Sure, a doctor has to know the medical book from cover-to-cover, but that is only the beginning of treating a patient. Healing is an art that goes beyond mere science and morality transcends legal jargon. Health, as has been known through the ages, involves the attitude of the patient and psychological equanimity. We’ve all heard about near miracles performed by Jewish chicken soup, but don’t think its curative qualities can be put inside a can. You need to include the care of spoon-feeding by a doting mother. And love is a moral category.

Although terms like “bedside manner” and “patient’s peace of mind” may be more common in medical circles, I prefer the word “spirituality” for both. Now if such spirituality aids the patient, it is logical that it would also aid the doctor. It’s not that faith in God or no-god would change the prescription but rather that it would improve the delivery. It makes a lot of sense that patients would seek out like-minded physicians whenever possible. Just as it’s not a violation of a jilted boy or girl friend to marry another whom you love, there’s no discrimination in seeking a doctor who shares your spirituality rather than be attended by one who doesn’t. Let’s take the doctrine of pro-choice seriously.

Of course, there are instances in which such selectivity is not possible. The doctor may not share the same spirituality or religion with the patient, but the physician is always bound by standards of morality. I was informed a case many years ago in which a non-selected surgeon sterilized a woman – without either information or consent – in an operation that was otherwise routine. When confronted by a family member, the doctor’s response was to the effect: “You people (Puerto Ricans) have too many kids anyway. If you don’t like it, sue me.” He probably anticipated that the family had neither the confidence nor resources to go to court.

In my opinion, this doctor was immoral. However, it is possible that according to his religion or lack there of, he considered sterilization of a poor Latina woman a morally justified action. Falling into the same category would be medical matters such as stem cell research, sterilization and abortion. I don’t think we should expect some government agency to enforce a single solution on everyone, since anything produced by reason alone is unlikely to satisfy the hungers of the human heart. I think, instead, we should understand that healing is an art. Leonardo da Vinci and Jackson Pollock were both great artists, but they produced very different styles of paintings. Preferring one over the other is a matter of choice, not necessity. We could use an injection of this spiritual dimension into our expectations for medicine.