Religion's Place in Nursing

[CHIRN]

I often read Billy Graham's column and thought today's was particulary pertinent to our profession. I'm just curious as to your own personal thoughts and feelings on the matter. (Please, no screaming at one another...this is not a debate.)

Dear Dr. Graham,

I'd like to be a Christian, but I have a hard time believing that Jesus rose from the dead. You see, I'm an intensive care nurse, and I know that once a person dies, that's the end. Maybe you can help me get past these doubts. -- Mrs. K.W.

Dear Mrs. K.W.:

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most important event in all history -- and yes, incredible as it may seem, it really did happen.

In fact, it might interest you to know that one of the Gospels was written by a medical doctor (Luke). Like you, he knew that death is final and irreversible -- and yet he also gave us one of the most extensive accounts of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Why? Because he had thoroughly investigated the evidence for Jesus' resurrection for himself and he knew only one conclusion was possible: Jesus had come back from the dead.

Why is the resurrection important? Why did God raise Jesus from the dead? One reason was to prove that Jesus was who He said He was: the divine Son of God, sent from heaven to save us from our sins. The Bible says that He "was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4). The resurrection sets Jesus apart from every other person who has ever lived.

But the resurrection points to an even greater truth: Death has now been conquered! The grave is not the end, but heaven's doors are now open! Jesus is alive, and He wants to come into your life today. Why not discover this great truth for yourself by turning to Christ today?

Edited to remove the dead link that stretched things past the edge of the screen - hope it makes it easier to read :)! - Ratched

[leslie :-D]

Could anybody post a reply without being judgmental!!!!....I DID!

AND SECONDLY..... I am a believer that's why I chose to read the original post and comment, but what I don't understand is If someone is a non-believer atheist or whatever, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CARE TO READ IT?... since it is not something you believe in!

WHO was judging? and the name of the post is Religion and Nursing; not Christianity and Nursing, BIG difference.

[ChrisA]

Personally, my deepening religious (and spiritual) life is part of what is propelling me towards nursing. I've essentially been becoming more and more active the Episcopal Church over the last two years, and part of my growing spiritual understanding includes two concepts:

"God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, no voice but our voices"

and

"Your vocation sits in the intersection between that which brings you the most joy, and that which the world most needs"

So, sitting at my computer desk writing software like I do: is this answering this call? No, not in my heart, it doesn't. Nursing does. So I'm taking a run at it.

Now, I don't think that one has to be Christian to be a good nurse, nor do I think you have to have a particularly religious or spiritual nature. The important thing is that you're a caring person, capable of operating in a place of love and compassion. The important thing is that you are capable of care. For many, religion helps. It helps me. I'm proud of that. I certainly don't think it's required, and I certainly don't think I have a monopoly on the truth. Does this help answer your question?

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Could anybody post a reply without being judgmental!!!!....I DID!

AND SECONDLY..... I am a believer that's why I chose to read the original post and comment, but what I don't understand is If someone is a non-believer atheist or whatever, WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CARE TO READ IT?... since it is not something you believe in!

First, the post is Religion and Nursing, not Christianity and Nursing (which I posted several pages back....but then why would one read the whole thread, as it s so much easier to just jump to conclusions).

Second, if one reads the OP FULLY AND COMPLETELY. one would see that it is clearly directed at nonChristians, as it offers reasons to believe in Christ and asks at the end, Why not try Christ. As presumable Christians have tried Christ and do not require to have it re-proven to them.

So maybe you need to check your judgement at the door.

As noted in the original answers, they were answers as to why Christ was not important to them. Answers quite politely and honestly to that question. I regret that you are not amenable to the answers.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I don't understand how a person can be a nurse, see life and death as much as we do and NOT believe in God. Our bodies are miracles....they could never "just happen". I am a hospice nurse and I see death on a daily basis. I will tell you who dies the easiest and most peaceful...the Christians. They have a hope of life beyond and know that though they do not want to leave behind their loved ones, they have a Lord that is waiting to give them wondrous things that their minds could not even imagine. The non-Christians usually die with more pain, angry and have a hard time reconciling the fact that they are dying. I have sat by the bedside of so many people as life as slipped from them.

First, you chose to quote me, and refer to nurses that do not believe in G-d. That is rather presumptious of you. For if you read the thread, you would realize that I am Jewish and very clearly believe in G-d.

For that, I think that you owe me an apology...but I doubt that I will receive it.

And to assume that a Nurse must for some reason, must believe in G-d, well, that is silly. There are plenty of Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist nurses that believe in mankind and life for living's sake, and being good as it is the natural right thing to do, and do not require a G-d to have created it all.

And I believe that you owe them an apology...but I do not know that it will be forthcoming.

And as a HIV/Onco nurse, I, too, have seen many die. I have seen plenty of Christians die in emotional turmoil. And I have seen nonBelievers die feeling fulfilled with their lives.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Religion and Christianity are not the same thing.

So are you asking about Christianity

or are you asking about religion and nurse's?

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

First, you chose to quote me, and refer to nurses that do not believe in G-d. That is rather presumptious of you. For if you read the thread, you would realize that I am Jewish and very clearly believe in G-d.

For that, I think that you owe me an apology...but I doubt that I will receive it.

And to assume that a Nurse must for some reason, must believe in G-d, well, that is silly. There are plenty of Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist nurses that believe in mankind and life for living's sake, and being good as it is the natural right thing to do, and do not require a G-d to have created it all.

And I believe that you owe them an apology...but I do not know that it will be forthcoming.

And as a HIV/Onco nurse, I, too, have seen many die. I have seen plenty of Christians die in emotional turmoil. And I have seen nonBelievers die feeling fulfilled with their lives.

I agree. I was an inpt hospice nurse for four years. In my experience, how much a pain a person died in was a matter of whether or not we could get their doc to prescribe meds appropriatly.

I also saw many christians die who felt that their disease was a punishment from God for some trasgression. I heard other christians rell dying pts that their faith must have been false, or God would have cured them.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Personally, my deepening religious (and spiritual) life is part of what is propelling me towards nursing. I've essentially been becoming more and more active the Episcopal Church over the last two years, and part of my growing spiritual understanding includes two concepts:

"God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, no voice but our voices"

and

"Your vocation sits in the intersection between that which brings you the most joy, and that which the world most needs"

So, sitting at my computer desk writing software like I do: is this answering this call? No, not in my heart, it doesn't. Nursing does. So I'm taking a run at it.

Now, I don't think that one has to be Christian to be a good nurse, nor do I think you have to have a particularly religious or spiritual nature. The important thing is that you're a caring person, capable of operating in a place of love and compassion. The important thing is that you are capable of care. For many, religion helps. It helps me. I'm proud of that. I certainly don't think it's required, and I certainly don't think I have a monopoly on the truth. Does this help answer your question?

Excellent post. Especially this part:"I certainly don't think I have a monopoly on the truth."

[leslie :-D]

even though the topic is "religion's place in nursing", the poster ends her thread with the question of spirituality, which i hope remains the focus. no disrespect intended but there's another active thread re: religion and nursing.

sigh........

[GreenWitch]

.....I will tell you who dies the easiest and most peaceful...the Christians. The non-Christians usually die with more pain, angry and have a hard time reconciling the fact that they are dying.

So, are you saying that ONLY people of the christian faith die in peace and not any member of any other faith? Or are you referring to athesist?

Living in a multicultural community, and being OPEN MINDED to the community in which I live and work, I know many people of many faiths. What I have seen is that if people are comfortable with their religious choice (or choice of NONE) they have died at peace. The only people I have seen die upset were the one's who were still wondering about it all...

)0(

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

sorry sbic56, i called you sbchic...

leslie

Hehehe...I kinda like it; catchier than my real screeen name. It's comforting to hear a similarly minded person speak out. One can feel pretty alienated around here at times. (Not referring to you, Fran, as like I've said, you don't do that.)

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

So, are you saying that ONLY people of the christian faith die in peace and not any member of any other faith? Or are you referring to athesist?

Living in a multicultural community, and being OPEN MINDED to the community in which I live and work, I know many people of many faiths. What I have seen is that if people are comfortable with their religious choice (or choice of NONE) they have died at peace. The only people I have seen die upset were the one's who were still wondering about it all...

)0(

Indeed. To make that assertion that "cristians die easiest" is another example of how christains can misrepresent their faith by sounding pompous, all knowing and better than. Not a good thing to do when trying to recruit.

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

Unfortunately as in all things we only notice the stuff that bothers us. We complain when something we purchased is not up to par but rarely acknowledge that something we purchased is great.

Having said that, I wish that folks wouldn't categorize all Christians as expecting you to be perfect and as someone who shoves their religion down your throat. My experience is so very different. The church I go to is very open and accepting and loving. I have had some experiences with Christians that you have described but the majority are not.

steph