of my decision making.
Professional is the key word. If they are professional I don't give two bits of what their belief is.
Only those who are non-professionals would allow their personal beliefs to interfere with their profession.
 
If someone is going to cut me open, a steady hand is preferable to an atheistic worldview.

And hy can't theists respond? This question works for them too.
 
Would you disqualify an intellectual professional whose services you might choose (doctors, lawyers, accountants, and such) because he/she believes in God?


How are you going to find a lawyer who doesn't believe in God? I figure anyone who has made a deal with Satan has to at least acknowledge God's existance...
 
Do no harm

Unless the doctor's practice is based on mysticism (holistic medicine for example) I see no reason why his dogma will conflict with his medical training. The only time I could think of that it would, would be in a situation where the doctor would refuse service for whatever religious reason.

Just because a person is illogical about their beliefs in one area, does not in any way invalidate one's genius in another. To suggest otherwise would be tantamount to rejecting Newton's theories because of his theology.
 
Of course not, so long as they are a qualified professional, I have no problem paying for their services. Besides, how are you going to know what their religious beliefs are, very few advertise their beliefs, at least in my experience, and it's really none of your business to go asking them.

I couldn't care less what they do on Sunday morning so long as they do a good job the rest of the week.
 
Only those who are non-professionals would allow their personal beliefs to interfere with their profession.

This reminds me of the Muslim dentist who refused to treat a female patient unless she wore a headscarf. Leads me to re-write the above as "Only those unprofessional enough to do so would allow their personal beliefs to interfere with their profession."

He has now been struck of the register and cannot work as a dentist anymore.

Muslim dentist ‘made patient cover her head’ - Times Online
 
No it shouldnt matter one bit.

This is the kind of thing that makes me worry about the label atheist i dont wanna be part of some us and them mentality like that.
 
Don’t personally think it have to be such a big deal, although I would prefer an atheist. Real scientists – those who make out medications – do for example believe in evolution even if they may be religious.
Problems may arise in medical areas were religious people aren’t to found of personal liberty. Like abortions, where the doctor could forsake his responsibility to rational ethics to further his personal beliefs. Same for questions regarding sexual behaviour I would guess.
 
Fellow atheists,

Would you disqualify an intellectual professional whose services you might choose (doctors, lawyers, accountants, and such) because he/she believes in God?

Yes but...

...I'm not sure I'd investigate it before hand. If they bring it up, it's a problem. If they keep their fantasy out of their professional career, I don't mind so much.

-Mach
 
Honestly depends on their attitude and their actions. If said professional was prone to praying in front of me frequently, I would seek another professional. If said professional was prone to relying on his/her god(s) to fix situations and let me know that, I would find another professional. However, if I merely am aware they are religious, but I neither see nor experience any religious actions from them during the course of them engaging in their professional duties, then I would not care.

I would, however, have somewhat less respect for them than a person who was not religious. That just goes without saying.
 
Exactly. If I went to a doctor who refused to do anything to treat me, but said they'd pray that I got better, I'd take my business elsewhere and report them to the AMA. I don't care what their beliefs are, but if they're going to be ignoring good science in favor of their silly beliefs, count me out.
 
Atheists can be idiots too. Not everyone arrives at atheism the same way. Some use critical thinking. Some use emotional thinking. Some use both. It's funny that people generalize atheists as being intellectuals. It's better than being retarded. :mrgreen:

I would hire the best qualified, regardless of religious belief.
 
While I'm always willing to discuss/debate religion with friends/acquaintances who believe in God, it's always lighthearted. I don't really care what religion someone is, just as long as they're not some extremist/fundamentalist. It's similar in principle for me to separation of church and state; I'll vote for someone of any religion as long as it doesn't influence their policymaking. Similarly, I'll go to any qualified professional as long as their religious beliefs do not influence their practice.
 
Atheists can be idiots too. Not everyone arrives at atheism the same way. Some use critical thinking. Some use emotional thinking. Some use both. It's funny that people generalize atheists as being intellectuals. It's better than being retarded. :mrgreen:

I would hire the best qualified, regardless of religious belief.

I see your point here, but I am assuming that if they are in the profession they have the required intelligence. So I am not as concerned with the intellectualism of the individual; but the inherent, unavoidable concept that religious folks believe that a higher power outranks them and therefore it absolves the professional of some of the accountability. If they loose a patient well, "it must've been god's will" kind of thing.

Also as I pointed out, apparently it is becoming a tactic of the "faithful" to ask if a professional believes as they do and if the professional does not, then they take their business elsewhere. So though I wouldn't generally think to use such a tactic, it seems only fair to those non-believers that I find out who they are and use them, which I can only do if I ask, and then leave those that believe until I find one that doesn't. Otherwise the pressure for non-believing professionals to pretend to believe just to keep clients would seem out of balance to reality. Or more simply said, if believers go out of their way to support believers, it seems right and balanced for me as a non-believer to go out of my way to support non-believers.
 
Also as I pointed out, apparently it is becoming a tactic of the "faithful" to ask if a professional believes as they do and if the professional does not, then they take their business elsewhere. So though I wouldn't generally think to use such a tactic, it seems only fair to those non-believers that I find out who they are and use them, which I can only do if I ask, and then leave those that believe until I find one that doesn't. Otherwise the pressure for non-believing professionals to pretend to believe just to keep clients would seem out of balance to reality. Or more simply said, if believers go out of their way to support believers, it seems right and balanced for me as a non-believer to go out of my way to support non-believers.

Well, it's certainly thier right to boycott something, and they can absolutely take their business wherever they please.

But I guess I understand what you're pointing out. Some of the religious may screen thier "service providers" (for a lack of a better word), for the reason of thier faith, staying faithful or whatever. While the non-religous would generally not screen thiers, as it should not matter to the non-religous either way (as it would seem from the responses on this thread).

So what you're really asking is: Is it fair to the atheist professionals? That they are not as marketable?

I don't know, but I'm guessing that it is only a minority of the religious who screen thier professional service providers. Am I wrong?
 
Well, it's certainly thier right to boycott something, and they can absolutely take their business wherever they please.

But I guess I understand what you're pointing out. Some of the religious may screen thier "service providers" (for a lack of a better word), for the reason of thier faith, staying faithful or whatever. While the non-religous would generally not screen thiers, as it should not matter to the non-religous either way (as it would seem from the responses on this thread).

So what you're really asking is: Is it fair to the atheist professionals? That they are not as marketable?

I don't know, but I'm guessing that it is only a minority of the religious who screen thier professional service providers. Am I wrong?

From what I am hearing around here, it is becoming quite "fashionable" to only use service providers that tout religion. Of course this community is pretty religious to start with. I haven't heard of it being so selective as to being only Mormon service providers, but that belief in god seems to be gaining "importance" in choosing. I hope this is not a real trend but just a fluke with those that I know or have overheard; but it is worrying to me.
 
On a professional level religion would not matter . As long as said individual didn't let their views interfere with their jobs.

However, I don't think this is universally true. I know a woman who was seriously ill in the bible belt region and was going to die . She went to Florida to die near her family and recovered. The thing of note her is she's a lesbian and while up north there was "a palatable taste of disdain in the air " . You might say that her recovery when being with family was nothing short of miraculous. Me... I'm thinking competent and caring doctors had more to do with it.
 
Atheists can be idiots too. Not everyone arrives at atheism the same way. Some use critical thinking. Some use emotional thinking. Some use both. It's funny that people generalize atheists as being intellectuals. It's better than being retarded. :mrgreen:

No doubt, but this is game theory:
Known bad - believes in gods and godesses
Unknown if bad - atheist

Take unknown over known bad.

I would hire the best qualified, regardless of religious belief.

Yes, but does belief in gods and godesses become the opposite of a qualification? (i.e. a red flag).

-Mach
 
No doubt, but this is game theory:
Known bad - believes in gods and godesses
Unknown if bad - atheist

Take unknown over known bad.

I agree.

Yes, but does belief in gods and godesses become the opposite of a qualification? (i.e. a red flag).

-Mach

I am not sure where beliefs would hinder a person from performing their job, as I define it.
 
I agree.
I am not sure where beliefs would hinder a person from performing their job, as I define it.

I agree, the more I think about it, the less I care.
Although if they attempted to preach, or wave it as a flag, I'd have issues with them not because of their competence, but because of that specific behavior.

-Mach
 
I'm agnostic, but I can think of a number of situations where having a professional (whatever) who believes in (whatever) would be more helpful than harmful. For example, a lawyer if I'm ever on trial for murder. I may not agree with the lawyer's devout belief in god, but he's a great lawyer and everybody on the jury (who also believes in god) eats up the whole down home god-fearing vibe he gives off. On the other hand, if I hire an equally good lawyer who thinks believers are fools, he's likely not to come off very well to the jury and might succeed in getting me convicted.

An accountant, auto-mechanic, plumber, real estate agent, etc. who believes in god might be less likely to defraud me or rip me off than someone who thinks that hell is as real a place as say Valhalla (apologies if I've offended any Vikings).

Then again, sometimes it's the most religious people who turn out to be the most morally and ethically bankrupt. I guess it depends on the individual.
 
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