Spiritual Competence, Religion and the Deep South

[vetpharmtech]

1 hour ago, Kooky Korky said:

Can't a Christian be just a follower of the Jesus portrayed in the Gospels? Just someone who believes Jesus paid for our sins and gives us the free-to-us-though-very-costly-to-Him right to go to Heaven when we die, and the responsibility to share this excellent news with anyone who will listen?

Why do you ask me this question? I am in a different religion. You need to ask people who identify themselves as Christians.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

On 3/31/2019 at 5:30 PM, vetpharmtech said:

Thank you for your recommendation.

I checked Hasidic and Haredi Judaism. They look benign to me. Look at Israel. It is the most accepting place for LGBT people to live in the middle east.

I will be sad if Judaism dies before Christianity and Islam.

Even the large majority of Jews consider the Haredi crazy and will cause the fall of Israel because they procreate at the same rate as all of the fringes. So don't associate them with mainstream Judiasm. That would be like comparing all the mega-church attenders despite Covid, with all Christians. The most attractive thing one can say about Judiasm is not proselytizing and leaving others alone until people try to shoot us. I grew up in the deep South and had no problem. Now that evangelicals want to flex their muscles by supporting Trump and his alt-right buttocks kissers, I have had to listen to slurs from my neighbor since he has been given permission by our Christian forward government to just let loose with his latent anti-Semitism. But I give Christians credit where credit is due because they do so many valuable work in this world without trying to punish people who aren't Christian "enough."

[vetpharmtech]

11 hours ago, subee said:

Even the large majority of Jews consider the Haredi crazy and will cause the fall of Israel because they procreate at the same rate as all of the fringes. So don't associate them with mainstream Judiasm. That would be like comparing all the mega-church attenders despite Covid, with all Christians. The most attractive thing one can say about Judiasm is not proselytizing and leaving others alone until people try to shoot us. I grew up in the deep South and had no problem. Now that evangelicals want to flex their muscles by supporting Trump and his alt-right buttocks kissers, I have had to listen to slurs from my neighbor since he has been given permission by our Christian forward government to just let loose with his latent anti-Semitism. But I give Christians credit where credit is due because they do so many valuable work in this world without trying to punish people who aren't Christian "enough."

The so-called "good work" Christians do has underlying agenda of converting non Christians into embracing Christendom. In my eyes, that is spiritual assault or worse, spiritual rape. It is reprehensible.

I did not know about this at first. I also learned that people need to sit through a sermon if they want to get assistance. Using people's suffering to preach religion before offering them help is dehumanizing.

Certainly Christians are capable of doing worse things than this. In fact, the most vile religious people I have ever encountered in my second home are Christians.

[Daisy4RN]

4 hours ago, vetpharmtech said:

The so-called "good work" Christians do has underlying agenda of converting non Christians into embracing Christendom. In my eyes, that is spiritual assault or worse, spiritual rape. It is reprehensible.

I did not know about this at first. I also learned that people need to sit through a sermon if they want to get assistance. Using people's suffering to preach religion before offering them help is dehumanizing.

Certainly Christians are capable of doing worse things than this. In fact, the most vile religious people I have ever encountered in my second home are Christians.

I am guessing you dont see the irony in your continuous diatribes.

Your shoulder must be getting sore by now carrying around that giant chip on it.

I dont think you or anyone else would get away with this if you were talking about any other religion.

[vetpharmtech]

7 hours ago, Daisy4RN said:

I am guessing you dont see the irony in your continuous diatribes.

Your shoulder must be getting sore by now carrying around that giant chip on it.

I dont think you or anyone else would get away with this if you were talking about any other religion.

Whatever. You are a Christian. Your people are in control of the White House. You just don't get it. You never will.

By the way, Mrs Christian, if I need a psychologist, I know where to find one. English is not my first language, but I can comprehend enough to understand a counselor's advice. I don't need your analysis of my mind.

Also, I apologize for my comment on your topic. I forgot that I promised to myself not to respond to your comment unless you responded to me first. I am sorry.

[SafetyNurse1968, ADN, BSN, MSN, PhD]

On 4/2/2020 at 10:25 PM, Kooky Korky said:

One need not believe in God to be a decent person. I think most people probably grow up being taught to be nice, be polite, follow the law, respect teachers, elders, and other people in general.

If your classmate grew up believing in God or discovered Him later in life, that is fine. If following God and/or following a certain religion helps her to be decent, well, I am glad.

And I am a protestant follower of Jesus, just so you know where I am coming from. I was an atheist for a while in my younger years.

I am not at all sure that I, as a nurse, need to address my patients' religious or spiritual views or needs. In fact, I was taught way back in the dark ages in Nursing school to not bring up this sensitive topic. Many times I have wanted to but have almost never laid aside my schooling to do so. That's why we have chaplains, that's why we offer to call the Rabbi, the Priest, the Pastor, the Imam, or whoever the patient wishes when they have spiritual or religious needs.

But I guess it's different these days.

I'm no longer at the bedside, but I teach nursing students. I did my very best when I was at the bedside to listen to my patients and to deflect discussions of religion and spirituality back to the patient. I teach my nursing students to return direct questions about faith back to the patient. For example, when I am asked by patients, "Where do you go to church?" I usually answer with something like, "Church must be really important to you, tell me more about yours." If they want me to pray with them, I say, "Will you please lead the prayer?" If they are unable to, that's when I will call in a chaplain if they are available. If not, we just do a silent prayer and I try to create a healing presence - it's a good opportunity for me to meditate. It's more difficult when coworkers or preceptors bring up religion. I had a student come to me fairly distressed with a story about a preceptor who had asked her if she was a virgin - the preceptor was talking about her faith and her struggles with following the word of God. The student had no idea how to answer and felt her privacy had been invaded. I counseled her to respond the same way she might with a patient. "That topic sounds so important to you." You don't even have to ask a return question - reflecting back usually starts the person talking about their faith (though I also mentioned the trick of 'getting a text from her instructor' and having to call me me right away about it!) I suppose I've answered my own question. If someone is curious about what I believe and I don't want to engage (for whatever reason) I'll try to remember that it is usually about the person doing the asking and not about me.

[vetpharmtech]

15 hours ago, SafetyNurse1968 said:

I'm no longer at the bedside, but I teach nursing students. I did my very best when I was at the bedside to listen to my patients and to deflect discussions of religion and spirituality back to the patient. I teach my nursing students to return direct questions about faith back to the patient. For example, when I am asked by patients, "Where do you go to church?" I usually answer with something like, "Church must be really important to you, tell me more about yours." If they want me to pray with them, I say, "Will you please lead the prayer?" If they are unable to, that's when I will call in a chaplain if they are available. If not, we just do a silent prayer and I try to create a healing presence - it's a good opportunity for me to meditate. It's more difficult when coworkers or preceptors bring up religion. I had a student come to me fairly distressed with a story about a preceptor who had asked her if she was a virgin - the preceptor was talking about her faith and her struggles with following the word of God. The student had no idea how to answer and felt her privacy had been invaded. I counseled her to respond the same way she might with a patient. "That topic sounds so important to you." You don't even have to ask a return question - reflecting back usually starts the person talking about their faith (though I also mentioned the trick of 'getting a text from her instructor' and having to call me me right away about it!) I suppose I've answered my own question. If someone is curious about what I believe and I don't want to engage (for whatever reason) I'll try to remember that it is usually about the person doing the asking and not about me.

The healthcare profession needs more people like you to uphold respect for patients. Fundamentalist Christians have been abusing nursing and other fields too much. If it is not a nurse, it would be a pharmacist. If not them, it would be the top boss, the physician. I wonder where this is going to end.

I am truly thankful for compassionate professionals like you who treat nursing as it is supposed to be. Thank you for treating nursing as a noble profession. Thank you for your contribution in producing decent professionals who see nursing as nursing without ulterior motives.

Thank you very much.