If Catholic pharmacists can refuse to fill birth control orders, can Mormon bartenders refuse to pour beer?

Question

... and not get fired?

I ask because birth control is the most common prescription, and beer is the most common drink.

What about a Mormon waiter at a restaurant?

Answer 1

mormon bartenders? haha

is like jews for jesus?

Answer 2

It would seem strange for a Mormon to be a bartender, unless maybe he/she was a bartender prior to his/her conversion, and couldn't find another job. However, if that was their job, they'd better do it. I suppose as long as the Mormon doesn't drink the beer, then they're fine, but I personally would have a hard time working at an establishment that goes against my moral standards.

I remember some months ago hearing about a Muslim who refused to scan pork items at a grocery store, and she would ask the customers to scan those items which she refused to touch. This caused a huge debate, and I remember thinking that if that's what the job requires her to do, then she'd better do it! I wouldn't hold a Mormon to any other standard. My opinion is: If you can't do the job, then get a different job.

Mormons that serve beer at restaurants, or sell alcohol and cigarettes at stores, or take money from gamblers in a casino, or are required to work on Sundays, etc., are supposed to do their jobs. If they don't like the job description when they signed up to work there, that's their own problem.

Answer 3

A Mormon wouldn't try to get a job as a bartender, because he/she could not serve most of the customers.

A Catholic pharmacist can serve 95% or more of the customers on average. It's not like birth control is the primary aspect of their job. So your analogy isn't even close to being accurate.

Most of the Catholic pharmacists I know own their own pharmacy so they simply don't stock birth control. If somebody presents an Rx for that, they say, "I'm sorry, we don't carry this," and hand the Rx back. No judgement, just hand it back. The person can go elsewhere to have it filled. The Catholic pharmacy may lose a customer forever, but since birth control is less than 5% of all Rx, it's no biggie.

I know two Catholic pharmacists who own and operate a franchise pharmacy. They do stock birth control because their franchise makes them. They fill Rx that are not suspicious (like a super dose works as the abortion pill, so they do NOT fill those and inform the Rxing doc that they won't), because some people use birth control pills for reasons other than birth control. An infertile woman whose ovaries don't work, for example, can go on the pill for a time to get her ovaries firing hormones again, and then get off the pill in order to get pregnant. That's just one example where using the birth control pill is not morally objectionable.

But no person should be fired for upholding his/her ethics. Doctors are not forced to perform abortions. If they have a moral issue with abortions, they just don't do it. There are other doctors available. Prison guards who have a problem with capital punishment are not forced to participate in an execution or even serve on death row. There are other guards available.

Last time I checked, there is freedom of religion in this country and even Catholic pharmacists are entitled to practice their religion and uphold their personal ethics on the job so long as nobody is getting hurt and nobody else's rights are violated. No woman ever got hurt by having to take her Rx to a different pharmacy. And she's still free to get what she wants, so her rights are not violated.

Answer 4

I was a Mormon bartender during College & Med school and I never saw the scandal in it. If the serving of alcohol is utterly inconceivable to me, than I should have found a different job!

Personally speaking, I didn't think much of my job since I wasn't actively forcing people to drink, our clientel were patronizing the bar whether I was there or not so culpability lands on the hands of the owner of the bar and those drinking.

I think in either case (Catholic pharmacist or Mormon bartender) if either were to refuse to essentially do the job for which they were hired, then they should be released from duty.

Answer 5

I'm a Mormon and spent a summer working as a waitress in a hotel, including some time working behind the bar. I had no problem with selling alcoholic drinks to customers. My religion tells me that I must not drink alcohol, but it doesn't proclaim it to be evil per se, so those not of my religion are perfectly entitled to drink it, and I wouldn't presume to tell them not to.

I didn't get fired, but I didn't spend long working on the bar before I got moved back into the restaurant because I was so useless at it. A customer would ask for a "rum and black" and I had no idea what "black" was, what glass to serve it in, etc. I could pour pints, but my lack of drinking experience meant that I really didn't know the etiquette of drinking. Also the customers would ask me to recommend a good whiskey, and I would have to admit I'd never drunk any of them, so it was a little off-putting for them.

Answer 6

Well, while I am a firm believer in the right to religious choices and tolerance for all, I also believe that it is the right of the individual to accept and expect their prescriptions to be filled in a professional manner. If there is going to be a conflict of interest, why would one choose the profession to start with? Kinda like some people wanting to play God....stating who gets what is needed or prescribed and who doesn't. I believe this same type of thing happened with the RU486 pill, better known as the "morning after pill" .... While i believe it to be the inherent rights of any individual, how can one say that by standing up for their own beliefs in such a profession and actually limiting the rights of others beliefs are ok? Just because beliefs are different, makes not one any more or any less valid. So it would appear that in this particular situation, that we are caught up in a catch-22 Just my humble pagan thoughts. blessings to all )o( trinity

Answer 7

Are there Mormon bartenders? lol

Each person has different degrees of what their beliefs allow or don't allow. Also each person has free will.

There are probably catholic pharmacists who will continue to fill birth control perscriptions... Catholics in America have never walked in lock step with the Pope anyway.

Answer 8

As far as I Know Catholic pharmasits must fill all precriptions properly.

I guess if a Mormon took the job he'd need to fulfill his duties.

This question has come up in reality somewhere and I think it was about a Muslim not wanting to serve beer. I can't quite place the article. I believe someone else served beer to her customers. I wouldn't. We accept her customs; she must also accept ours.

Answer 9

Mormon bartender? lol. Like to see that. if you work there, that is part of the job requirements, You knew that when you took the job, therefore, you have to pour the beer, or get fired.

Answer 10

Here are my comments (following a +) on the Oath of a Pharmacist in relation to providing abortifacients (drugs which destroy the fertilized egg)

I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of human suffering my primary concerns.
+ The welfare of humanity is mentioned first. Catholics and many other people think that abortion is detrimental to the welfare of humanity.
+ Catholics and many other people believe that the unborn are human and killing the unborn will add to human suffering of the unborn human and its family.

I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal drug therapy outcomes for the patients I serve.
+ The unborn human being is also a patient served.

I will keep abreast of developments and maintain professional competency in my profession of pharmacy.
+ Amen.

I will maintain the highest principles of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
+ Again morality and ethics are mentioned before legality. We are obliged in good moral and ethical conscience not to follow laws when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.

I will embrace and advocate change in the profession of pharmacy that improves patient care.
+ This includes fighting against immoral and unethical laws.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.
+ Amen.

Catholic doctors are not forced to perform abortions or physician assisted suicides.

Catholic prison workers are not forced to execute prisoners.

Catholics are not forced to commit what they believe to be sinful acts in any other part of society.

Why are pharmicists being persecuted for their moral and ethical beleifs?

http://www.aacp.org/site/tertiary.asp?CID=290&DID=4339

With love in Christ.

Answer 11

As long as the Mormon bartenders will pour beer while naked in a gay bar, it should be fine.