I’m an atheist psychiatrist. Should I see patients who believe in God? [View all]

[Goblinmonger]

Original Article

So here is where I find so much fault with those that bristle at the use of the term delusion to describe religion.

From the article linked above:

My religious friend once asked me point-blank, “if you don’t believe in God, how can you see someone who does as anything but delusional? As a mental health professional, how do you counsel such a person?”

It’s a tough question for me. I’ve been a psychiatrist for almost 15 years. In that time, I’ve seen thousands of patients. Many are non-believers. But for others, faith is integral to who they are. In these cases, am I in a bad position to give care?

Really? Do people really think that atheists are so blinded by our lack of religious belief that we can't separate that from our work. Do they think I have an impossible time teaching non-atheist students? How can I possibly relate?

And this (from the article). Oy. Far too many people that are religious think that atheists can't have values of charity and empathy:

But though I wasn’t raised religious, I’d grown up around enough Christians to know how important the values of charity and empathy were in theory, if not always in practice. I hoped that she used these items as symbols of those values and would be kind. Fortunately, she was. I only saw her a few times, but her caring manner was enough to get me back on track.

And this segue to the conclusion just smacks of "well, we have to let the religious know that they are awesome." (yes, yes, I get that in the context of being a therapist):

With my nonreligious background, my therapeutic approach has been to remain nonjudgmental. It can be awkward when a patient asks me if I’m religious or believe in God, usually after they’ve lost a loved one. I try to deflect the question back to them. “If you believe in God and going to church,” I say, “those are important ways for you to draw strength at this difficult time.”

I'm quite sure plenty will be salivating about this article because it is SOOOOOOOO different from what the nasty "new atheists" would do which is take a giant shit on any believers.