The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

46 (Orr 50-51). Based on this, Christians can refuse to participate or assist in medical procedures, such as abortion, because it violates their right of conscience. There are, however, many exceptions and legal issues regarding this right, and there is also much debate over the elimination of this right. And unfortunately, there are also consequences that come to Christians when they resist by using the right of conscience. When Christians in the medical field resist the ideology of autonomy, they often suffer harsh criticism by the secular world, resulting in some negative consequences. They are labeled as intolerant to the moral standards of others and unprofessional in the medical setting. Sharon Crowley argues, “The conservative Christian response to difference is too intolerant. Christian conservatives wish to impose a standard of moral behavior on all of us so that they can easily discern- and disciple- those who depart from it” (104). This quote frames Christians as strict moral policeman whose only goal is to point fingers at sinners and accuse them of their wrongdoings. In the medical field, the same situation happens as well, described by Tristram Engelhardt, saying, “The condemnation by traditional Christian health care professionals of some lifestyle choices and narratives as immoral is regarded by the secular culture as unacceptably intolerant” (97). We can see from these quotes that the consequence of resisting moral autonomy in a secular world results in being labeled as intolerant. This is a problem for Christians because postmodern tolerance demands respect in all aspects, so tolerance to the world can be summed up by saying, “There is no definite right or wrong, so let’s respect each other because we’re both right in our own way”. On the other hand, Christian tolerance has a very different perspective, in that it believes in an overarching, non-subjective truth of right and wrong– the truth that comes from the Bible. As a result, Christians in the medical profession are often labeled as intolerant, and as a result, they are considered unprofessional. The good news is that even though Christians may suffer these consequences, there is still hope that they can successfully integrate their faith into their profession and get positive reactions from others rather than negative ones. Christian nurses can easily integrate their faith into the profession of Nursing by several means. One way is to actively demonstrate the ideology of Nursing that lines up with the Christian