Sunday, October 05, 2008

Should the clergy practice medicine?

What astounds me more, the arrogance of some rabbis, or the utter weakness and stupidity of some of their parishioners? Reading this WSJ article I found myself unable to decide.

It describes Orthodox Jewish cancer patients who invite their Rabbis to make treatment decisions. In one of the vignettes a professional, credentialed oncologist admits to adjusting his treatment plan after some Rabbi prevailed upon him in the name of God to try another approach. That physician should have his licence revoked. He should also grow a pair. A doctor with even an ounce of self-confidence would have said, "Look Rabbi, you deliver the sermons, and I'll treat the cancer." He would not have put his patient's life at risk by allowing a member of the clergy to practice medicine.

As for the patient, well of course she's entitled to commit suicide if she wishes, but I wonder about the underlying logic of her position. Why did she seek medical assistance in the first place, if she only trusts doctors who obey the directions of untrained, meddling Rabbis? And if the Rabbi really do know better than the doctors, why aren't they all in the hospital full-time saving lives? If their medical knowledge is so profound, why aren't they publishing books, and delivering seminars on proper Torah-true treatment techniques? How do they justify their silence, their stinginess with sharing their life saving knowledge?

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