Atheists and theists, what should be done?

Question

-Male, 50
-Homeless
-No insurance
-No family or friends
-Mentally ill.
-Violent and combative against others.
-Several nursing homes have refused to take this person back, because he is a threat to the staff and the other residents.
-Currently in hospital, and cannot be relocated because no place will take him.


So what humane thing should be done?

Callie: I addressed the question to both atheists and theists. Paranoid, perhaps?

Atheist Machine:

So you suggest we chemically restrain him. Keep his so doped up, so that other people can feel comfortable around him. That is far from humane.

Je Marche:
Even if the doctors did lie about his diagnosis, the truth will come out. Plus his case history will always be the same. No doctor is going to lie about that anyway.

Nursing homes has a responsibiliy to the other residents, so they have the right to refuse or remove a violent person from their establishment.

Knyghtze:

This person is incapable of making a decision about anything. That includes his own welfare.

Callie;

I wanted to know what people here think should be done. I didn't want a professional opinion, but a public opinion. Besides, I think that R&S really shows the heart of what people really think about a lot of things.

Edit:
An omission is a lie.

Edit:

Such words should be quoted,

"Thus we treat him until we get him to a considerable parameter and make him choose. If that is impossible theres always physical methods to stop violent behavior ie lobotomy and electroshocks. Though if no signs of recovery appear i would recommend termination(a hollow body isn't a human)."
1 hour ago
Source(s):
Me atheist

Behold, the future

Stark,

Thumbs up for answering the question. You do know that not everyone will respond to counseling. You might get the person to function to some degree, but there is always the possibility that the person may revert back.

Edit:
Callie, I am not overly critical of certain posts because they are from atheist. I am just critical of certain posts because they are off the charts. If most of the "odd" posts comes from atheists, that is not my problem.

Besides, why are you complaining. I thought that atheists were not a group but individuals who have one common ground "The denial of the existence of God". So why do you feel compelled to speak up for them? Do you feel some how connected with other atheists? You did this from the get go. You didn't have a problem with me commenting on them as a poster on Y!A, but as an atheist on Y!A. Are you the watch dog for atheists.

I could care less if you or anybody else is an atheist or a christian or pagan, I don't cater to anyone.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the person would probably have to be declared a ward of the state. He would then have to receive medication and/or counseling in order to improve his social skills.

Only then could such a person be placed in a retirement community or care-facility.

Edit: You're 100% correct. As far as I know there are no guaranteed "cures" for people with mental instabilities/insufficiencies.

However, I have personally witnessed a major personality change in a member of my family through intensive pharmacological intervention. This is a person that I now adore, yet 10 years ago our relationship was almost entirely confrontational.

By the way, I obviously wasn't the only member of my family who was constantly in conflict with this person... sure, I'm pig-headed... but I'm not that bad.

Answer 2

i think this is not only a moral question but a political one as well.

but if your hypothesis is that most athiests will respond in an immoral way, i believe you will be suprised.

of course there are always exceptions, but lack of a belief in a diety does not make a person immoral, and there are plenty of immoral creationists.

edit: if this question has no religious bias, then why is it posted in the religion section and not perhaps in mental health or the ethics sections?

edit #2: okay, i respect that. and for a more direct answer to your question, the humane thing i believe should be done is they should be taken care of in a capable facility. now who is responsible for paying for this facility is where this issue gets political. liberals will raise taxes to generate the money to pay for this facility (interesting fact; most athiests tend to lean to the left in their ideologies), and conservatives generally are opposed to much government interference and let the public fend for themselves.

edit #3: if you only wanted a public opinion you would not be attacking everyone's answers (as it seems, mostly if not all of the answers of athiests). you also obviously do not now how to conduct an appropriate sample survey. either that or you are incapable of interpreting the results. you decided to choose one rather ignorant point of view and say that this is what the future holds? if you were completely non bias in your translation of the results, you would have come to the conclusion that more often than not athiests and creationists as well are in no way opposed to treating the downtrodden with respect and humanity. also, one athiests opinion does not represent the norm. it would be very possible for me to use as an example one of the creationists who has been extremely immoral in his life (e.g. certian catholic priests, etc) and stereotype every creationist as a child lusting freak, but in doing so i would be lying, just as you are stereotyping athiests as people who are morally inept.

if you honestly think that most athiests would answer similarly to Knyghtze, you are seriously misguided.

Answer 3

Give him the option of death or confinement. Of course such an individual should be treated to try to reintegrate him to society(regardless of his economic status).


Thus we treat him until we get him to a considerable parameter and make him choose. If that is impossible theres always physical methods to stop violent behavior ie lobotomy and electroshocks. Though if no signs of recovery appear i would recommend termination(a hollow body isn't a human).

Answer 4

If he had insurance, the doctors would actually take the trouble of correctly diagnosing and medicating him. Too bad that fundies have so much influence on our government and laws, and so many people have no insurance....

Edit: WHERE did I say the doctors would lie?? I made the implication that they often won't bother to correctly diagnose and treat a patient who has no insurance. And if you dispute that, you're nuts.

Answer 5

Well if we are providing health care to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay why can't we find a place to care for this American citizen? He needs mental help..He prob didn't choose to be this way..

Answer 6

There are some half way houses, but sadly most of what we have are state hospitals and prisions. Neither of which are humane, but they will keep him from hurting self and others.

Answer 7

I can tell you when that happens in the hospital the patient stays until some facility will take him.

Answer 8

This person clearly needs to be in a psychiatric hospital.

Answer 9

He belongs in a mental hospital.

†

Answer 10

Keep him restrained if he is violent. And keep him away from other patients.