A Harvard-affiliated hospital reportedly expelled a popular doctor after he voiced his religious beliefs about homosexuality.
Dr. Paul Church, who had admitting privileges at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, was told his position on homosexuality constituted as “discrimination,” “harassment,” and “unprofessional conduct,” and that Bible verses regarding homosexuality are similarly “offensive” and discriminatory.
“Dr. Church was censured and subjected to disciplinary action for stating an objection on medical and religious grounds to the promotion of homosexuality,” says Richard Mast, a Liberty Counsel attorney representing Church.
Mast confirmed Church received a letter from the hospital, assessed the letter and exercised his rights under the bylaws for admission purposes. Though the hospital had handed down the expulsion in March, Church was denied an appeal in early September.
LifeSiteNews reports the hospital began censuring Church’s comments more than a decade ago.
Church’s comments were allegedly posted on a BIDMC communication server years ago.
“The evidence is irrefutable that behaviors common within the homosexual community are unhealthy and high risk for a host of serious medical consequences, including STD’s, HIV and AIDS, anal cancer, hepatitis, parasitic intestinal infections, and psychiatric disorders,” Church reportedly wrote.
“Life expectancy is significantly decreased as a result of HIV/AIDS, complications from the other health problems, and suicide. This alone should make it reprehensible to the medical community, who has an obligation to promote and model healthy behaviors and lifestyles.”
For attorney Mast, Church’s case represents the fight for religious freedom many Christians face when making their faith public in the private sector.
Just because an act is legal—be it abortion, education standards or gay marriage—doesn’t make it moral, Mast says.
“This needs to be a wake-up call for America,” Mast says. “What we see being enacted in corporate America is vague terms like labeling something ‘offensive’ is grounds for being fired. We’re seeing deligitimized expressions of religious beliefs. … Rather than disagreeing with ideas, (corporate America) is characterizing the expression of a Christian worldview as offensive, hateful and hurtful, effectively enacting gag orders across corporate America for religious beliefs.”
