Christian pediatrician denies child service because parents are tattooed
BAKERSFIELD - A family is turned away by a local pediatrician, they say because of the way they look. The doctor said he is just following his beliefs, creating a Christian atmosphere for his patients…. The writing is on the wall‚Äö√Ñ√Æliterally: “This is a private office. Appearance and behavior standards apply. For Dr. Gary Merrill of Christian Medical Services, that means no tattoos, body piercings, and a host of other requirements‚Äö√Ñ√Æall standards Merrill has set based upon his Christian faith.
it hardly takes a Ph.D. to understand that Dr. Gary Merrill understands as much about the teachings of Jesus Christ as he does about the teachings of Josef Mengele. As a doctor, Merrill’s responsibility is to TREAT PATIENTS, not create a set of artificial rules so that he may exclude and marginalize those who don’t think, live, and believe as he does. While Merrill is certainly free to his beliefs, as a physician, he is NOT free to withhold treatment from patients because of an arbitrary set of rules. What he did to Tasha Childress’ daughter is simply inexcusable and should not be tolerated from a family practitioner- or anyone who calls themself a doctor.
Memo to Dr. Merrill: you’re a doctor. You’re job is to treat and heal the sick, NOT force them to fit your narrow definition of propriety.
Yes, I understand that the guidelines of the American Medical Association gives Merrill the right to behave in this shoddy manner. Really, though; simple human decency would seem to dictate that Merrill needs to understand and respect that not everyone thinks, lives, and/or believes as he does. That doesn’t make them wrong; it just makes them different. It makes them human.
Merrill isn’t running a convenience store or a restaurant. He’s running a medical practice, and people depend on him for medical care. If he can’t deal with that, then perhaps it’s time for him to find another line of work. It’s a good thing for Dr. Merrill that you don’t have to go to school for 10 years to be a DUMB@$$, eh?