Is this LEGAL?

[ShoesOnTooTight]

I just finished a CNA course at a public technical college.

On our last day of class we had a small graduation ceremony with the students and a few residents of the nursing home where we did clinicals.

Our instructor invited a guest speaker from a religious group she belongs to. The guest speaker preached about her religion and put down everyone who doesn't practice the same religion.

We had to go up one by one to receive a certificate from our teacher and a New Testament book from the guest speaker.

The school is not a private school and has no religious affiliation. This is a state approved program. The program had no religion component, discussions, or learning material. We were never asked if we felt comfortable with this before we were blindsided with it.

THIS ALL TOOK PLACE BEFORE OUR FINAL REVIEW WITH THE TEACHER FOR THE CLASS!

Is this legal?

What would you do?

How would you feel if you felt forced to participate in something like this outside of your own religious beliefs?

[gemberly]

That would be upsetting to me also. I am sorry that a special event felt lesser because someone is ignorant of their actions.

I recently went to a banquet and the president of our college was saying a prayer before we ate. I felt like I was the only non-christian in the room. LOL

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I would be annoyed because they wasted my time, and tried to force their point of view on me. I would write a complaint to the dean of students and expect a written apology, but nothing really substantial would change. I'd still be angry a month later. Eventually I would realize that yes, they wasted my time, no, no one really gives a rip about how I feel, and I would have to move on.

The only constructive thing to do now is to move on as the nurse YOU want to be. You committed to and succeeded on acheiving your goals. Make your own choices in life and ignore the riff-raff.

[Bicster]

Highly debatable.

Incorrect. This is actually the only part of the debate that is not debatable. There is no question as to the legality of what occured.

There might be a breach of some implied social contract, mores, or good taste, but no law was broken.

[Bicster]

By saying that "a person cannot walk into a room with a smile on their face without Christ in their lives" puts down everyone in every other religion. I do think that is a put down and obviously said by someone who doesn't know people of other religions

You are either very sensitive or have a weak relationship with your deity.

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

Incorrect. This is actually the only part of the debate that is not debatable. There is no question as to the legality of what occured.

There might be a breach of some implied social contract, mores, or good taste, but no law was broken.

I await to see how such a situation passes the Lemon/Endorsement test.

[Bicster]

I await to see how such a situation passes the Lemon/Endorsement test.

You might know more about that than me, but I think that has more to do with government/religion interactions.

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

You might know more about that than me, but I think that has more to do with government/religion interactions.

Here's a primer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorsement_test

Here's the Lemon test on which it's based on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_test#Lemon_test

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Our profs and my daughter's teachers won't let Wikipedia be used as a reference . . . . Not saying your links are wrong.

steph:D

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

Our profs and my daughter's teachers won't let Wikipedia be used as a reference . . . . Not saying your links are wrong.

steph:D

They're a primer like I said. Anybody can google the actual cases if they want to sift through pages of legalities.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

They're a primer like I said. Anybody can google the actual cases if they want to sift through pages of legalities.

It just popped out at me because I'm writing a paper and it was repeated many times not to use Wikipedia.

It is a good primer ...

steph

[rayele]

Do you mind telling me what she said "her religion" was. Did she say Chistian, Jehovah's witness, Morman, Catholic? and what exaclty did she say when she "put down everyone who doesn't practice the same religion". I'm just trying to get a clear picture before I presume / assume she is a Christian so I can respond.

I also want to say congratulations on your graduation and accomplishment. I'm sure you will be a great nurse!

[TNMommy]

An addition to my previous post:

Just for a moment, let's reverse the situation and imagine an individual climbing the pulpit of your local church during Sunday service. The congregation has just listened to a Biblical reading from one of the Gospels and is looking forward to hearing a riveting sermon. The speaker is a guest, a retired nurse perhaps...and starts to talk about all the lives she helped to save, the first IV she ever started and the most memorable psychiatric patient she ever cared for. She wishes everyone in the pews good luck in their future endeavours and hopes that they will have rewarding careers.

I suspect the congregation members would not be pleased, and some might even be offended.

There is a time and place for everything.

Honestly, this would not bother me. The Lord is the great physician, but he does not always produce miracle healings. He gives us nurses or future nurses the calling and knowledge to be a healer and save. My church has had several guest speakers that were not pastors or missionaries. I think that there needs to be a little more forgiveness in this world. And as for one of the previous posters, the Lord gives forgiveness to those that give their lives over to Him. He is not a vindictive God. He has always been about love. He wants you to come to Him. He is calling you, you just aren't listening.