I think one of the problems is that certain brands of Christianity place a massive emphasis on "witnessing", pulling in converts, "evangelising" etc. It is seen as being absolutely at the core of the religion and seen to supercede laws, codes of conduct, agreed behavioural norms and so on - in a nutshell, "I follow God's law not man's law". As a non-believer, this position comes across as unbelievably arrogant, but to the evangelical Christian its a no-brainer. Bums on seats for God is where it's at, and no poxy rules and regulations are gonna stop me! Therefore stuff that other workers - who might have a variety of political and religious and cultural views they'd love to share - consider inappropriate when providing healthcare is seen as fair game to the born again Christian. This is complicated by the fact that evangelical Christians consider everything they do as inherently benign because they can't imagine anything more wonderful and life enhancing than bringing someone to Jesus, and consider those who are mystified by this worldview as blind to the truth.

On that basis alone, this issue will run and run.

Me, I had a lucky escape. I was running with a bad crowd (the Young People's Fellowship at the local Methodist church) and I was easily led. Before I knew it I was mainlining top quality evangelical preachers all the way from the States, and there I was, down at the front, having hands laid on, being saved. Luckily, a short few years later I discovered girls! drink! punk rock! dope! anarchist politics! fun! self determination! and so on and ... I died again. I'm still in recovery...