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]
Reading back through these posts, it occurs to me that we are really discussing one of the key issues of nursing: caring versus autonomy. Do you do what you feel is best for someone, or do you do what they want? How far can you go in overriding their wishes? How far can you respect their wishes? To me, at least, it's a tough question.
In my job, I occassionally encounter patients who can't walk well but are mentally competent. Falls are a big issue with us, but some patients have a right to fall if they so choose. You can't restrain someone for bad judgement.
It's like that with souls, too, I think. We have to make our own choices, and we have to respect the right of others to make their own choices. We can regret when they choose badly, but we can't choose for them.
My autonomy is important to me. When a patient gets into one of those "grey" areas--is he competent or isn't he--my tendency is to err on the side of autonomy. I think that may be why I'd feel hesitant to pray for someone without being asked to--or, at least, not openly. Then again, my own religious beliefs are kind of undefined, so I'm in even less position than some to impose them on anyone else.
Going back to the OP, I don't think I would object to someone praying over my body, if in fact I knew they were.
I wouldn't object to them praying for me while I lived, either, if it was done for the right reasons and with respect.
I would strongly object to anyone using my infirmity as an opportunity to preach at me or impose their faith upon me, and I can't imagine myself ever doing that to someone else.
Thanks to all, though, for what has been a real good discussion, with useful recipes.
Well I am just wondering what everyone is doing for Xmas and New Year?
I suppose we will have a nice Christmas Moring here at home just the wife and kids and myself. I am working X-eve but off X-Day we will probably go to the family get together that night with my Mother and sisters and their husbands and kids. Not sure when we are going to se Mother in law or wifes sibs.
Specializes in LTAC, Telemetry, Thoracic Surgery, ED.
I think that is a question for the person being prayed for.
I probably wouldn't be offended because I'm dead, no next life just dead. But I do know that I am uncomfortable when my mother in law prays before meals and at any occassion she deems necessary.
But I think although the thought is nice that if you were really interested in someones well being after their passing that any prayer done on behalf of that person is nice but still should be done in private so as not to offend anyone else. And people have such different views on this topic that unless you have actually asked the person individually how they felt and they are OK with it I think it would be an invasion of their space.
I'm not religious, but I always find it comforting when someone says that they will pray for me. I also don't mind holding their hand if they say a prayer in my presence, despite their religion. They mean well and spirituality is beautiful and well-meant. It's the intention and the spirit behind what is done...not what actually is done.
In death, I would be honored if someone thought to say a prayer.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
Well I am just wondering what everyone is doing for Xmas and New Year?
I suppose we will have a nice Christmas Moring here at home just the wife and kids and myself. I am working X-eve but off X-Day we will probably go to the family get together that night with my Mother and sisters and their husbands and kids. Not sure when we are going to se Mother in law or wifes sibs.
I have two weeks off over Christmas. I work for a project administered by a state university, and we're supposed to get all state and federal holidays off, but we work alot of them and then get the time off over the winter break. My Mom is coming for Christmas, for the first time in the 18 years that I have lived here! I've been back to PA, but I guess she always chose to stay there so she could have the holiday with three of her kids. I'm the only one out here. But this year, my sister and brother in law are going on a cruise, my brother is spending with his new fiance's family and my other sister is... well, I'm not sure what she'll be doing. Probably visiting her loser husband's family.
I have two weeks off over Christmas. I work for a project administered by a state university, and we're supposed to get all state and federal holidays off, but we work alot of them and then get the time off over the winter break. My Mom is coming for Christmas, for the first time in the 18 years that I have lived here! I've been back to PA, but I guess she always chose to stay there so she could have the holiday with three of her kids. I'm the only one out here. But this year, my sister and brother in law are going on a cruise, my brother is spending with his new fiance's family and my other sister is... well, I'm not sure what she'll be doing. Probably visiting her loser husband's family.
That sounds nice, perhaps she will have such a nice time that she will make an annual event of it.
Well I am just wondering what everyone is doing for Xmas and New Year?
I suppose we will have a nice Christmas Moring here at home just the wife and kids and myself. I am working X-eve but off X-Day we will probably go to the family get together that night with my Mother and sisters and their husbands and kids. Not sure when we are going to se Mother in law or wifes sibs.
This is the second time you've brought this thread back from the dead. Both times you did so without actually responding to the original topic. It's a free country, I guess, but I have to ask -- why?
This is the second time you've brought this thread back from the dead. Both times you did so without actually responding to the original topic. It's a free country, I guess, but I have to ask -- why?
I don't really have an answer I go through my subscribed threads and thin them out occassionally and this is one I just can't bare to delete, part of it is I started it with a good feeling and it turned into such a bad feeling that I can't let it go down that way.
I would like to take it in another direction now.
Consider this:
On this very bulletin board many people come here and share their deepest feelings and often sorrows. Many times they report sad events such as deaths or loss or illness.
Many of us myself included often reply with kind words and more often than not end with "I will keep you in my prayers", "you and your family will be in my prayers" etc.
My question now is are we being considerate of their beleifs?
I never know if they have a faith or religious affiliation, but we don't seem to think this is rude or offensive.
How different is this than what the original thread asked, just because we are not praying over a dead person?
I guess it is a couple of questions, I hope I answered your question as well Angelica
ps please don't ever get rid of Felix I love him, I love to see your posts with him there pacing! And yes I did watch him and remember when he was trying to figure out what to do he would pace like this.
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,347 Posts
Sorry, I was adding another question of my own on top of your question. Didn't mean to confuse you.