Doctor on Call .... Oops.... Ethics showing

When I go to a doctor, I want to think that he will do what is right. That he will take the high ground of honor and propriety and such that I can feel at ease trusting him or her to help me make decisions that will impact my health and my life.

But what do you make of doctors who try to take undue advantage of people and situations?What do you make of people who take unfair advantage of others?

Simple example - a sign saying "Doctor on Call" such as this....


stuck on a car such as this (plate number purposely omitted for privacy) .....


and parked at the parking lot of Home Depot for more than 2 hours!!


What can you say?
"Very caring doctor, taking a long time with his patient!"
"Must be an emergency situation?"
But for most people, the straightforward conclusion is that the guy is shopping. But then, what are the implications? Either (1) the doctor forgot to take out his sign and is forgetful, or ((2) the doctor didn't care that he was giving wrong information that he was on call when he really wasn't, or (3) worse yet, the doctor is trying to gain unfair advantage by declaring that he is on call when he is really out shopping!

In any of the 3 possible implications, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth towards doctors when we see signs like this. So - better not to use them. It's like the little boy who cried "Wolf!" After a while, none of the village people took notice of the little boy, even when there was already a wolf in actuality.

And without isolating doctors, the principle applies to all of us! Do we pass red lights so we can overtake others and just get ahead? Do we sit down and occupy outdoor cafe or restaurant space when we don't order, to the detriment of the cafe as legitimate patrons cannot sit? Or do we bring and eat food brought from another restaurant, to the offense of other patrons? Do office workers underperform simply so they can relax and enjoy?

To the offenders, they believe this culture and these kinds of actions give them an advantage. But really, they are putting themselves down. And by putting themselves down, they are setting back the whole country!

It is clear from Deuteronomy 28 that blessings come from obeying God's commands:
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. (Deuteronomy 28:1-3 NIV)

The blessings of obedience are on a personal as well as a national level!
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:1-3, 12, 13 NIV)

In reverse, God pronounces curses and a withdrawal of blessings from the disobedient....
However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: (Deuteronomy 28:15 NIV)
Read about the curses in Deuteronomy 28.

Isn't the scandalous Pork Barrel scam a result of individuals taking undue advantage? And our whole country the Philippines suffers as a result! Aren't all crimes a result of not obeying God's commands?
Let's instead do our share to bless ourselves, our families, and our country. Let's study God's Word the Bible, and ask God to help us follow His commands.




A letter of concern so we can turn around and have a better Philippines.


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