Jesus and the FDA

[Zepp]

I received an e-mail petition about this, and decided it was worthy of attention here. From the website of Time magazine:

Jesus and the FDA

By KAREN TUMULTY

Saturday, Oct. 05, 2002

A quiet battle is raging over the Bush Administration's plan to appoint a scantily credentialed doctor, whose writings include a book titled As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now, to head an influential Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel on women's health policy. Sources tell Time that the agency's choice for the advisory panel is Dr. W. David Hager, an obstetrician-gynecologist who also wrote, with his wife Linda, Stress and the Woman's Body, which puts "an emphasis on the restorative power of Jesus Christ in one's life" and recommends specific Scripture readings and prayers for such ailments as headaches and premenstrual syndrome. Though his resume describes Hager as a University of Kentucky professor, a university official says Hager's appointment is part time and voluntary and involves working with interns at Lexington's Central Baptist Hospital, not the university itself. In his private practice, two sources familiar with it say, Hager refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. Hager did not return several calls for comment.

FDA advisory panels often have near-final say over crucial health questions. If Hager becomes chairman of the 11-member Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee, he will lead its study of hormone-replacement therapy for menopausal women, one of the biggest controversies in health care. Some conservatives are trying to use doubts about such therapy to discredit the use of birth-control pills, which contain similar compounds. The panel also made the key recommendation in 1996 that led to approval of the "abortion pill," RU-486—a decision that abortion foes are still fighting. Hager assisted the Christian Medical Association last August in a "citizens' petition" calling upon the FDA to reverse itself on RU-486, saying it has endangered the lives and health of women.

Hager was chosen for the post by FDA senior associate commissioner Linda Arey Skladany, a former drug-industry lobbyist with longstanding ties to the Bush family. Skladany rejected at least two nominees proposed by FDA staff members: Donald R. Mattison, former dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and Michael F. Greene, director of maternal- fetal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Despite pressure from inside the FDA to make the appointment temporary, sources say, Skladany has insisted that Hager get a full four-year term. FDA spokesman Bill Pierce called Hager "well qualified."

Almost needless to say, the National Organization of Women, among other groups, strongly opposes this appointment.

So what's your take on the mixing of religious beliefs and medicine? Is this presidential appointment completely inappropriate?

 

[rmcrobertson]

Yes.

One sympathizes with indignation about those wacky NOW women, demanding actual medical credentials and moral character on the part of Presidential appointees to these positions.

 

[Jay Bell]

Is this presidential appointment completely inappropriate?

Absooooooolutely.

 

[raedyn]

Refusing to perscribe birth control to unmarried women... that's so weird. I imagine the reasoning is that women shouldn't be having sex outside of marriage (nevermind that some women take the pill to regulate their periods or control acne). But wouldn't it make more sense to give birth control to unmarried women rather than 'subject' potential children to the 'horror' or an unwed mother? Isn't marriage supposed to be the proper place for creating children?

(for clarity's sake.. I don't have any issue with unwed mothers. Infact, since the wedding isn't until next year I guess I'm an unwed mother, too. I'm just trying to think with the logic of zealots like this)

And perscribing bible readings to treat PMS. Seriously. It might work for some women, who knows. But what about all the non-christian women? What about drugs for the /pain/?

Yeah, I'd have an issue with that appointment, f'sure. But is there any recourse for citizens who object to an appointment?

 

[raedyn]

On a more basic level, I question why a MAN would be appointed to head a panel on women's health policy. Even a well-qualified not controversial man appointee seems weird to me.

 

[Zepp]

Yeah, I'd have an issue with that appointment, f'sure. But is there any recourse for citizens who object to an appointment?

Well, if you live in the U.S., you can send me an e-mail, I can e-mail you a copy of the petition that was sent to me. But I seriously doubt that it will accomplish anything. Remember, this president has said publicly that he didn't care what war protesters thought. So it seems that the only opinions that matter to him are those that are in line with his.

It also seems apparent that the threads I start in the study aren't very popular. :idunno: Oh well.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

On a more basic level, I question why a MAN would be appointed to head a panel on women's health policy. Even a well-qualified not controversial man appointee seems weird to me.

I'd have to disagree here...particularly if you had a doctor with thirty years experience in administration or research and a background as an OB/GYN or who has dealt with other women's health issues extensively.

I would have no problem with a woman being appointed to a panel on men's health issues, provided she had the qualifications.

We want the best for these jobs...not a particular gender. Correct?


Regards,


Steve

 

[Mark Weiser]

Remember that JESUS is in control of GWB and everything will be okay folks lol! Next thing you know you will have prayer lines at the CDC for laying on of hands to cure infectious diseases. Or CDC Crisis units that will use Holy Water to cast out the bad germs at local health care centers. And if all else fails send in the big guy GWB to speak healing words to the sick and dying.

 

[gmunoz]

I wouldn't be too quick to discount the laying on of hands idea... Have seen for myself some pretty amazing things!

 

[Mark Weiser]

hmmmm okay now for the grand show. GWB will rise up and float up into heaven and claim his throne once he is done with running the USA. He has his eyes set on a bigger government.

And in response to the laying on of hands if you must do so please makes sure your hands are washed first I do not know where they have been thank you.

 

[heretic888]

I wouldn't be too quick to discount the laying on of hands idea... Have seen for myself some pretty amazing things!

Not to discount "alternative medicines", gmunoz, the problem here is that that sorta thing is being used to the exclusion of more reputable, more conventional, and more practical medical practices.

I certainly wouldn't be comfortable if, when I was terribly ill, my doctor recommended reiki in place of antibiotics, painkillers, or antiviruses. While there are indications that reiki may work to some degree in certain situations, it is no subsitute for a good antibiotic.

In any event, this appointment has far too many religious implications to be appropriate. I doubt any of the Religious Right would be so apathetic about this if the gentleman in question was instead saying, "believe in the teachings of Buddha Gautama and everything will work out."

Personally, I consider this sort of thing evidence for the "moral erosion of society" that conservatives are so worried about...

 

[Mark Weiser]

I am shocked Hertic I agree with ya lol!

In Judaism we are taught to acheive the highest level of education that we are able to do, to be the best we can in our chosen jobs. Myself being a nurse I study the medical field. I for one would use any modern methods available to sustain and improve the quality of life. Being Jewish I do not discount the role of touch, prayer and inner strength to fight back to health.

There has to be a fine balance between the two worlds.

 

[Zepp]

More mixing of religious fundamentalism with medicine:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20041109/pl_usatoday/druggistsrefusetogiveoutpill

Margaret Sanger must be turning in her grave. Hopefully this isn't becoming as commonplace as the article makes it sound.

 

[raedyn]

See the following thread for further discussion of this article.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18176

 

[hardheadjarhead]

I wouldn't be too quick to discount the laying on of hands idea... Have seen for myself some pretty amazing things!

Oh, man...lemme tell ya. There was that massage parlor in Pattaya Beach, Thailand back in 1980....

Oh...wait. Wrong thread. Uh...wrong forum. Sorry.



Regards,


Steve

 

[Rynocerous]

I must say I'm a Bush suppoter, but this is one stupid move on his part. We should never mix reigion with medicine, it just leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, lol. We are living in a world that more and more people are having sex before marriage. Wouldn't it be better to just come to terms with this and give out birth control, or should we ban it like this man wants and hope that people stop having sex because of this. LOL, I can't even write that without laughing. Anyways, I hope that dubya comes to his senses on this one.


Cheers,

Ryan

 

[heretic888]

Don't expect this to be the last of it, Ryno. When you support Bush you support all this garbage, too.

 

[Zepp]

Anyways, I hope that dubya comes to his senses on this one.

If Bush had senses to come to, I doubt he would have ever selected someone like Hager to take an important postion in the FDA to begin with.

Don't expect this to be the last of it, Ryno. When you support Bush you support all this garbage, too.

I agree. If you voted for Bush, you voted for this, whether you understood the choice or not.

 

[Feisty Mouse]

GAH!

The whole concept of Hager's nomination is appalling. APPALLING.

This really is, to me, getting too close to the Church and State line, again. He may have his own religious beliefs, and more power to him, but it sounds like he would be willing to ENFORCE his religious beliefs on the American women.

No way, buddy. No way.

Funny, that, that unmarried women "shouldn't" have birth control while married women can - wouldn't he want to eventually take BCPs away from married women too, since we are supposed to be plentiful and multiplying, and doing our duty as helpmeets to spread the seed?

 

[qizmoduis]

Don't forget that removing ALL forms of birth control is part of the agenda of the religious right.