Ever work with people who talk about church all the time?

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Does it get on your nerves? If so, how do you deal with it?? I'm no devil worshipper, and I see my self as being pretty tolerant of others, but I work with some people who seem kind of smug about their church attendance and often find a way to work that into many a conversation. Completely unrelated conversations.

Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
A farmer spent months working on an overgrown creek bottom, clearing the creek bottom, fertilizing it, planting it with vegetables, and then tending it as the crops came in. Proud of all he'd accomplished, the farmer invited his preacher out to take a look one Sunday after church.

"These are the biggest, reddest tomatoes "I've seen in my life," the preacher said. "Praise the Lord! And that corn! Those are the most enormous ears I've ever set eyes on. God be thanked!" The preacher continued in this way, admiring the crops and praising the Lord, until the farmer broke in. "Preacher," the farmer said, "you should have seen this creek bottom when the Lord was taking care of it by Himself."

Ronald Reagan

I always tell the story when someone gives full credit to God and forgets about the docs, nurses and the support staff that helped out along the way

Why wouldn't I give full credit to God? If that's my belief, then why must people input their feelings when their knickers get in a twist? Just move on. Showing your jealousy over God getting the credit? Wow. Smh.

Maybe the preacher should've responded with this verse:

" Genesis 3:17 NIV

To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."

:)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I did work with a woman (not in my nursing career) who was Jehovah's Witness, and we got along well. We went to lunch, and would sometimes do things together outside of work. As time went on, I noticed she would say things that didn't really sit well with me. Such as referring to her religion as the "truth", and referring to anyone who was not a witness as "in the world". Now, believe me when I say I would question anyone of any religion who said things like that, so please don't think I'm singling out Jehovah's witnesses. According to her, she called it the "truth", because it is the one true religion. She moved away and I didn't keep in touch.

I've worked for Catholic health systems for the past 10 years. Religion is a big part of the mission, and speaking about religion is accepted. Working on an oncology floor, we are exposed to patients, families, and colleagues that express their faith but certainly don't talk about it 24/7.

I don't think it is a particular religion....I have had all different religions at work and there have been some that try to get others to be as enthusiastic as they are about their religion. It is person driven not any particular religion.
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Mariposa, I think you need some reading comprehension help.

Under the "god gets all the credit side" you can make the arguments that I don't need to exercise because god will take care of it. I don't need to eat healthy because god will take care of it. No need to take my insulin because god will take care of it.

The point of the story is that there is a cooperation between God and man. If God has it all covered without any help you should really go into a career besides healthcare because you are wasting your time.

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Specializes in hospice.

Ah yes, the good old Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

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Why wouldn't I give full credit to God? If that's my belief, then why must people input their feelings when their knickers get in a twist? Just move on. Showing your jealousy over God getting the credit? Wow. Smh.

Maybe the preacher should've responded with this verse:

" Genesis 3:17 NIV

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."

:)

Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t be jealous of God for getting the credit for my hard work. It’s simply my belief that it would be an inaccurate claim to make, but that’s all.

It wouldn’t anger me or have an effect on the structural integrity of my underwear.

I respect that you have your beliefs, my beliefs just happen to be different from yours.

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
Mariposa, I think you need some reading comprehension help.

Under the "god gets all the credit side" you can make the arguments that I don't need to exercise because god will take care of it. I don't need to eat healthy because god will take care of it. No need to take my insulin because god will take care of it.

The point of the story is that there is a cooperation between God and man. If God has it all covered without any help you should really go into a career besides healthcare because you are wasting your time.

I don't need comprehension help. Never did I say that you should let health decline based on expecting God to deal with it. Never. I'm diabetic. My nurses have helped. My doctors have helped, but that's just it, they're instruments used by God. I'm a nurse and even though I work my butt off, it doesn't annoy/bother me in the slightest if someone gives God the credit.

You also have no basis on my career choice, so if I were you, I'd shut my trap. Thanks.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Time for Intermission:

A funny, true story. A co-worker and I had always enjoyed religious discussions. She is Catholic & I am Protestant. I like to think that we learned a lot from each other. She also happened to be a very big jokester.

One day, my minister showed up on the floor to sit with a church member before her surgery. He stopped at the desk and asked the nurse (who happened to be that particular co-worker) if I was working that day. She picked up the phone to call me and paused to ask my minister who she should say is asking for me? He said "tell her it's her minister, Andy."

She dialed the phone and when I answered said (very loudly) "there's some guy here who says he's your minister but I'm not so sure about that. You don't strike me as a particularly godly person who would even have a minister."

I about died, knowing my minister was standing there listening to her and not knowing her tendency toward practical jokes.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Religion is a hot topic. Please stay civil when discussing this topic.

If you can't remain civil, please decline to post. Name calling and TOS violations will be deleted.

Thanks everyone.

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Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.

I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic nursing school run by nuns. Religion was part of our training back then. We prayed before class and clinical. We prayed with families and patients. When the priest came, we helped get everyone up for communion...that was a huge deal if you weren't ready for that!. I'm no longer Catholic, but I'm still afraid of nuns....and penguins.

I choose not to discuss religion or any spiritual path at work. I am fine with people who talk casually about it, but I do not care for people who try to convince me to share their beliefs or why their beliefs are superior to others.

Most extreme cases: I was working NICU with a nurse who attended a very conservative Christian church. One of the babies in the unit was very sick....on HFO, surfactant..you name it...sick sick baby. His parents were Wiccans. This particular nurse baptized the baby with the sterile water after the parents left for the night and put a cross on the baby's forehead where there had been some sort of packet of herbs.

That was years ago, and it still bothers me.

Another extreme: I now work as a substitute assistant school nurse and float around to the different high schools to help where needed. I was eating my lunch in the teachers lounge by myself and a teacher walked in and we struck up a conversation about nursing. I mentioned that I went to a Catholic hospital based diploma school and how different nurses are trained now and the teacher said "Oh I'm an atheist!". This woman would NOT stop explaining why she was an atheist and why being an atheist was better than having faith and why any intelligent people need to be atheists as well. She then asked me if I was religious.

I said "well, yes, in my own way I am, but I don't talk about it much".

Most of your at home can take the hint, right? A social hint that says "I'm not interested in discussing this with you, another topic is in order."

"Religious people are delusional, but not all of them are BAD". she said...I guess to make me feel better.

At this point I said "Oh, I have to go back to work, this kiddo is really sick and his mom is coming to pick him up to go straight to the doctor...he's developed some terrible diarrhea .....it's so stinky and squirty.... and then I have to suction his trach and when they are getting sick they can be really hard to suction... kind of yellow and green.....really thick and so gross and smelly....kind of sounds like this when you do it... (I mimic abnoxious trach suctioning sound).... well you have a nice lunch now...bye".

To a table of nurses...all in a days work...pass the salt please. To a teacher....perfect uncomfortable revenge. She now seems to cross to the other side of the hall when she sees me.

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At this point I said "Oh, I have to go back to work, this kiddo is really sick and his mom is coming to pick him up to go straight to the doctor...he's developed some terrible diarrhea .....it's so stinky and squirty.... and then I have to suction his trach and when they are getting sick they can be really hard to suction... kind of yellow and green.....really thick and so gross and smelly....kind of sounds like this when you do it... (I mimic abnoxious trach suctioning sound).... well you have a nice lunch now...bye".

:lol2: :roflmao:

If ever a person deserved being subjected to a poop and mucus type of conversation over lunch, I'd say it's this rude and obnoxious woman.

The way that NICU nurse behaved is in my opinion disrespectful and disturbing :( I can understand why it bothers you.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

All I can say is, God bless magazines and smartphones. It's how I disengage myself from any conversation in the breakroom I choose

not to be a part of.

Super-religious people are annoying, right up there with brand new parents and people with kids going to college, IMHO. Talk to 'em if you want to, read if you don't.

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