"The Jesus Factor"

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A collegue of mine in the ICU is soon moving to Home Health for several reasons, both personal and otherwise. At the nurses station the other day, she and one of the doctors were talking, and she mentioned to him, regarding one of his patients, that "The Jesus factor was all squared away". This co-worker is a very active Christian and so is the MD in question. I asked her what that meant and she said that she liked to make sure where people were going when they die. She said that that was one reason why she wanted to do home health and hospice, was to help people find Jesus before they die.

She is an awesome, awesome nurse, but I was always thought that this is not ethical. I would never discuss religion with a patient unless they wanted to and I don't think it's correct to try to convert them. She's basically going to be evangelizing her Home Health patients. I find that disturbing.

Specializes in Med-Surg.
No, I haven't read the whole thread. I responded directly from the original post and then two people attacked me basically saying that I should just shut up and do my job as a nurse. It was like they didn't even read what I said. All I said was that I would be willing to share the Gospel given that I'm a Christian myself. I wouldn't go around forcing my beliefs on someone. What is wrong with that?

I'm sorry that you felt attacked. I know you're talking about me, but that wasn't my intention and I don't feel you were personally attacked.

I don't agree with your approach to nursing and expressed that. I apologize if you felt attacked. I want intelligent conversation not attacks and bickering back and forth.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
What are you going to do, ask them if they'd like to hear about the Gospel of Jesus? I'm just trying to figure out how you're getting the conversation rolling. Do you mean you'll spread your word if the pt. intiates the conversation and directly asks you, or are you going to suss it out of the pt. somehow and then share?
No. People will just flat out tell you if they want to hear the word of God or not. Like I said in my previous posts, I'm not the type of person who's going to start off talking about the word of God to someone. To answer your question, yes, I will only share the gospel if the patient initiates a conversation about it. ;)

It's just the way you're presenting yourself is very scary, and the anger with which you present what you say makes me wonder at the message you have. Why so much anger? There is a time and place for everything, is there not? Perhaps when people are ill and vulnerable is not the time...oh, never mind, we've already been down that road before. Be all sorts of things to all sorts of men...never mind, tried that one too.
I apologize if I come off as scary but the posts that you and Tweety and someone else posted was scary to me. I'm not angry or anything, it seems like a lot of you are angry for some reason or another. And about there being a time and place for everything, didn't I say that in one of posts? Please read everything that I say before saying something to me.

I'm sure that you will do what you feel compelled to do. Just don't be surprised if one day you come up against someone who doesn't appreciate your presuming they'd want to hear what you have to say because you assumed so. And then it won't be any form of religious dscrimination if the pt. complains. It's the pt's choice, the pt's needs.
Like I said in an earlier post, there are people they will appreciate AND there are people who will NOT apppreciate it. It's not like I have never shared the Gospel before with people. I was just responding to the original post of this thread saying that when I become a nurse, I would be willing to share.
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Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
:uhoh3: hey mod's.....how's about closing this thread down.......due to the smoke and flames ????

passionate disagreement isn't the same as smoke and flames. flames result from name calling, not from debating strongly held beliefs. i won't be surprised if the thread does get shut down, because they so often do, but i will be disappointed. i have only seen one person make a remark that was clearly out of line.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
I'm sorry that you felt attacked. I know you're talking about me, but that wasn't my intention and I don't feel you were personally attacked.

I don't agree with your approach to nursing and expressed that. I apologize if you felt attacked. I want intelligent conversation not attacks and bickering back and forth.

Thank you for clarifying. ;) Another thing I wanted to share... whether I'm a nurse or not, I'm willing the share the gospel to anyone at wanytime. However, With my personality type, I probably more than likely will be quiet, especially in a work setting. :lol2: I'm always quiet everywhere I go. I usually share the gospel with people I feel comfortable with and with people that feel comfortable with me.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I apologize if I come off as scary but the posts that you and Tweety and someone else posted was scary to me. I'm not angry or anything, it seems like a lot of you are angry for some reason or another. And about there being a time and place for everything, didn't I say that in one of posts? Please read everything that I say before saying something to me.

Please give us credit for reading your posts. Obviously is so many of us are jumping down your throat then maybe you should pause and think about it. :)

Basically, I think you're not taking a position that isn't taken by other Christians....if the patient requests it and wants to hear it, nothing wrong with sharing the gospel and you will do so. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Thank you for clarifying. ;) Another thing I wanted to share... whether I'm a nurse or not, I'm willing the share the gospel to anyone at wanytime. However, With my personality type, I probably more than likely will be quiet, especially in a work setting. :lol2: I'm always quiet everywhere I go. I usually share the gospel with people I feel comfortable with and with people that feel comfortable with me.

Thanks for haning in there with us and not being scared away. I hope you stick around and continue to post. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Passionate disagreement isn't the same as smoke and flames. Flames result from name calling, not from debating strongly held beliefs. I won't be surprised if the thread does get shut down, because they so often do, but I will be disappointed. I have only seen one person make a remark that was clearly out of line.

I was tempted to close for a "coolling off period" just so we could collect ourselves a bit, but I agree it's not worthy to be shut down.

I respect everyone has feelings on how the thread is. You and I are old school and very experienced in heated discussions here. I don't see much heat or personal attacks. However, other less hardened posters might be a bit uncomfortable with the heat.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
Please give us credit for reading your posts. Obviously is so many of us are jumping down your throat then maybe you should pause and think about it. :)
Well, I have thought about it. I just didn't see what was so harmful about my original post in this thread which I will restate here: I see nothing wrong with evangelizing and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As long as she's not forcing or emposing her beliefs on anyone, I think it's perfectly fine. I am a Christian and I would most likely share the word of God to someone else once I become an RN. Keep in the mind that I'm like 100% introverted and not the type to start up conversations, but I will share at every opportunity and chance given.

Can you please point out why my post above was such a problem? Maybe I wasn't being specific enough...

Basically, I think you're not taking a position that isn't taken by other Christians....if the patient requests it and wants to hear it, nothing wrong with sharing the gospel and you will do so. :)
Correct...nothing more, nothing less. I would never force the word of God down someone's throat. ;)

There's a big difference between a parish nurse who has been specially trained and has been specifically requested by the pt. v. a nurse who goes about willy-nilly seeking to "spread the Word" to pts. she thinks needs it or "score another one for Jesus."
See, I know you're talking about me, but what you said is not me. I'm not the type to go "willy-nilly and seek patients who I can spread the Word to". I'm not like that. I don't know why you keep thinking I'm this way. The word of God is precious and isn't something that should be use for one's own glory. The word of God and the gospel of Jesus is shared to give God glory.

And there something else you have to understand about Christianity. All Christians are called to evangelize. Just to give a little background info on myself, I have been an active Sunday School teacher for over 5 years. I am someone who has a very humble spirit. There is nothing wrong with Christians who are willing to share the word of God regardless of the persecution they may face.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Well, I have thought about it. I just didn't see what was so harmful about my original post in this thread which I will restate here: I see nothing wrong with evangelizing and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As long as she's not forcing or emposing her beliefs on anyone, I think it's perfectly fine. I am a Christian and I would most likely share the word of God to someone else once I become an RN. Keep in the mind that I'm like 100% introverted and not the type to start up conversations, but I will share at every opportunity and chance given.

Can you please point out why my post above was such a problem? Maybe I wasn't being specific enough...

I guess you weren't being specific enough and you didn't clarify what the circumstances would be that you would be sharing the Gospel.

Also quite a lot of us had a problem with this nurse sharing the gospel to take care of the Jesus Factor, whereas you didn't, and thus many of us were taking issue with you on that.

Mutual respect of one another's opinions and allowing us to have them is important, so again, I'm sorry you felt attacked.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
You were not being out of line by expressing your honest opinion. You are more than welcome to. You're probably only saying what 100 others reading are thinking anyway. :)

We have to respect all opinions here at Allnurses. We also have to be respectful with those who respond that don't they agree with us. (Such as not saying "is something wrong with you?)

Thank you so much for the reassurance and respect! I apologize for saying "Is something wrong with you." I was just shocked by your response to my initial post.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Thank you so much for the reassurance and respect! I apologize for saying "Is something wrong with you." I was just shocked by your response to my initial post.

No problem, I'm flameproof at this point. LOL Sometimes on the internet you have to discourse back and forth a bit to get to the meaning and tone behind a post. Looking back my post was a bit blunt and curt....sorry about that.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.
I guess you weren't being specific enough and you didn't clarify what the circumstances would be that you would be sharing the Gospel.

Also quite a lot of us had a problem with this nurse sharing the gospel to take care of the Jesus Factor, whereas you didn't, and thus many of us were taking issue with you on that.

Mutual respect of one another's opinions and allowing us to have them is important, so again, I'm sorry you felt attacked.

Ohhh okay. See, I didn't realize this...I only read the original post and the last 4 pages. :)

A lot of Christians do not understand that they cannot make someone be a Christian, only God can. Everything happens only if God allows it to happen. And there's a lot of so-called Christians have their own agenda in mind when it comes to "the Jesus Factor".

...no more hard feelings here.... Your apology is accepted. ;)

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