Religion in EMS

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Kendall

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This isn't exactly EMS humor, although I have my share of it. I want to share my experiences and my distateful colleagues. Too often I find myself the only one in a room not laughing because some EMT or paramedic cracks some discusting, distasteful and disrespectful joke about a call or one of their pt's. I'm one of the few people in my service who get through the life of EMS without cruel, racists and sexist jokes and comments. I have always been - and forever will be a devout chrisitan.

I won't go into alot of detail, but I'd like other people to share thoughts about reliegion in EMS, and how it helps them cope with the stress and emotion of EMS.

Food for thought...
 
I'll just say this: this exact same topic devolved into a multi page *****fest on $OTHER_FORUM and aside from some heated opinions, not much came out of it. It certainly wasn't a humourous topic either.

There are a few things that we don't discuss at work - religion and politics. :)
 
i had to cuff a responder years ago for praying with his eyes closed on a call

we're paid to pay attention to the patient, you can pray, puke, cry, :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:, moan after the call

not during...

~S~
 
I'm not sure why this is under humor, these topics never end up funny at all. Personally I won't discuss religion or politics for the obvious reasons and you might not get much of a response here, these things never bode well.
 
Fair enough. My bad. I didn't think it was that touchy...
 
I never discuss religion (besides teaching it) at work, and generally political discussions are kept to a minimal. There is a time and place for those kinds of discussions, and I'm not sure a rig or a forum is the best venue.

Generally people are passionate about religion and politics, and I've only left political or religion debates feeling crappy. Either someone insulted me, or I'm afraid I've insulted someone else. There are exceptions of course, but I'm not touching this topic with a ten foot pole. I'll have to call an ALS intercept on this one.
 
Stevo said:
i had to cuff a responder years ago for praying with his eyes closed on a call

we're paid to pay attention to the patient, you can pray, puke, cry, :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:, moan after the call

not during...

~S~
Click to expand...

Again, I'm finding myself agreeing with Stevo on this one. There's a time and a place for everything, but it's not always when and where you want it.
 
I completely grasp what you're saying. I didn't mean to bring up an argument, just a discussion. Ovbiously, it's more delicate than I had anticipated. Let's just go ahead and delete the topic.
 
No need to delete it. Even though I decided not to respond directly to the topic, some others may decide to add their take on it.
 
All's I know is that I've been told that I'm going to hell so many times after talking to people about religion because I wasn't the "right" religion that I don't talk about it any more.
 
I don't mean to start any arguments, but that truly bothers me, when people force religion upon others. Religion is a set of beliefs and what beliefs a person has is their choice and no one has any right to say otherwise. If you want to be Christian, be Christian! If you want to be Bhuddist, be Bhuddist! If you want to be an aetheist, be an aetheist! I'm not going to stop you!
 
Haha, amen to that! And I really don't care about being told I'm going to hell, because, if there isn't chocolate in heaven, then I'm not going.
 
Kendall said:
If you want to be Christian, be Christian! If you want to be Bhuddist, be Bhuddist! If you want to be an aetheist, be an aetheist! I'm not going to stop you!
Click to expand...

What if you want to be a Canadian? :-D
 
Kendall said:
I don't mean to start any arguments, but that truly bothers me, when people force religion upon others. Religion is a set of beliefs and what beliefs a person has is their choice and no one has any right to say otherwise. If you want to be Christian, be Christian! If you want to be Bhuddist, be Bhuddist! If you want to be an aetheist, be an aetheist! I'm not going to stop you!
Click to expand...
Amen!

I've worked with some VERY intresting partners... I've never had a problem discussing politics, and occasionally religion, with a partner while we are stuck sitting somewhere on post... I've had some intresting discussions, and some VERY intresting partners.

Bear in mind that I'm an obnoxious 20-something who knows everthing and is out to save the world from itself. (except I never got into the whole recycling thing ;)).

What if you want to be a Canadian? :-D
Click to expand...
Best. Line. Ever.!!!!
 
MedicStudentJon said:
Amen!

I've worked with some VERY intresting partners... I've never had a problem discussing politics, and occasionally religion, with a partner while we are stuck sitting somewhere on post... I've had some intresting discussions, and some VERY intresting partners.

Bear in mind that I'm an obnoxious 20-something who knows everthing and is out to save the world from itself. (except I never got into the whole recycling thing ;)).


Best. Line. Ever.!!!!
Click to expand...
This also brings up another point... I was watching "Paramedics" last week and saw an episode that was filmed in Canada... where the Paramedic was praying with the patient... I'm not a big fan of that... I understand that some folks think/feel that a higher power is involved, but everything has its' place/time... and in the back of an ambulance with a guy who was shot ISN'T the place or time... REALLY!
 
MedicStudentJon said:
This also brings up another point... I was watching "Paramedics" last week and saw an episode that was filmed in Canada... where the Paramedic was praying with the patient... I'm not a big fan of that... I understand that some folks think/feel that a higher power is involved, but everything has its' place/time... and in the back of an ambulance with a guy who was shot ISN'T the place or time... REALLY!
Click to expand...

Whether you believe in prayer or not though, if it's going to make the pt and family feel better does it really hurt to take 30 seconds to say Amen with them?
 
I think the only religious thing I've heard done on a call was when one of my crew gave a sign of the cross over a young DOA, and I don't think anyone had a problem with it.
 
Absolutely, it has it's time and place. I've had a number of pt's ask me or my partners to pray with them (probably has something to do with 'St. John Amb...') but only if the pt. asks.

Discussion can be great, so long as it's not an argument.
 
We had a 3 month old SIDS patient that the mother had meant to get baptised. One EMT performed the baptism with NS while the other two did CPR. Don't know what her church thought of it but mom was VERY happy.

I've also prayed in the middle of a call, although I imagine points were taken off for using four letter words in the prayer.
 
Would that be in the context of "dear God, just give us one :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: beat!" Been there, done that... =)
 
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