The influence of religious beliefs on health care: between medical futility and refusal of treatment.

The problem of respecting the patients' religious-based decisions seems to play increasingly important role in medical practice. Most probably it happens because: (i) bioethical standards accentuate the principle of the respect for autonomy (the departure form medical paternalism) and (ii) the contacts between people belonging to different religious traditions are becoming more and more frequent (the process of globalization). Toleration, in particular toleration of patients' religious convictions, needs to be considered as a vital issue for the pluralistic societies. A four-principle approach to medical ethics is assumed as a theoretical base for this study. The main methodological steps could be described as: (i) identification of a ,considered judgment' (proper to the problem in concern), (ii) its specification, and (iii) balancing/ overriding. According to the internationally accepted proclamations of human rights, the positive obligation to tolerate religious beliefs is indicated as the principle which should govern the process of dealing with the patients' religiously motivated decisions. The special status of patients' religious-based decisions as well as the 'obliging force' of them is considered. The article concludes with guidelines on how to help doctors resolve moral dilemma related to tolerance of patients' religious-based decisions.