We have no state religion. We've agreed that science and rationality shall rule our social relations. What we're going through as a profession regarding our reactions to the Mercy Guidelines, and also the current attacks on us in the media, has to do with what I see as a tension we have with science. I don't think we should try to ignore science, to deny it, to discredit it, or to oppose it. Science is what we've agreed to hold up as the standard now.
Science has high, ethical principles.
What's wrong is that sometimes the way scientific standards are applied are unfair and unethical. We should not have to hold to inappropriately stringent standards of scientific purity. We should not be held to a higher standard than the MDs. It will be fruitful to engage in a vigorous debate about fair scientific standards and the role of science in healing professions. If we do, we will all be better for it.