Thursday, March 19, 2009

Insanity in reality....

I know our culture has literally gone insane on the whole topic of God. Here is a great example of how insanity has taken over-

Chaplain at Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton resigns over ban on word 'God'


By Howard Goodman South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 18, 2009

A chaplain at Hospice by the Sea in
Boca Raton has resigned, she says, over a ban on use of the words "God" or "Lord" in public settings.Chaplains still speak freely of the Almighty in private sessions with patients or families but, the Rev. Mirta Signorelli said: "I can't do chaplain's work if I can't say 'God' — if I'm scripted."Hospice CEO Paula Alderson said the ban on religious references applies only to the inspirational messages that chaplains deliver in staff meetings. The hospice remains fully comfortable with ministers, priests and rabbis offering religious counsel to the dying and grieving."I was sensitive to the fact that we don't impose religion on our staff, and that it is not appropriate in the context of a staff meeting to use certain phrases or 'God' or 'Holy Father,' because some of our staff don't believe at all," Alderson said.
Signorelli, of Royal Palm Beach, said the hospice policy has a chilling effect that goes beyond the monthly staff meetings. She would have to watch her language, she said, when leading a prayer in the hospice chapel, when meeting patients in the public setting of a nursing home and in weekly patient conferences with doctors, nurses and social workers."If you take God away from me," she said, "it's like taking a medical tool away from a nurse."A devout Christian who acquired a master's degree in theology after a career as a psychologist, running a program for abused and neglected children, Signorelli has been ministering to the dying for 13 years. She worked at the Hospice of
Palm Beach County before moving seven years ago to Hospice by the Sea, a community-based nonprofit organization that cares for terminally ill patients in Palm Beach and Broward counties.Signorelli said that she and other chaplains were told Feb. 23 to "cease and desist from using God in prayers."

So, let me ask- if I can't use the name "God" in my prayers, then who am I talking to? This is silliness and political correctness gone to the brink of insanity. When I work in hospital myself and talk to people they expect to hear about God from me. I'm a pastor! That's who I talk about all day long. I'm not going to bow to some organizational rules so I don't offend people. God and eternity are too important! And, just a question from my strange mind- if you're a chaplain, but can't mention "God" then what do you do? How do you offer people any hope, any direction, any guidance at all? As Paul describes it....that leaves us "having no hope and without God in the world." This is insanity in reality!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike, is it unchristian to not quit the job and go on preaching and praying as directed by God and conscience? Are we guilty of avoiding direct conflict so we can play the victom? P.S. how do I get spell check for this comment section? I am awful slow using the old dictionary becuase I can't spell. Mike McM

Mike Messerli said...

Mike,

Whether a person quits or not is not really my irritation...it's the fact that a Chaplain cannot use the name of God in public! That what Chaplain is, that's what he does. The next step will be pastors not being allowed to use the name "God" or "Jesus" in public because it will offend. It's a slippery slope.......