A true story

Dear MRFF,

I was a medical volunteer aboard the USNS Comfort as part of Operation Unified Response off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I belonged to a NGO – Operation Smile. I replied to a call for anesthesiologists to help administer surgery on ship for earthquake survivors.

Every night over the loudspeakers at ‘lights out’ prayers were announced. Sometimes the bible was read from; I recall Psalms being cited. I don’t remember all the passages. As a law school graduate (in addition to being a physician) I recall being aghast at this – I thought, and still do think, this is a blatant violation of the Establishment Clause. I felt personally offended, but didn’t speak out on it (which is often the case in these situations). One evening the ship held a special ceremony for patients and their families aboard ship. It was, in my opinion, a US Navy sponsored and administered religious service. A civilian minister (a Catholic priest from Haiti, I think), and the Navy chaplains actively participated, as did the ship’s high(est?) ranking officer. They meant this as a healing for the people of Haiti, but I think it went too far. I think it was an unpermitted entanglement of religion with the U.S. Navy’s mission there. I was appalled. I walked out. Of course, some folks commented on how moving it was (Christians, of course) – but that’s not the point. This certainly bordered on prosthletizing, if it was not actually outright prosthletizing. What was so outrageous to me personally was that I thought to myself how in ancient times earthquakes would be explained as angers of the gods or God, and how we now know better. And then, just as my mind was processing those thoughts, the Navy officer recited a passage from the bible having to do with earthquakes! Arghh! That’s when I walked out.

It is a sad day when a civilian American medical doctor can’t even volunteer his time to help sick people in his government’s name without being subject to this kind of religious atmosphere (if not religious intimidation).

Thank you.

Sincerely,

(Doctor’s name withheld)