Is it wrong for a nurse to offer to pray for a patient?

[czgibson]

Greetings,

If you live in the UK and follow the news, you'll have heard about this story.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about: see here.

It's unbelievable that someone could lose their job over something as trivial as this. Surely offering to pray for someone should be taken as a compliment?

If anyone wanted to pray for my unbelieving hell-bound soul, I certainly wouldn't be offended. I don't believe it would affect my life in any material way, but having someone's best wishes can't really be a bad thing.

Unfortunately, some atheists have given the side a bad name: see here.

This is the first time I've been embarrassed by an atheist pressure group. I think they've got it totally wrong; this nurse wasn't evangelising, she was doing her job in the way she thought best.

What do other people think about this?

Peace

[nadia85]

That is sad I think the nurse did nothing wrong feel sorry for her

[Muezzin]

Honestly? I'm not surprised.

Don't get me wrong, I sympathise with the nurse, and I don't think the patient is at fault. It's the nurse's superiors who were in the wrong, from my point of view.

But then, my point of view does not encompass a medical code of conduct.

[Musaafirah]

I think that is utterly ridiculous.
She didn't exactly offer to kill the woman did she?
Rah.

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[Donia]

In my opinion, I don't think it was wrong for the nurse to offer a prayer. It is up to the patient to accept or reject. If the offer is rejected, then it should be let go (which is what the article states happened). Done deal.

Allahu alam.

[aamirsaab]

:sl:
If a nurse prayed for me (as a patient), I'd be very grateful. Thought that counts an all.

I guess some people forget that it's good to be nice to others.

[Yanal]

Maybe she shouldn't have prayed rather just say Get Well soon. That might have been better and less threatening to her job.

[The_Prince]

well the story says the patient made the complaint, so in that case its not the hopsital or a groups fault, its the patient making the complaint, :).

[Yanal]

Please excuse my previous post,I made that comment before visiting that link. After I read it I found out that womens a bapist not a Muslim. It is the patient complaining she is old,you know she(the patient) is 71 causing her to be quite cranky and grumpy. But it's wrong for the poor women who prayed and got suspended. Her further information must be on the net because this happened on Dec17/08. No offense to brother Woodrow.

[Gia]

This is really sad.

The patient, believed to be in her 70s, refused and Mrs Petrie insists that she left the matter alone.

Mrs Petrie said: "The woman mentioned it to the sister who did her dressing the following day. She said that she wasn't offended but was concerned that someone else might be.

This could have a lot of meanings including someone pushing the old lady to write a complaint letter, it could be one of her relatives or even one of Mrs Petrie's rivals in case she had any, tho this is not the problem. It's how the manager actually dealt with it. It's really ridiculous.

[Malaikah]

What baffles me is that she was suspended when the old lady wasn't even offended herself!!!

[justahumane]

But whats the point in asking to offer a prayer for someone? U can simply pray and not let the person in question know. Isnt it funny to ask whether I should pray for Ur recovery or not? But the punishment given to nurse is certainly too harsh and uncalled for.

[Muezzin]

Unfortunately, some atheists have given the side a bad name: see here.

This is the first time I've been embarrassed by an atheist pressure group. I think they've got it totally wrong; this nurse wasn't evangelising, she was doing her job in the way she thought best.

Sucks when people give your beliefs a bad name. It's like they're out there, giving people a reason to despise a valued part of your soul.

I say that as a Muslim and a Star Wars fan - including the prequels. :D

What baffles me is that she was suspended when the old lady wasn't even offended herself!!!

Exactly.

But whats the point in asking to offer a prayer for someone? U can simply pray and not let the person in question know. Isnt it funny to ask whether I should pray for Ur recovery or not? But the punishment given to nurse is certainly too harsh and uncalled for.

^ Good question. Maybe she thought that the patient would consider Christianity if the prayers were answered? So, in a suble way, she might have been preaching. :X

Of course, her being fired was unnecessary.

I'll give the nurse the benefit of the doubt. I don't think she was preaching, because there was no evidence to suggest that she was. Only that she offered a prayer. I interpret that as her being polite and compassionate.

The bureaucrats obviously did not though...

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you, Yanal;

After I read it I found out that womens a bapist not a Muslim.

I would be deeply moved if a Muslim or a Hindu prayed for me.

In the spirit of praying for a greater interfaith friendship

Eric

[m102313]

But whats the point in asking to offer a prayer for someone? U can simply pray and not let the person in question know. Isnt it funny to ask whether I should pray for Ur recovery or not? But the punishment given to nurse is certainly too harsh and uncalled for.

I'd have to agree with that, why does she have to ask the person patient. Prayer (Du'a) does not always have to be verbal and said out load. But deep down in your heart you would feel that you want the patient to recover, isn't that a form of prayer? Maybe the things she did, showed others/patient she was doing some form of religious prayer, and this could be against the medical practise.

[Danah]

But whats the point in asking to offer a prayer for someone? U can simply pray and not let the person in question know. Isnt it funny to ask whether I should pray for Ur recovery or not? But the punishment given to nurse is certainly too harsh and uncalled for.

agree....but there might be another reason of why the nurse ask the patient before.

may be the this has nothing to do with preaching the woman to be christian as some other replies above rather it is to make the patient feel better that the nurse care about here and wish her a good health but in the nurse way herself since she is a believer

I think if the nurse was an atheist and the patient was a christian, the nurse will just tell the patient that she "wish" her a good health...and this will be the best thing she can offer

but since the nurse is a believer and trust the prayer powers she "wish" the good health for the patient from her view "by a prayer" as the best thing she can offer to her patient

[Muezzin]

Ah, overanalysis, the fuel of the Internet.

[Danah]

Ah, overanalysis, the fuel of the Internet.

I guess...:X

[AntiKarateKid]

I dont see how this thread got this far.


Of course it is ok for the person to pray for them. Just dont yell the dua in their faces.

LOL at asking permission to pray for them... really, while you guys are seeing if a kuffar would like Allah to help them recover, I will have already asked the Almighty to help him.

[Fishman]

:sl:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=309030

Maybe a bit harsh, considering the details, but in principle I am quite happy to see that the endless tolerance for pushy religious characters is finding an end.

What's wrong with these people?!
:w:

[aamirsaab]

:sl:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=309030


What's wrong with these people?!
:w:

Some people forget what it means to be a human being. :(

[Amadeus85]

Thats an atheist crazyness.

[KAding]

:sl:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=309030

What's wrong with these people?!
:w:

They are intolerant and don't approve of anything that even faintly reeks of proselytizing.

[Trumble]

On reading the story, I would like to know more about the actual nature of the complaint before jumping to conclusions. I'm not disputing that suspending her was utterly ludicrous, BTW.

Think about it this way though, just as an alternative scenario to the one everybody seems to be assuming. You are an old person, you are sick, are unsure quite how sick, and are maybe a little confused. You are also not particularly religious; not necessarily atheistic, but unaccustomed to people offering to pray for you. Your nurse, who you hardly know, offers to pray for you. Would you assume the following;

Option 1. The nurse is a very religious person who offers prayers for all her patients to recover quickly.

Option 2. The nurse knows how sick you really are even if your dioctor won't tell you, and thinks prayer might be your best - or only - chance of survival.

We know option 2. would be a mistake in this instance. But is it really unreasonable to assume people wouldn't react in that way, and maybe become unecessarily frightened even if they only had a minor illness?

Just a thought.