27 July 2007

Decision time in Washington state

A number of "Christian" pharmacists are suing the US state of Washington over a law that requires them to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception saying that it forces them to choose "between their livelihoods and their deeply held religious and moral beliefs." Well guess what? Sometimes that is exactly what one has to do. As a chemist they provide a public service and the conditions of that public service demand that they actually provide that public service. There are other certainly dozens employment options available to them that might be more consistent with their religious beliefs? Perhaps the state of Texas is looking for a new executioner.

In all seriousness I have, on two separate occasions, had highly remunerated job offers from the defense industry. In both case the jobs paid easily 20-30% above what was available in other industries. I had to make a choice between my "deeply held moral beliefs" and my livelihood. Money had to take the back seat. Should I have been allowed to take the job, at the high wages on offer, and also been allowed to refuse to work on any weapons related projects? Hey, now that I think of it, that sounds like a bloody good idea. I think I had best give my solicitor a ring!

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