Atheist hospitals

The psychiatric hospital Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, formerly called the Serbsky Institute, was used during the Soviet Union era to engage in “psychiatric terror” against political dissidents.[1]

Atheist hospitals do exist, but their quality tends to be lower than those created by the religious (see: Religious hospitals vs. secular hospitals: Quality of care and Atheism and charity).

Most atheists are likely East Asians (with a large portion of them living in China). China practices state atheism.[2][3] China's hospital system and general health care system overall is currently experiencing a crisis as evidenced by the New York Times article China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ (See also: Atheist hospitals in China).[4]

Vietnam practices state atheism.[5] Public hospitals in Vietnam are understaffed and in Vietnam there is no universal healthcare (see: Atheist hospitals in Vietnam).[6]

North Korea practices state atheism.[7] The World Health Organization said about North Korea's health care system, "challenges remained, including poor infrastructure, a lack of equipment, malnutrition and a shortage of medicines."[8]

Cuba practices state atheism.[9] The hospitals run Cuba are perennially underfunded, poorly stocked and often are unsanitary (See: Atheist hospitals in Cuba).[10][11]

The former Soviet Union had state atheism. Mental hospitals in the Soviet Union were used to persecute believers.[12] In the Soviet Union, many Orthodox priests and laymen experienced religious persecution in the form of torture and being sent to prison camps, labor camps or mental hospitals.[13][14][15][16] See also: Atheistic communism and torture

The psychiatric hospital Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, formerly called the Serbsky Institute, was used during the Soviet Union era to engage in “psychiatric terror” against political dissidents.[17]

Even though many hospitals do not actively push a religious viewpoint on their patients and staff, almost all of them were funded and founded by those whose faith and religious beliefs pushed them to help those in need (see: Christianity and hospitals).

## Contents

* 1 Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair on hospitals
* 2 Angelo Stagnaro on atheists and the building of hospitals
* 3 Author Preston Gillham on atheist hospitals
* 4 Quote related to atheist hospitals and orphanages
* 5 Atheist Dan Barker on atheist hospitals
* 6 Atheist group sues over Bible display at VA hospital in New Hampshire
* 7 Christianity and hospitals
* 7.1 Religious hospitals offer higher quality of care than secular hospitals
* 7.2 Articles on Christianity and hospitals
* 7.3 Catholic, Methodist and Baptist hospitals in the United States
* 7.4 Quality of care in hospitals by religious affiliation
* 8 Atheist doctors
* 8.1 Belief in God and American doctors
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 References

## Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair on hospitals[edit]

See also: Atheist lawsuits

Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists organization declared concerning hospitals: "An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church.".[18]

Neither Madalyn Murray O’Hair nor the American Atheists organization ever built a hospital.

Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the founder of American Atheists organization declared concerning hospitals: "An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church.".[19]

Neither Madalyn Murray O’Hair nor the American Atheists organization ever built a hospital.

The article My mother: the most hated woman in America: Interview with William J. Murray declares:

“  |  In 1979, William had an idea to help get rid of his mother’s reputation as the most hated woman in America.

He told her of a hospital which desperately needed new equipment. He suggested she buy the equipment and put a plaque on it saying, ‘A gift from Madalyn Murray O’Hair—atheist.’

‘I told her we’d call a news conference and get the story publicized all over the United States. Then people would say she’s not such a bad old gal after all.’

She fumed. ‘She said, “Why would I want to take perfectly good money and use it to buy hospital equipment? I could use that money to file lawsuits to bar pastors, priests and rabbis from being allowed to go into hospitals.”’[20]

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Taylor Barkley in his article An Atheist’s Perspective on Christian Engagement in the World wrote:

“  |  A Christian believes that a hospital and a church should be built. A Christian believes that deeds must be done and prayers said. A Christian strives for involvement in life and has nothing to fear in death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, and war eliminated and works with Christ to accomplish those goals, knowing that they will be accomplished one day.[21] |  ”

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## Angelo Stagnaro on atheists and the building of hospitals[edit]

See also: Atheism and the problem of evil and Studies on prayer and Atheism and cancer and Atheism and health

The Christian Post reporter Stoyan Zaimov wrote:Double-blind prayer experiments: where people pray for others with terminal illness. Habermas admitted that most such experiments have not worked, but the three that he knows of that have indeed worked were cases of orthodox-Christians praying for the sick.[22] See: Studies on prayer

Angelo Stagnaro wrote for the National Catholic Register:

“  |  Why doesn’t God heal every child with leukemia? I’m unsure, but I know for a fact that atheists have never built a hospital for even one poor child with that disease so, thus far, the score is Atheists 0, God ∞.

In other words, instead of asking why God doesn’t cure every child, atheists should be asking themselves why they aren’t helping any child...

Atheism has never motivated its practitioners to assist anyone, ever. Atheists simply don’t care about the poor enough to assist even one small child with leukemia. Otherwise we’d be up to our hips in atheist hospitals. And, just for the record, the Catholic Church operates 125,000 hospitals and clinics around the world.[23]

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The Christian apologist Gary Habermas wrote: "Double-blind prayer experiments: where people pray for others with terminal illness. Habermas admitted that most such experiments have not worked, but the three that he knows of that have indeed worked were cases of orthodox-Christians praying for the sick."[24] See also: Studies on prayer

According to the American Cancer Society:

“  |  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 69% of cancer patients say they pray for their health. A recent study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, suggests a link between religious or spiritual beliefs and better physical health reported among patients with cancer.[25] |  ”

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See also: Atheism and cancer and Atheism and health

## Author Preston Gillham on atheist hospitals[edit]

The prestigious Mayo Clinic found that that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life and other health outcomes.[26] See: Atheism and health and Atheism and mental illness

See also: Atheism and mental illness

Christian author Preston Gillham wrote about his atheist neighbor and the issue of there being a lack of atheist hospitals in his neighborhood:

“  |  I converted words with my atheist neighbor to story. I waited for him to make his statement about craziness again—I knew he would—and said, “So, you truly believe religion makes people crazy, do you?”

“I do, Preston. It’s irrefutable.”

“Okay, buddy. You are going later this week to Baylor Hospital for tests. I wouldn’t go if I was you.”

“Why not?”

“The place was founded by Baptists and Episcopalians. Nor would I go to Harris Methodist Hospital for the same reason. Where is Atheist General Hospital? I’ll take you there.”[27]

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## Quote related to atheist hospitals and orphanages[edit]

See also: Atheism and charity

"Where are the atheist hospitals? Orphanages? Food pantries? If atheists all fell flat in the forest would anyone miss them? We would not miss their grand humanitarian institutions. There aren’t any. Where are the Darwin Memorial Hospitals? Where is the Madeline Murray O’Hare orphanage? Nothing." - Roger Fields and Jeff Fields[28]

A graphic from the website Answers for Atheist.[29] See: Atheism and charity

## Atheist Dan Barker on atheist hospitals[edit]

The atheist Dan Barker wrote: "'Have atheists ever built any hospitals?' I am sometimes asked. Yes, they have. The obvious example is the Soviet Union, with an officially atheistic government, where hundreds of hospitals were constructed."[30]

Dan Barker

## Atheist group sues over Bible display at VA hospital in New Hampshire[edit]

See also: Atheist lawsuits and Religion in the military

* Atheist group sues over Bible display at VA hospital in New Hampshire, Air Force Times, May 5, 2019

* Veterans group pushes to dismiss suit over Bible on display at New Hampshire VA hospital, Air Force Times, September 26, 2019

## Christianity and hospitals[edit]

See: Christianity and hospitals

St. Basil of Caesarea founded the first hospital. Christian hospitals subsequently spread quickly throughout both the East and the West.[31] See: Christianity and hospitals

### Religious hospitals offer higher quality of care than secular hospitals[edit]

* Religious hospitals vs. secular hospitals: Quality of care

### Articles on Christianity and hospitals[edit]

Below are articles on Christianity and hospitals:

* The Christian Origins of Hospitals
* No Christianity, No Hospitals: Don’t Take Christian Contributions for Granted, CNS News, 2016

### Catholic, Methodist and Baptist hospitals in the United States[edit]

See: Catholic, Methodist and Baptist hospitals in the United States

### Quality of care in hospitals by religious affiliation[edit]

* Do Hospitals’ Religious Affiliations Affect Quality of Care?

## Atheist doctors[edit]

See also: Atheist doctors

CBS News reported: "According to a mail-in survey of nearly 4,000 British doctors, those who were atheist or agnostic were almost twice as willing to take actions designed to hasten the end of life."[32]

### Belief in God and American doctors[edit]

The University of Chicago Chronicle reported in 2005:

“  |  The first study of physician religious beliefs has found that 76 percent of doctors believe in God and 59 percent believe in some sort of afterlife. The survey, performed by researchers at the University and published in the July issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that 90 percent of doctors in the United States attend religious services at least occasionally, compared to 81 percent of all adults. Fifty-five percent of doctors say their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine.[33] |  ”

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## See also[edit]

* Atheism and medicine

* Secular hospitals

* Atheist universities and colleges

* Atheist organizations and scandals

* Atheist organizations

* Atheism and social justice

## External links[edit]

* Atheist doctors more likely to hasten death
* New study shows that UK doctors consistently oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide and Washington report raises further concerns about abuse

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## References[edit]

1. ↑ Korotenko, Ada; Alikina, Natalia [Ада Коротенко, Наталия Аликина] (2002). Советская психиатрия: Заблуждения и умысел [Soviet psychiatry: fallacies and wilfulness] (in Russian). Kiev: Издательство «Сфера» [Publishing house "Sphere"]. ISBN 978-966-7841-36-2.
2. ↑ China in the 21st century. Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. “China is still officially an atheist country, but many religions are growing rapidly, including evangelical Christianity (estimates of how many Chinese have converted to some form of Protestantism range widely, but at least tens of millions have done so) and various hybrid sects that combine elements of traditional creeds and belief systems (Buddhism mixed with local folk cults, for example).”
3. ↑ The State of Religion Atlas. Simon & Schuster. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. “Atheism continues to be the official position of the governments of China, North Korea and Cuba.”
4. ↑ China’s Health Care Crisis: Lines Before Dawn, Violence and ‘No Trust’ By Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, Sept. 30, 2018
5. ↑ Jan Dodd, Mark Lewis, Ron Emmons. The Rough Guide to Vietnam, Vol. 4, 2003. p. 509: "After 1975, the Marxist-Leninist government of reunified Vietnam declared the state atheist while theoretically allowing people the right to practice their religion under the constitution."
6. ↑ A guide to International Hospitals in Vietnam
7. ↑ World and Its Peoples: Eastern and Southern Asia. Marshall Cavendish. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. “North Korea is officially an atheist state in which almost the entire population is nonreligious.”
8. ↑ "Aid agencies row over North Korea health care system", BBC News, 10 July 2010.
9. ↑ Freeing God's Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights. Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. “Cuba is the only country in the Americas that has attempted to impose state atheism, and since the 1960s onward its jails have been filled with pastors and other believers.”
10. ↑ Inside the Cuban Hospitals That Castro Doesn’t Want Tourists to See, Panam Post
11. ↑ Free Healthcare?
12. ↑ The Cry of the New Martyrs - Psychiatric “Treatment” of Christians
13. ↑ Father Arseny 1893-1973 Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father. Introduction pg. vi - 1. St Vladimir's Seminary Press ISBN 0-88141-180-9
14. ↑ Lyudmila Alexeyeva, History of dissident movement in the USSR, Memorial society, in Russian
15. ↑ A.Ginzbourg, "Only one year", "Index" Magazine, in Russian
16. ↑ The Washington Post Anti-Communist Priest Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa By Patricia Sullivan Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, November 26, 2006; Page C09 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/25/AR2006112500783.html
17. ↑ Korotenko, Ada; Alikina, Natalia [Ада Коротенко, Наталия Аликина] (2002). Советская психиатрия: Заблуждения и умысел [Soviet psychiatry: fallacies and wilfulness] (in Russian). Kiev: Издательство «Сфера» [Publishing house "Sphere"]. ISBN 978-966-7841-36-2.
18. ↑ An Atheist’s Perspective on Christian Engagement in the World by Taylor Barkley
19. ↑ An Atheist’s Perspective on Christian Engagement in the World by Taylor Barkley
20. ↑ My mother: the most hated woman in America: Interview with William J. Murray by Robert Doolan
21. ↑ An Atheist’s Perspective on Christian Engagement in the World by Taylor Barkley
22. ↑ Christian Apologist: 10 Reasons for the Fall of Atheism by Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post, October 14, 2013
23. ↑ The Reason Why So Many Hospitals Have ‘Saint’ in the Name by Angelo Stagnaro
24. ↑ Christian Apologist: 10 Reasons for the Fall of Atheism by Gary Habermas
25. ↑ Study: Cancer Patients with Strong Religious or Spiritual Beliefs Report Better Health, American Cancer Society
26. ↑ Mueller, Dr. Paul S. et al. (December 2001). "Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice". Mayo Clinic Proceedings vol. 76:12, pp. 1225-1235. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic Proceedings website on July 20, 2014.
27. ↑ Atheist General Hospital by Preston Gillham
28. ↑ Why I am not an atheist by Roger Fields and Jeff Fields
29. ↑ Answers for Atheists
30. ↑ Quote from the book: Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists by Dan Barker
31. ↑ The Christian origin of hospitals
32. ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20014770-10391704.html
33. ↑ Survey on physicians’ religious beliefs shows majority faithful , University of Chicago Chronicle