I am curious to know if you would be offended, if at church on Sunday your Pastor got up and said a prayer for Church Mice?
I mean he prayed that the mice be strengthened and given the ability to carry out their mousey duties and to eventually render the Church unusable, so that the Parisheners would finally have to pony up the dough to pay for a new Church.
ok I am kidding here is the original post but hey if you are just now reading this thread there have been many twists and turns and I no longer say a prayer over the deceased and yes largely due to many of the points made in this thread. Also NO i would not be offended if anyone of any belief Satanist, TO Catholic said prayers or whipered chants or whatever in my ear that said it was and is an interesting thread but please read about 5-10 of the current posts prior to posting
Now The
ORIGNAL POST
I am curious to know if you would be offended, after death if someone were to say a prayer over you.
I would really like to hear from as many Agnostic or Atheist as possible.
I recently began saying a prayer over anyone that dies in my presence. Many times I do not know if the person had a religious preference or not. I am curious to know if people would be offended if they knew someone was going to pray over them when they die.
here is the prayer
Dear Lord not our will but yours. Into thine hands we commend the spirit of this peaceful child of God. Prepare a place for him/her Now in Your Heavenly Kingdom![/Quote]
How could a prayer of any kind possibly be construed as offensive when you take into account the idea that all the belief systems in the world are for the comfort and mitigation of fear for the LIVING, not the dead. You're alive, you're scared, you're sad: of course it's ok to say a prayer.
well if you read all of the posts you will se that some are definately offended by even the thought of a prayer.
I am changing my prayer. I will continue to say a silent prayer over anyone that dies in my presence. As many noted since it is silent there is nothing anyone else can truly do about it or even know it is being said.
There were many good points made involving the prayer and I am going to ammend my prayer to take these into account. I am going to pray not so much for deliverance to Heaven but to care for the deceased and the departing soul in a manner that would follow their belief system, I am going to include assisting families in thier time of need and grief and I am going to ask all of this in the name of any diety that the departed would recognize and appeal to.
I haven't written it yet but now i have something to do.
A few posters have expressed that unordained nurses have no business praying for patients. Traditionally, though, prayer and other means of "spiritual care" are very much part of the nurse's role. My hospital, like many other Catholic hospitals have policies by which a nurse may baptize a miscarried or stillborn infant. (Doubt it is used anymore). Prayer and spiritual care were taught as part of my BSN nursing program at Roberts Wesleyan College. How a nurse choses to provide spiritual care (or not) will depend on his/her beleifs and background.
I pray with patients who request it. Often times "small talk" or religious literature at the bedside reveal common spiritual beleifs. I certainly would never preach to anyone or be insensitive to a differing religious view.
By the way, I don't usually pray for the dead, but a lot of Catholic nurses I work with do the sign of the cross before perforning post mortem care. I'm not sure whether it is prayer, superstition, or a sign of respect. Perhapse all of the above.
"Under God" was added in 1954 after a Presidential Order by Eisenhower, largely as a response to growing anti-Communist sentiments that would lead to the witch-hunts of Joe McCarthy and the HUAC. After he wrote it, Eisenhower said "From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural schoolhouse, the dedication of our Nation and our people to the Almighty."
And, yes, I'm a Christian, and yes, I feel that this is a violation of the seperation between church and state.
The original documents did not mention a separation of church and state. That concept was added much later. The original founding fathers did call on God's blessings for the new nation. The idea of separation of church and state was not to prevent anyone from expressing their beliefs. It was to prevent the state from controlling the religious expressions. Unfortunately now many times we call it toleerance when we are trying to limit someone's expression. After all, we might offend someone. So, the person who chooses to be offended ends up controlling (and limiting) the expression of others. The original settlers LEFT England in search of the opportunity for freedon of expression. The rest of us need to be respectful and allow each the freedooms that were intended. I welcome the opportunity to hear of others beliefs as long as we can carry on a resptectful conversation.
The original documents did not mention a separation of church and state. That concept was added much later.
Not in those exact words. However, the very 1st amendment to the Constitution does specifically state that: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." which is commonly referred to as the ‘separation’ of church and state. That is, there is to be no state-sponsored religious indoctrination. Anyone is free to express their religious views. However, certain government employees are required to temper this (while they are working) if their religious ‘expression’ crosses the line into indoctrination.
Pray silently to yourself. Don't say anything aloud or so anyone else will know. You have sent a prayer to aid the dying individual in their journey and it should be without reference to any particular religious path.
I am utterly and totally offended by medical staff who are at least supposed to have read the cover sheet on my file which quite clearly states my lack of religious belief injecting their personal metaphysical belief systems into my personal tragedies or triumps. If you want to pray for our family in the break room, then that is between you and the higher power in which you believe, but if you come back and tell us you have done so then all we are going to hear is your disrespect for OUR beliefs.
I am utterly and totally offended by medical staff who are at least supposed to have read the cover sheet on my file which quite clearly states my lack of religious belief injecting their personal metaphysical belief systems into my personal tragedies or triumps. If you want to pray for our family in the break room, then that is between you and the higher power in which you believe, but if you come back and tell us you have done so then all we are going to hear is your disrespect for OUR beliefs.
Gee whiz, that's the first thing I look at on a patient's chart when they code - it is absolutely critical that I know their religious affiliation or lack thereof before proceeding with any type of care.
It still amazes me that people are offended by a selfless act offered in a caring, compassionate manner, spoken or silent. And if you don't have any religious beliefs, how can we disrespect them?
CCU NRS
1,245 Posts
Thanks, I never really intended to stop praying but many of the posts make good sense so I will ammend.