Cult of Doctors

A critical term referring to the neo‑atheist practice of thanking doctors, nurses, or “science” instead of God or spiritual beings—often performatively, as a ritual of secular piety. In this “cult,” doctors are elevated to the status of high priests, hospitals become temples, and medical science is treated as a source of salvation and moral authority. Adherents post social media memes (“Thank a doctor, not God”), attend rallies for healthcare as a secular sacrament, and treat any critique of medical authority as blasphemy. While genuine gratitude for healthcare workers is legitimate, the Cult of Doctors turns it into a weapon against religious belief, implying that only secular medicine can save you. Critics note that this cult ignores the social determinants of health (poverty, racism) and reduces healing to technocratic worship.

Cult of Doctors Example: “He tweeted ‘Thank a doctor, not sky daddy’ after his surgery, then dismissed his grandmother’s prayers as worthless. The Cult of Doctors had turned gratitude into anti‑theist performance.”

Cult of Doctors by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 5, 2026