# Faith to stay ok



## Amelia (Mar 21, 2015)

I don't care what your spiritual affiliation is, but does faith play a part in what keeps you going other than the love of helping others, etc.


----------



## DesertMedic66 (Mar 21, 2015)

Nope


----------



## gotbeerz001 (Mar 21, 2015)

No


----------



## CALEMT (Mar 21, 2015)

Negative ghostrider


----------



## Anjel (Mar 21, 2015)

I've pretty much found that EMS is anti-faith. 

I have faith, but doesn't motivate my job


----------



## Chewy20 (Mar 21, 2015)

Nope, money. If it wasn't for that then I would sit on a beach all day.


----------



## STXmedic (Mar 21, 2015)

Nope. In fact if I had any before, EMS likely took it away.


----------



## Angel (Mar 21, 2015)

no...like chewy....bills do.


----------



## akflightmedic (Mar 21, 2015)

Does faith play a role in the garbage man's life every day motivating him to promote a cleaner world?

Does faith keep that dog catcher, that pothole filler, the ditch digger or the roadside construction flagman performing day after day...knowing they are making a difference in everyone's lives and making the world a better place? (Arguably they safely influence/touch far more people lives on a daily basis than we lone EMS workers).

I could list a dozen high level, high power positions and a dozen equally "lower perceived/under appreciated" positions...but the fact will remain that faith is not a driving force in any of them, is not required to perform them, however within that job there will be those who say yes and those who say no.

Your original post to me is indicative of one of the many problems inherent within EMS and that is elevating our jobs unjustifiably to "a calling" or anything along those lines of thinking. This thinking reeks of judgement as it implies anything NOT within our field is much less and not comparable in status or worthiness of respect. "We do so much for so little, family/friends/public just do not understand..." all a load of BS. We do a job because it rewards US, the individual. It makes US feel good, it feeds our ego, it makes us happy...it just so happens that the work we perform has a more openly perceived value to everyone on outside but only because mostly they themselves are too scared, intimidated or repulsed by some of the qualities we posses which allows us to perform our work. On the flip side...THEY have jobs which contribute great value too and I lack the qualities to do THEIR work.


----------



## epipusher (Mar 21, 2015)

Yes


----------



## Flying (Mar 21, 2015)

Faith does not seem to drive me to do the job itself, maybe it influences how I perform it by holding me to a standard other than my own, as it would with any other job.


----------



## NomadicMedic (Mar 21, 2015)

No.


----------



## Ewok Jerky (Mar 21, 2015)

Nope. I am happy that I have the ability to perform in an environment that others cannot but I honestly couldn't perform in other environments that people operate in every day.  I was thinking about these guys I saw repairing high-voltage power lines yesterday and how I could never do that, too scared of heights plus I have no idea how to use real tools. 

Like @akflightmedic said this is just a job for me but others see it as this special thing.  Its actually embarrassing to talk to some people about it to the point that I have told people I work in the delivery business.  My wife has been coached into telling people I work in healthcare.


----------



## Amelia (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok- just curious about your opinions.


----------



## Ewok Jerky (Mar 21, 2015)

^all that being said I don't have any faith anyways (except in the universe), so whatever helps you through life I am glad you have something!


----------



## irishboxer384 (Mar 21, 2015)

Faith is scary to me, in the fact that so many highly intelligent people suddenly refuse to listen to fact and choose blind faith over it. I am deeply suspicious of anyone who believes a magic man in the sky


----------



## COmedic17 (Mar 21, 2015)

No. 

I do it because I have hellacious adhd and sitting in an office would literally drive me insane... 


Oh and bills.


----------



## OnceAnEMT (Mar 21, 2015)

No.

I enjoy the skills, knowledge, and environment that encompass emergency medicine, and make it a point to make somebody's day a bit better than it was before I met them. And I just so happen to get paid to combine those things.

I'm not really sure of the rules regarding religious discussion here so I won't dive into it, but there is definitely an "it depends" answer. I don't think it is wrong for someone to get on the truck every 3rd morning because their spiritual beliefs call for it, as long as they do their job. As mentioned, if that is what drives you, so be it. In someone who is truly religious, I see no difference in the drive to better themselves and the drive to serve their beliefs.

I've got a question cooking, but would like admin insight on rules first. I've just never seen a thread like this in my short time here.


----------



## Amelia (Mar 22, 2015)

It was just a generalized question. Like I said, no matter what faith (you can have faith in a coffee table if you wish). I was just generally curious. But you guys are probably right- I'm not experienced, and I guess you get into that "job mode" and just do what you need to do and move on, right?


----------



## Ewok Jerky (Mar 22, 2015)

Whatever gets you through the night. I used to be a pretty combative atheist until I discovered my own sense of spirituality.  Now I find people who profess a problem with spirituality/religion just as inane as the devout*.

*big difference between spirituality and corrupt organized religious organizations.


----------



## Amelia (Mar 22, 2015)

I could not agree with you more.


----------



## gnosis (Mar 25, 2015)

Gonna have to side with the nopers. I like the job, it's fun and I do like helping people, but it's not a "calling" and faith doesn't really play into it.


----------



## SeeNoMore (Apr 1, 2015)

Not at all


----------



## azbrewcrew (Apr 1, 2015)

Nope...and im not "racing the reaper" either.


----------



## RefriedEMT (Apr 3, 2015)

Damn all you nopers to hell!!!, It is a calling from Jesus!! that makes me save your decrepit lives from the embrace of hell! Take Jesus hand or burn in everlasting fire sinners!


----------



## OnceAnEMT (Apr 3, 2015)

RefriedEMT said:


> Damn all you nopers to hell!!!, It is a calling from Jesus!! that makes me save your decrepit lives from the embrace of hell! Take Jesus hand or burn in everlasting fire sinners!



This guy.


----------



## DesertMedic66 (Apr 3, 2015)

Already got my ticket:


----------



## STXmedic (Apr 3, 2015)

No, the new Pope said there is no hell. I like that guy.


----------



## redundantbassist (Apr 3, 2015)

The only thing I have faith in is good training and good equipment. Not supernatural beings.


----------



## redundantbassist (Apr 3, 2015)

irishboxer384 said:


> Faith is scary to me, in the fact that so many highly intelligent people suddenly refuse to listen to fact and choose blind faith over it. I am deeply suspicious of anyone who believes a magic man in the sky


Couldn't have said it better myself.


----------



## RefriedEMT (Apr 3, 2015)

redundantbassist said:


> The only thing I have faith in is good training and good equipment. Not supernatural beings.



Couldn't agree more, I was just wanting to see if anyone here could identify sarcasm.


----------



## redundantbassist (Apr 3, 2015)

RefriedEMT said:


> Couldn't agree more, I was just wanting to see if anyone here could identify sarcasm.


Yeah, its good to see that there aren't many jesus freaks in ems.


----------



## Carlos Danger (Apr 3, 2015)

redundantbassist said:


> Yeah, its good to see that there aren't many jesus freaks in ems.


Actually, there are plenty of religious folks in EMS and medicine.


----------



## Anjel (Apr 3, 2015)

You can be religious and not be a Jesus freak. What I do in my personal life is my business. I'm not going to shove it down people's throats are make fun of others beliefs that are different than mine.


----------



## redundantbassist (Apr 3, 2015)

Remi said:


> Actually, there are plenty of religious folks in EMS and medicine.


Not what I was saying. You can be religious and not be a jesus freak.

EDIT Anjel beat me to it.


----------



## irishboxer384 (Apr 4, 2015)

the best summarisation of the topic ive seen in the media:


----------



## medichopeful (Apr 4, 2015)

Faith that I may be able to help someone?  Absolutely.  Faith in any other sense of the word, absolutely not.  Something about "faith" and religious beliefs just doesn't sit right with me.


----------



## Carlos Danger (Apr 4, 2015)

redundantbassist said:


> Not what I was saying. You can be religious and not be a jesus freak.



Sure, I guess. But some people use pejoratives like that to refer to anyone with religious beliefs. Like many words or phrases, the meaning depends on the context in which it is used.

And given the context here - this thread is about "faith", there has been no mention at all of evangelism - it's quite reasonable for one to take your statement as a reference to religion at all, not just proseletyzers.


----------



## RefriedEMT (Apr 4, 2015)

medichopeful said:


> Faith that I may be able to help someone?  Absolutely.  Faith in any other sense of the word, absolutely not.  Something about "faith" and religious beliefs just doesn't sit right with me.



You and your big eyed kittah will burn in everlasting hellfire for that!


----------



## medichopeful (Apr 8, 2015)

RefriedEMT said:


> You and your big eyed kittah will burn in everlasting hellfire for that!


----------



## Tigger (Apr 8, 2015)

Many of my coworkers are very Christian (well one is Mormon), by their own admission. They are proud of their faith and how they believe it has improved their life. But they don't bring it publicly to work, and that's all I care about.


----------

