Cutting Religion Out of Medicine

PLEASE NOTE this talk will take place in the Falkender Room, Commonwealth Hall, 1-11 Cartwright Gardens, WC1H 9EB

Starting from the extraordinarily easy to forget premise that medical practice should focus on patients and not on other people's religious beliefs Dr Antony Lempert discusses various aspects of health, life and death, and promises lots of talk about sex during his lecture. He may even produce his erotic award at an appropriate moment during the evening.

Dr Lempert’s amiable style easily tackles such subjects as assisted dying, abortion, ritual genital cutting, the pope and sex, chaplaincy, faith healing, sex and relationship education and proselytizing in the GP surgery. He hopes to raise awareness of just how deep and harmful the tentacles of religious interference spread within our healthcare system, from babies having sensitive parts of their bodies removed due to their parents religious beliefs to the elderly denied a dignified death because of religious people's views on the sanctity of life.

In short, he states it is my body and your religion so keep your religious hands off my genitals and let me die amid peace and dignity rather than pray.

Antony hopes his talk will encourage any complacent members of his audience to realise that tolerating religious practices in medicine can be very harmful to one's health.

Dr Antony Lempert is a GP principal in a rural Welsh practice and chairman of the Secular Medical Forum (SMF).

Antony has participated in programmes on Channel 4, Radio 4, Radio 2 and Premier Christian Radio challenging religious dogma and harm in healthcare.

In 2010 he spoke in the European Parliament in Brussels during a debate about conscientious objection relating to women’s reproductive rights.

In 2010 Antony also beat off stiff opposition to win the title: 'Academic of the Year' in the Annual Erotic Awards. This unusual award recognised his work on behalf of the SMF in the many areas where religious bodies seek to interfere with other people's bodies.

Away from the SMF, Antony lives with his family in rural Shropshire where he can indulge in some of his other passions, outdoor swimming, cycling, tennis and a quiet family life.

The SMF actively campaigns to limit the harm caused to patients by the imposition of other people's religious beliefs, focussing on the principles of equality, adult autonomy and child protection where they conflict with traditional religious privileges and prejudices in areas such as sex and relationship education, attitudes to homosexuality, access to abortion services, chaplaincy services, assisted dying and forced genital cutting.

The evening will start at the usual time of 6.30 p.m. in the Falkender Room and after Antony's lecture there will be a short question and answer session before we retire to a local pub for further debate around 8.00 p.m.

A suggested donation of £2 will be requested on the night towards the cost of room hire.