Seventh Day Adventist and working on Sabbath???

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I was curious, I am a Seventh-Day Adventist and am struggling with the concept of working on Sabbath when your job, whether it be being a cop, firefighter, or someone else who is saving a life. The Bible is not always black and white and even though the Ten Commandments DO say to rest on the seventh day from all your labors, there are other instances in the Bible where helping others during time of rest are the right thing to do. What about those Nicu babies??? What about those who need constant care??? I would like input from a spiritual standpoint on how you all respect your Sabbaths and do it as a nurse.

Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

Sorry that's terrible in my opinion. Nothing comes before my family, specially an unproven fantasy. We are all free to think what we want I suppose. In my book it fours like this, family, me, work

Is there a reason you are even posting in this thread? I am also not religious, but I don't go around posting in the spirituality threads about how religion is a fantasy. There are many nurses, be it Orthodox Jews, SDA, or whatever that have religious beliefs that could affect when they can work. It is not our place to criticize but to support their career choices and to answer their questions non-judgmentally

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
It's like me going to a vegetarian forum asking for steak recipes. At the end of the day nursing is about patient care, not religion.
NO it isn't the same at all.

This is the NURSING AND SPIRITUALITY forum. She is going to be a nurse and she is spiritual. She is asking in the right place.

An non spiritual person in the spiritual form is like asking for steak recipes on a vegan board.

Everyone has the right to post in all forums. They are public and open. As long as posts are polite

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Sorry that's terrible in my opinion. Nothing comes before my family, specially an unproven fantasy. We are all free to think what we want I suppose. In my book it fours like this, family, me, work

I understand that this idea can strike people as selfish and wrong. But you need to understand the full intricacies of the religion itself to understand why Christians put God above all. Most people will judge a book by its cover and not what is hidden deep within the pages. If you put your child, money, job, or anything of this world before God, then you have made that your "god" in that regard. This is not a debate and I am not trying to push anything. However to help you understand a little bit of why we Christians who do believe that God is above all is because we know that if we put God as number one, our children doing the same, He PROMISES to save us and our children and to have eternal life after living in sin, pain, and suffering from this world. The suffering that happens to us now can't compare to the joy that is coming. This is the base from which many Christians live by. I understand that you don't believe in God since you refer to Him as a "fantasy". But that is a huge reason why you do not understand what HappyWife was trying to say. I myself believe I was created by Him and have everything I have because of Him. He didnt need to love me or make me, but He did. I am on this Earth to serve Him, and the rest falls into place.:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Is there a reason you are even posting in this thread? I am also not religious, but I don't go around posting in the spirituality threads about how religion is a fantasy. There are many nurses, be it Orthodox Jews, SDA, or whatever that have religious beliefs that could affect when they can work. It is not our place to criticize but to support their career choices and to answer their questions non-judgmentally

THANK YOU! Well said

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Is there a reason you are even posting in this thread? I am also not religious, but I don't go around posting in the spirituality threads about how religion is a fantasy. There are many nurses, be it Orthodox Jews, SDA, or whatever that have religious beliefs that could affect when they can work. It is not our place to criticize but to support their career choices and to answer their questions non-judgmentally

I truly do admire that you posted this. You are definitely a genuine person. Religion and politics are always what bring a war for some reason. I wish it weren't that way so I thank you for your respect and support. Though you are not religious, I definitely owe you a God Bless you ;) keep on the positive movement!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

And OP, I'll be back later with my thoughts to your question! It's spring break time and allll my kids are at home. No uninterrupted computer time today, and now I have to get groceries. :)

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Hello,

the way it works is that you can't "customize" what is written in the Bible and be judged only by what you choose and what you omit. I will be judged by what God wants and so I am trying to see how I can respect God and obey Him while also helping others in need which is also in accordance to the Bible. Though changing my day seems the easier thing to do, it is not changing what God says is the day of rest in which all creatures should rest in. I want to help people, but I am thinking that since many hospitals rotate weekends for fair share of weekends in the staff, that I will be most likely obligated to work at least one weekend out of the month.

I am certain that there is at least one Biblical instruction to care for the sick... What about that instruction? Should that be ignored?

If we all were of the same faith and abided by the instruction to rest on the Sabbath, what would happen to the sick? If there was a community with a small hospital full of only the faithful (one faith) and they all abided by the rest on the Sabbath instruction, I wonder what they would do about the sick...would they look to the Bible for instruction and perhaps find rationale to care for the sick?

Consider how calendars have changed over time...perhaps therein lies an option for people to adjust their day of rest.

For me rigidity is not necessarily a measure of faith.

I've edited this a few times as I have mixed feelings about responding to it as it is a sensitive subject. All in all, I am for tolerance, and believe that folks should be allowed to negotiate schedules to allow for their personal lives. I think if a facility presents up-front that they require a certain number of weekends, if one wishes to work there, they must accept it. On the other hand, I feel that the facility should allow workers to negotiate with other workers to swap days...

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I agree with you on that.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Matthew 12:9-13 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.

(From the ESV.) Jesus kept the law perfectly, and healed this man's hand on the Sabbath. :yes:

That said, if you want to be cautious about practicing employment, here are some thoughts.

1.) Weekday job, such as clinic or school nursing.

2.) Is it the same as Jewish Sabbath--sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday? See if you could negotiate a Saturday-Sunday 8-hour noc shift weekend. So go in at 2300 on Saturday, well after sundown. Or if it's just Saturday period, then see about a Friday/Sunday weekend.

3.) More frequent Fridays and/or Sundays to offset being off on Saturdays. Again, something you'd need to ask about. Honestly I can't see most managers being eager to accommodate weekend requests even for religious reasons. There's no nursing shortage after all. But you could ask.

4.) Any Protestant/Catholic/Orthodox Christians really want every Sunday off? See about a permanent trade for your Saturdays.

5.) Do you need benefits? If not, per diem could be the way to go! Depending on the place, you can get pretty good hours...or you could get more than one per diem job to get your hours in. But typically you pick up the shifts that you want to pick up. The places I did per diem at did have a minimum weekend and holiday commitment, but in your case you could pick up 2 Sundays to equal one weekend. Hourly pay was extra to offset the lack of benefits given w/ these jobs.

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Specializes in ER.

I have a jewish friend and he believes that there is no higher calling than to love your neighbor as your self. In so doing, saving a life to him is okay if he must work a sabbath. He has also told me that if your job requires it, it is okay. Remember though, Judaism has many laws wrote by rabbis compiled in their talmud.

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Specializes in ER.
I am certain that there is at least one Biblical instruction to care for the sick... What about that instruction? Should that be ignored?

If we all were of the same faith and abided by the instruction to rest on the Sabbath, what would happen to the sick? If there was a community with a small hospital full of only the faithful (one faith) and they all abided by the rest on the Sabbath instruction, I wonder what they would do about the sick...would they look to the Bible for instruction and perhaps find rationale to care for the sick?

Consider how calendars have changed over time...perhaps therein lies an option for people to adjust their day of rest.

For me rigidity is not necessarily a measure of faith.

I've edited this a few times as I have mixed feelings about responding to it as it is a sensitive subject. All in all, I am for tolerance, and believe that folks should be allowed to negotiate schedules to allow for their personal lives. I think if a facility presents up-front that they require a certain number of weekends, if one wishes to work there, they must accept it. On the other hand, I feel that the facility should allow workers to negotiate with other workers to swap days...

If we all kept the commands of the bible, according to Deu. 28 (rewards and punishments for keeping or not keeping the commands) there would be no sickness. The children of Israel transgressed those commands time and time again, and were punished frequently with sickness, famine, destruction, exiled, death etc.

I struggle with this issue as well. I am thinking what I should do is try to have friday night off and work sat/sun nights. If I must work sat. day, I will donate the money earned to a good cause that way I am truly continuing the healing ministry of our Messiah. Yes Yeshua (jesus), did heal/work on sabbath BUT He did not get payed, all his healing/work was free.

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If we all kept the commands of the bible, according to Deu. 28 (rewards and punishments for keeping or not keeping the commands) there would be no sickness. The children of Israel transgressed those commands time and time again, and were punished frequently with sickness, famine, destruction, exiled, death etc.

I struggle with this issue as well. I am thinking what I should do is try to have friday night off and work sat/sun nights. If I must work sat. day, I will donate the money earned to a good cause that way I am truly continuing the healing ministry of our Messiah. Yes Yeshua (jesus), did heal/work on sabbath BUT He did not get payed, all his healing/work was free.

Hmmm...good points... I had not thought of things that way. ....but in a "perfect" world, wouldn't there still be death from old age? And wouldn't it be important to take care of the dying? --And what about the minister who works (preaching) on the Sabbath?

I enjoyed your thoughtful post, Poeboy, and was wowed by the Deuteronomy item... Compelling thoughts... I have also enjoyed writings from others on this thread. Interesting stuff.

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