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20473 TH37 25/10/06 09:01 Page 1 Autumn 2006 Autumn for today’s Christian doctor triple helix net pornography bma, fasbos, ivf, palliative care, kashmir, roots, abortion, dating, smacking, obituaries, news from abroad 20473 TH37 25/10/06 09:01 Page 2 ISSN 1460-2253 Triple Helix is the quarterly journal of the Christian Medical Fellowship 157 Waterloo Road London SE1 8XN Tel 020 7928 4694 Fax 020 7620 2453 No.37 Autumn 2006 Email [email protected] Website www.cmf.org.uk contents A registered charity no 1039823 President Alan Johnson MChir FRCS Immediate Past-President Brian Hogbin MB BS FRCS Editorial 3 Chairman Mark Cheesman MD FRCP Elijah or Obadiah? – Peter Saunders Chairman-Elect Trevor Stammers MB BS MRCGP Immediate Past-Chairman Chris Summerton MD FRCP News Reviews 4 Treasurer Anthony Bell MD FRCS Sanity prevails at the BMA – Peter Saunders General Secretary Peter Saunders MB ChB FRACS Overseas Support Secretary Peter Armon MB BS FRCOG FASBOs – Dominic Beer Student Secretary Mark Pickering MB BS Obesity and IVF - Rachael Pickering Global poverty marches on – Steve Fouch Subscriptions Triple Helix is sent to all members of CMF as part of the benefits of membership, but individual subscriptions are Palliating the future 6 available to non-members at £3 a copy including postage Claire Stark Toller (UK only). Caught in the net 8 For special offers see the coupon enclosed. Trevor Stammers and Chris Richards Enquiries: Tel 020 8559 1180 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). Contributions Earthquake zone 10 The editor welcomes original contributions which have Ruth Coggan both a Christian and medical content. Advice for preparation is available on request. Searching for roots 11 Authors have reasonable freedom of expression of Clare Cooper opinion in so far as their material is consonant with the Christian faith as recorded in the Bible. Views Psychological effects after abortion 12 expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers. Dominic Beer Managing Editor Peter Saunders Associate Editors Rachael Pickering and John Martin Meeting Doctor Right 14 Juniors’ forum Copy Editors Jacky Engel Clare Cooper, Rachael Pickering Editorial Board Researching the rod 16 Helen Baratt, Dominic Beer, Andrew Brown, John Steley Stephen Browne, Clare Cooper, Jacky Engel, Janet Goodall, Rachael Pickering, Jason Roach, Eutychus 17 Claire Stark Toller, Paul Vincent Design S2 Design & Advertising 020 8677 2788 Book Reviews 18 Karen Palmer, Janet Goodall, Cover Photo Blend Images Claire Hookey, Trevor Stammers Copyright Christian Medical Fellowship, London. All rights reserved. Except for a few copies for private Obituaries 20 study, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form News from abroad 22 or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Peter Armon recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Christian Medical Fellowship. Final Thoughts 23 Paul Dakin CMF Christian Medical Fellowship 20473 TH37 25/10/06 09:01 Page 3 editorial Elijah or Obadiah? The role of Christian doctors he Old Testament prophet Elijah’s hostile environment, delivering messages that the confrontation with the prophets of Baal in powers that be might not want to hear, being 1 Kings 18 is one of the best-known stories prepared to confront injustice and corruption, T of the Old Testament. One man has the speaking out in order to be a ‘voice for the courage to stand up to Israel’s apostate king Ahab and his voiceless’through letters, articles, submissions, evil wife Jezebel and wins a great victory on Mt Carmel. personal visits and on the media. God himself intervenes in the contest both to vindicate The responsibility of Elijahs is to speak the truth Elijah and to demonstrate his own majesty and power. It is without compromise; but the danger of playing such a reminder that even during the darkest times of human a prophetic role is that one can come across as history God remains in control. bigoted, simplistic and strident - throwing judge- The story of Elijah’s withdrawal into the desert ments like grenades from a distance whilst shrinking when later overcome by fear and exhaustion is one from the face-to-face encounters with those in beloved by all who have ever found themselves authority that really bring results. Elijah did not shrink ‘honourably wounded’in the Lord’s service. God’s from seeing the job through and risking all to do it – provision of food, drink, rest and a fresh refilling and he was also prepared to face the risk of meeting Whether you see with his Spirit is a prescription we all need to draw Ahab and not leave Obadiah to face him alone. on frequently if we are to retain our sanity and It can be equally unsettling to be an Obadiah – yourself as an spiritual health in a world increasingly hostile to occupying a position of responsibility in our Christian living and Christian values. society’s corridors of power. Obadiahs have respon- Obadiah or Elijah, or But the story that I would like to draw your sibilities too – to use the position of power and someone called to attention to is that which immediately precedes the influence God has given them to protect the battle on Mt Carmel – the meeting that takes place vulnerable and innocent and to be willing to face up play another role between Elijah and Obadiah. Obadiah is a lesser- to unjust authority when it is called for. The danger known Bible character – but he was in charge of King of playing this ‘incarnational’servant role is that one entirely, I pray that Ahab’s palace and clearly, like Joseph, Daniel, can be tempted to become compromised, timid and this edition of Triple Nehemiah and Mordecai in other Bible stories, had anxious about one’s reputation. Obadiah was afraid risen to a position of great influence and responsi- about what Ahab might do – but despite his fear he Helix will equip, bility in government. We are also told that he was a was willing to pass on Elijah’s message to the king, ‘devout believer in the Lord’and that while Jezebel even though it put his own life at risk. inform and inspire was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had God needs Christian doctors in these days who are you on that journey ‘taken a hundred of the Lord’s prophets and hidden willing to be prophets like Elijah, people who are them in two caves… and supplied them with food prepared to speak unpalatable truth, who are willing and water’. Like a former day Schindler, he was to put their heads above the parapet to expose prepared to take risks to do the right thing. corruption and injustice, and challenge flawed policy, Ahab, egged on by his wife, intended to kill regardless of the personal cost. And God also needs Elijah, who had three years earlier prophesied to Obadiahs who will accept responsibility within our him that God was sending a drought as judgement society’s flawed institutions – in NHS Trusts, Royal on Israel’s idolatry and apostasy. The meeting Colleges, Hospitals, BMA, GMC and government – in between Elijah and Obadiah took place as the order to be salt and light; to safeguard the services for latter was combing the land at Ahab’s command to the most vulnerable and to care with compassion for find grass to feed Ahab’s starving animals. the most needy. And most importantly God needs the Elijah tells Obadiah to go to Ahab and announce Elijahs and Obadiahs to work together, respecting, his arrival but Obadiah is reticent to do so afraid enabling and encouraging one another, for the that if Ahab cannot then find Elijah, his own life extension of his kingdom and for his glory. will be in danger. He is reassured when Elijah Whether you see yourself as an Obadiah or Elijah, agrees to meet Ahab himself later that day. As they or someone called to play another role entirely, I pray say the rest is history. that this edition of Triple Helix will equip, inform and It can be uncomfortable to be an Elijah in today’s inspire you on that journey. world. But some of us are to called to do just that – to stand up for justice and truth publicly in a Peter Saunders is CMF General Secretary Autumn 06 triple helix 03 20473 TH37 25/10/06 09:01 Page 4 news reviews Sanity prevails at the BMA Review by Peter Saunders Overwhelming vote to reject change in law on assisted dying CMF General Secretary he British Medical not be made legal in the UK; 65% for, members had attended the BMA ARM – Association voted 35% against 2.5% of the total 520 appointed delegates, overwhelmingly to reject any I insists that non-voluntary euthanasia and 5% of the doctors voting at the debate. change in the law on should not be made legal in the UK; Not one of these 13 were amongst the eight T 3 euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide 94% for, 6% against speakers who spoke in the debate. at its annual representative meeting on 29 I insists that if euthanasia were legalised This claim of Christian influence followed June 2006. 1 The vote followed the body’s there should be a clear demarcation similarly wild allegations that the campaign controversial move to a neutral position in between those doctors who would be group Care Not Killing, in which CMF plays 2005 and similar decisions to oppose involved in it and those who would an active role, had spent over £11.8 million assisted dying by both the Royal College of not; 82% for, 18% against opposing Lord Joffe’s Bill when in fact the General Practitioners (RCGP) in The BMA decision brought it into line true figure was just over £30,000.