Atheist or Agnostic?

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I know, I know, you're never supposed to talk about religion or politics, right....

I'm really not trying to start a religious debate, but just get a sense of where people are at. I'm a first year student and an atheist, yet all my fellow students and the nurses I'm meeting are believers.

If and when I become an atheist nurse, am I going to find myself a fish out of water?

Well, Fergus is right about this.

steph

See, I knew the believers and non-believers could find some common ground. I can't wait until my gallbladder is out so I can have a pizookie... it's been so long...

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I also have to say, I find it interesting that people think agnostics or atheists all think one way or that they'll all realize "the truth" one day if they just experience what made believers believe. I've seen more births than I can count. I've also cared for the dying and their families. Those experiences haven't turned me into a Christian yet, but they also don't leave me unaffected. I have prayed with several families and not once have I gotten any sense that they knew I was agnostic (I actually had a Jewish family comment on how nice it was that to have me- a jewish nurse!!!- look after their baby). Since I'm not an atheist, praying with families doesn't go against any beliefs I have. If anything, it's given me more leeway than some of my religious coworkers because some of them haven't felt comfortable praying with families of different religions. That's just my experience. It won't be that way for everyone. I'm sure some agnostics don't want to pray with families and I'm sure some Christians are fine praying with Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh families. As long as you respect your patients and do your best by them, I don't care what you believe about God.

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Since I'm not an atheist, praying with families doesn't go against any beliefs I have. If anything, it's given me more leeway than some of my religious coworkers because some of them haven't felt comfortable praying with families of different religions. As long as you respect your patients and do your best by them, I don't care what you believe about God.

Thank you. Your patients are lucky to have you as their nurse.

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Specializes in med-surg 18 months, respiratory 3.5 year.

Almost 400 years ago, my ancestors came to this shore seeking religious freedom, and they are probably spinning in their collective graves if they only knew. I consider myself an atheist. I have explored other religions, and I have made my evidence-based decision.

As a new nurse in a very religious corner of the USA, I would feel very out of place praying with patients or family. I would probably send for clergy, if needed. I don't believe that prayer should be part of my job description. I am very respectful of their wishes. If they or their family want to see the minister, I will arrange that.

For those of you who who are questioning your beliefs, I suggest that you believe in your own common sense and intelligence. Take responsibility for your own actions and credit for your own achievements. :idea:

Rebecca

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
because, the op asked a question regarding how she would fit in around "believers".

and so i think that opens this conversation up to believers.

as to the way the thread has trended, it is one post following another post answering questions and the ball keeps rolling.

steph

i'm all for let threads take on whatever life they have of their own. (i'm pretty much done here.) in fact if only agnostics and atheists answered this thread would be tend pages back. so the input of people of faith has been for most part productive and enlightening to this thread.

comments, such as the below however are not very productive and could be considedred a bit antogonistic to the atheist/agnostic and really have no real good advice for the original poster. mercifully, these kinds of posts have been few and far between.

when you study the intricacies of the human body--how could you not believe in an infinite designer--

i also hope that some day you will realize the love that the lord has for you. so much so that he gave his life and shed his blood so that your sins may be forgiven. god bless you and good look in your career.

have you seen a baby born or held it after it was born? i think you are too young to decide what you believe in right now. i believe the experience you will recieve in nursing will make you a believer.

what if the atheists are wrong? what if there really is a god, a heaven and a hell and those who do not believe in jesus really do go to hell? if what the "religious fanatics" say is true, what will these people do then....if there really is no second chance except what we do and believe here on earth?

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I also have to say, I find it interesting that people think agnostics or atheists all think one way or that they'll all realize "the truth" one day if they just experience what made believers believe. I've seen more births than I can count. I've also cared for the dying and their families. Those experiences haven't turned me into a Christian yet, but they also don't leave me unaffected. I have prayed with several families and not once have I gotten any sense that they knew I was agnostic (I actually had a Jewish family comment on how nice it was that to have me- a jewish nurse!!!- look after their baby). Since I'm not an atheist, praying with families doesn't go against any beliefs I have. If anything, it's given me more leeway than some of my religious coworkers because some of them haven't felt comfortable praying with families of different religions. That's just my experience. It won't be that way for everyone. I'm sure some agnostics don't want to pray with families and I'm sure some Christians are fine praying with Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh families. As long as you respect your patients and do your best by them, I don't care what you believe about God.

:yeah: Next time I'm in So. Cal visiting my son, you and I are heading over to BJ's and having pizza and a big old luscious pazookie together!

Right-wing wacko evangelical Christian and a nice agnostic girl who is my hero for working in the NICU.

steph

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i'm all for let threads take on whatever life they have of their own. (i'm pretty much done here.) in fact if only agnostics and atheists answered this thread would be tend pages back. so the input of people of faith has been for most part productive and enlightening to this thread.

comments, such as the below however are not very productive and could be considedred a bit antogonistic to the atheist/agnostic and really have no real good advice for the original poster. mercifully, these kinds of posts have been few and far between.

yep, i agree with you - but there have been posts like that on both sides and one just this morning. . . . . .

"almost 400 years ago, my ancestors came to this shore seeking religious freedom, and they are probably spinning in their collective graves if they only knew. i consider myself an atheist. i have explored other religions, and i have made my evidence-based decision. (emphasis mine).

as a new nurse in a very religious corner of the usa, i would feel very out of place praying with patients or family. i would probably send for clergy, if needed. i don't believe that prayer should be part of my job description. i am very respectful of their wishes. if they or their family want to see the minister, i will arrange that.

for those of you who who are questioning your beliefs, i suggest that you believe in your own common sense and intelligence (again, emphasis mine). take responsibility for your own actions and credit for your own achievements."

we all see things from our own perspective though - what one person see's as productive can seem counterproductive to others. i still think, as roy and others have mentioned, this is a pretty darn decent thread.

steph

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It would be nice to be in a thread where athiests and agnostics could come together and share their feelings about how they deal with patients without all the input from believers.

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It would be nice to be in a thread where athiests and agnostics could come together and share their feelings about how they deal with patients without all the input from believers.

I don't really mind if they post if they can do so w/o being all preachy. I hate slogging through a bunch of chapter and verse quotes. I don't know how many times I've been told "Well, if you'll just read (whatever book/chapter/verse), you will see the light!!

Nah, not happening.

Inevitably, someone will also post a "I hope you find god's love" post (or, alternately, a "You're all going to h-e-double- hocheysticks post"), but when a non theist replies "Well, I hope you find reason! ", they get insulted.

You might like to join us at The Secular Web

:http://www.infidels.org/index.html

They have an excellent forum that is similar to this one. There are some theists there, but most don't last very long. Many members are deconverted clergy or otherwise very knowledgeable folks. I like the Evolution/Creation forum (my area of interest), the Science forum, and the Formal Debates Forum. The Secular Activism forum is a guilty pleasure (see Abe's Atheventures).

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:yeah: Next time I'm in So. Cal visiting my son, you and I are heading over to BJ's and having pizza and a big old luscious pazookie together!

Right-wing wacko evangelical Christian and a nice agnostic girl who is my hero for working in the NICU.

steph

Sounds great to me! I'll buy you your very own party pizookie for being my hero rural nurse (I almost cried when I had to float the other day, cause I'm such a chicken:lol2: have to admire you rural jack of all trades ladies!).

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When you study the intricacies of the human body--how could you not believe in an infinite designer--

I spent 2 1/2 hours sucking fluid off a 24 week deceased fetus yesterday (massive cystic hygroma and other multiple anomolies) so the pt could attempt a lady partsl delivery today and avoid a c/s. The fetus, which would usually weigh about 1 1/2 lbs at 24 weeks, was simply too large to attempt a lady partsl delivery. We used spinal needles and three evacuated containers to remove 2000 ccs of fluid only to have to schedule a repeat procedure this morning prior to the induction because the patient had reached her tolerance limit yesterday. I'm off today, but I would expect they removed another 2000 cc's or more.

The designer of that foul up should be pink slipped.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Christian.

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