Bioethics Reflection In my opinion, religion and beliefs are an important part of a person’s individuality. Beliefs can control how a person perceives what is moral and ethically right. Belief systems, whether they are Christian, Judaism, Buddhism, or others, can influence how an individual acts, speaks, and makes certain decisions. There is a line between religion and medicine and it is drawn mostly by today’s society. Today society has taken religion out of the schools, out of the government, and many other places. It is important to realize the significance of religion for individuals no matter where or what they do. This discussion focused on the overlap of religion and medicine and whether they should even overlap at all. In my opinion, if you are a Christian or of another religion, that will govern how you do things and how you perceive what are the right decisions to make. It is evident that each person thinks differently from others and I believe that this is due to certain beliefs that are a part of that individual. Doctors have extremely important roles in society. They have actual lives in their hands meaning they must do all things that are in their power to keep a person alive. Regardless of how a person believes, a doctor or other medical professional should use all the knowledge and information they have to best treat a patient in need of care. In this case study, I believe that the doctor was doing all that he could to give the best care to his patient. After realizing the family’s opinions towards care there may be some controversy on the matter of how treatment should be given based on age, type of care, and religion. It is my understanding that the doctor wanted to provide care for the patient in order to keep her alive longer. The doctor did nothing wrong since he was following his healthcare pledge that he made when he became a doctor. It is important to also note his religious background of Judaism and the presence it has on his decisions. Judaism beliefs cause the doctor to make choices to better one’s life or to take the neutral pathway. It would go against his belief system to deny giving care to a patient when he still can provide some care. Some of the commentaries we read in this lab were somewhat different to the doctor in the case study but they were also somewhat different. It was interesting to see these different sides of religions and how they impact areas of medicine and medical choices. The Buddhism commentary believed that no harm or lack of treatment should be given to the patient and that healthcare professionals should be making very ethical choices when deciding on treatment and care for patients. It is important to note that this is a little similar to Judaism and overall, I think that most doctors practice giving good care to their patients since that is their job and profession. I believe that the religion, belief or spirituality that a person has, will ultimately guide the ethical choices and decisions that a person will make. In the case study the family’s decision was to not give their mother treatment due to her old age. It is the right of the caretaker, patient, or spouse to have those opinions; sometimes decisions are made that go against the treatment a doctor will prescribe to the patient. I believe that most religions will allow for most treatments however it is the right of a patient to not do something because of their belief system. They have the right to deny certain treatments for any reasons. Overall, it is an interesting topic of religion and medicine. I believe that there is a very thick overlap between the two and that it is important to have that overlap. Healthcare professionals need faith or religion to lean on just as the rest of us. It is important to know that doctor’s cannot do their job without medicine but also important that many doctors with belief systems allow those to guide them in their field of practice.