Cycling UK Forum

If I believed that ten pints a night was the way to health and quality of life, I would hope[*] that my doctor would advise me against that course of action rather than "respecting my beliefs" and letting me poison myself.

I'm not saying that he'd be justified in hectoring me or forcing me to change my ways, because ultimately it would be my own decision not his, but if I'm not in possession of the facts then surely he's doing me no service by failing at least to acquaint me with them?

[*] well, obviously, I might not have that desire at the time, but from a dispassionate viewpoint or when looking back on it later I hope I would take the rational approach.

Haha... the doctor's right... you're a beer monster and you need to be told!

I have an example too... you go to fight in Afghanistan. You're there with all your body armour. You fight alongside some local police forces. In their religion, when the time comes, they are chosen and they die. If they die fighting, they die in honour protecting their homes and their families. They don't wear body armour because in their religion, it wouldn't make any difference... you die when your time is up and that's that. God makes that decision, not you.

So they fight boldly, bravely and with God behind them and that makes them formidable.

As their commander, do you force them to wear armour or do you respect their belief and let them fight as they wish, even though you reckon they have a much greater risk of death if they are hit by a bullet or a shard?

As their commander I'd let them get on with it and do their job. If I were in the position of someone who could give them moral/religious advice (as the chaplain presumably was in the previous example) I'd give them the best advice I had, and in a culturally sensitive fashion (this of course is why I will never be a religious or moral leader) but in the end its still their own decision.

I'm not trying to force my view on anyone, and don't want theirs forced on me, but I can't see how greater knowledge (even if it ends up just being knowledge of the opinions that others may hold, rather than objective fact) is a bad thing.