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I am struggling to think of a time when UK Christian doctors have faced greater advocacy challenges all at once. This is perhaps not surprising given the march of secular humanism through our parliaments, courts and institutions. I outline here five major areas of activity. Assisted suicide Given that eleven attempts in...
The Chinese are said to have had a curse - 'may you live in interesting times' and the last few years have certainly been interesting times! In such circumstances it is good to take stock, and ask, what are the challenges ahead of us and those Christians working in global...
Does your life feel like a juggling act? What balls are you trying to keep up in the air? Work, church, exams, marriage, friends, more exams, children? As God became 'flesh and dwelt amongst us', (1) we know he is interested in joining us as we face these challenges. So...
Addiction, whether to psychoactive substances such as drugs or alcohol, or to behaviours such as gambling, sex, or pornography, is growing in our society. As healthcare professionals, we need to recognise the relevance of addiction to our practice. As Christians seeking to reach a lost and broken world, an awareness...
One in 20 people in the Middle East have been displaced by conflict. (1)This staggering statistic is an indicator of the pressure on health services and the struggle of displaced people to get the help they need. This is why SAT-7, a Christian satellite TV network in the region, is...
Creation rest Rest is present in the creation story. On the first full day of Adam and Eve's existence, God rested, and so did Adam and Eve. Here is an important life principle for our well-being. Rest is not primarily an escape from work and its toil. Rather, it is...
You cannot have failed to notice the huge rise in popularity of tattoos. Many Christians believe that tattoos are forbidden in Scripture. The NIV rendering appears to leave little room for doubt 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.' (1) However, there is...
I have a confession to make, I live in a bubble. A social bubble. I like to think that I don't, that as a doctor I mix with a huge variety of people with different backgrounds, beliefs and political leanings. Whether they are colleagues, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, porters or patients....
Thinking of You: A resource for the spiritual care of people with dementia Joanna Collicutt BRF, 2017, £9.99, 256pp ISBN: 9780857464910 Reviewed by Cameron Swift, Emeritus Professor of Geriatric Medicine, based in Kent The topic of dementia is rightly high on today's public policy agenda. Christian health professionals and churches should be at...
Christian doctors face extraordinary pressures - not only do we often feel asked to do the impossible with inadequate resources, but our own sense of duty can drive us to take on responsibilities that surpass our ability to cope. The prophet Elijah, after his victory over the prophets of Baal on...
Limits to love Where is the boundary line between simple reportage and campaigning? In February, the BBC screened documentary Love Unlimited featuring a 23-year-old woman who says she is polyamorous - in a relationship with two men she claims to love equally. 'I just don't see why I should artificially limit...
'Jesus said, "Do not hold onto me. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."' (1) This message was given to Mary Magdalene in her grief. She had loved and lost. Lost, it seemed, even...
Baroness O'Loan's Conscientious Objection (Medical Activities) Bill (1),(2) passed its second reading (debate stage) in the House of Lords on 26 January 2018. It is now being reviewed by a Committee of the Whole House where amendments can be submitted and debated. If it then passes a third reading it...
In the first weeks of the New Year, the usual acute winter pressures on the NHS reached their worst crisis point in many years. (1) An alarming number of hospitals were on black alert with stories of patients waiting in ambulances for hours to be seen in A&E and the...
Medical abortions now account for 62% of abortions in England and Wales, a significant increase from the 30% carried out in 2006. (1) In Scotland 83% of abortions are now medical. (2) President of the RCOG, Professor Lesley Regan, is leading calls for women to be able to take medical...
Why do people turn their backs on mainstream medicine and put their trust in unproven remedies not attested by science? The question came to the fore recently when the NHS announced that a major centre of homeopathy in London will no longer be allowed to spend NHS money on homeopathic...
