Christians Are Their Own Worst Enemy: Wrecking The Brand
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The Bible Belt Is Christianity's Worst Enemy
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Tennessee's House of Representatives just passed a bill that would allow therapists who believe homosexuality is the mark of Satan to refuse to treat gay clients. More precisely, the bill allows mental-health counselors to deny treatment to anyone who seeks help with "goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with the sincerely held principles of the counselors or therapist." If the bill makes it into law, Tennessee would be the first state to allow therapists to pick what kind of clients they're willing to serve. [...]
Supporters of the legislation claim that the [American Counseling Association’s] ethics code impinges on mental-health professionals' right to freedom of religion. Representative Dan Howell told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the association had "overstepped their authority and elevated their code above the First amendment and that's why we're here today."
An earlier version of the legislation already passed the state senate, but new amendments to the bill will force the upper chamber to take a second vote. Assuming the bill passes, it will go to the desk of Republican governor Bill Haslam.
Hate apparently knows no bounds—even when people are at their most vulnerable. Look, if you're a therapist and someone's issues are just too "icky" for you to handle, you're probably in the wrong profession. Rep. Howell may have forgotten to ask actual therapists what they think, but they are calling HB 1840 an unwanted intrusion into the counseling profession and a bill in search of a problem.
The American Counseling Association circulated the following quotes:
Lisa Henderson, Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Member for the Tennessee Counselors Association added, “The core tenet of counseling is seeking to understand someone else's experience, collaborating with that person and working toward health and balance. This bill's existence goes against those principles. The proposed changes to the code of ethics were not brought to ACA when the code was open for comment, they were not brought to the Tennessee licensing board nor were they brought to the Tennessee Counseling Association or any other state counseling organization. The proposed changes went straight to the legislature and into bill format."
Dianne Bradley, PhD, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Counselor Educator said, “House Bill 1840, now known as 'Hate Bill 1840' is an attempted solution to a problem that does not exist. Counselors and therapists have always had and continue to have the mechanisms in place to refer clients and potential clients in an ethical, prudent, and responsible manner."
Peter Wilson, Ed.D. Director of the Graduate Counseling Program at Trevecca Nazarene University, “As a counselor educator, I am concerned that HB 1840 attacks the ACA Code of Ethics, a document that is critical to the training of future counselors. There are 23 academic institutions in Tennessee that train students to become professional counselors. These students are taught how to appropriately refer clients without imposing their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. This legislation is unnecessary and is an infringement of the government on a profession that is capable of governing itself."
More than 50 Tennessee clergy members also decried the bill.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the bill was headed to the governor’s desk. It still has one more hurdle in the Senate.
Christians Are Their Own Worst Enemy: Wrecking The Brand
http://paxonbothhouses.
The Bible Belt Is Christianity's Worst Enemy
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
The Bible Belt Is Christianity's Worst Enemy
http://paxonbothhouses.
Kerry Eleveld
Never have I seen a more mean-spirited, nonempathic, and damaging legislative effort masquerading as "religious freedom" than the one that the Tennessee House passed Wednesday. Eric Levitz has the details:
Tennessee's House of Representatives just passed a bill that would allow therapists who believe homosexuality is the mark of Satan to refuse to treat gay clients. More precisely, the bill allows mental-health counselors to deny treatment to anyone who seeks help with "goals, outcomes, or behaviors that conflict with the sincerely held principles of the counselors or therapist." If the bill makes it into law, Tennessee would be the first state to allow therapists to pick what kind of clients they're willing to serve. [...]Supporters of the legislation claim that the [American Counseling Association’s] ethics code impinges on mental-health professionals' right to freedom of religion. Representative Dan Howell told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the association had "overstepped their authority and elevated their code above the First amendment and that's why we're here today."An earlier version of the legislation already passed the state senate, but new amendments to the bill will force the upper chamber to take a second vote. Assuming the bill passes, it will go to the desk of Republican governor Bill Haslam.
Hate apparently knows no bounds—even when people are at their most vulnerable. Look, if you're a therapist and someone's issues are just too "icky" for you to handle, you're probably in the wrong profession. Rep. Howell may have forgotten to ask actual therapists what they think, but they are calling HB 1840 an unwanted intrusion into the counseling profession and a bill in search of a problem.
The American Counseling Association circulated the following quotes:
Lisa Henderson, Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Member for the Tennessee Counselors Association added, “The core tenet of counseling is seeking to understand someone else's experience, collaborating with that person and working toward health and balance. This bill's existence goes against those principles. The proposed changes to the code of ethics were not brought to ACA when the code was open for comment, they were not brought to the Tennessee licensing board nor were they brought to the Tennessee Counseling Association or any other state counseling organization. The proposed changes went straight to the legislature and into bill format."Dianne Bradley, PhD, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Counselor Educator said, “House Bill 1840, now known as 'Hate Bill 1840' is an attempted solution to a problem that does not exist. Counselors and therapists have always had and continue to have the mechanisms in place to refer clients and potential clients in an ethical, prudent, and responsible manner."Peter Wilson, Ed.D. Director of the Graduate Counseling Program at Trevecca Nazarene University, “As a counselor educator, I am concerned that HB 1840 attacks the ACA Code of Ethics, a document that is critical to the training of future counselors. There are 23 academic institutions in Tennessee that train students to become professional counselors. These students are taught how to appropriately refer clients without imposing their own values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. This legislation is unnecessary and is an infringement of the government on a profession that is capable of governing itself."
More than 50 Tennessee clergy members also decried the bill.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the bill was headed to the governor’s desk. It still has one more hurdle in the Senate.
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