Depends on the situation. In the middle of a crisis, need to remain focused and in control. But if it during a discussion on end of life care and it is more of a sharing in the grief sort of thing I don't think it would bother you much.
I got a lot of this type of stuff working in surgery (in the South) before school. You can bet that even as a staunch atheist I still prayed with those patients/families because if doing something as simple as reciting some stuff from my childhood could make those people feel a little better on their worst day I would be remiss not to do it. It's about the patient and doesn't cost me anything.
n=1, but I would take...not exactly offense, but that would def make me uncomfortable. I wouldn't tell you, though, because I'd know you meant well. I would just probably confide in you less so as to prevent you from saying anything like that again.
Give me a little credit, though, for being bright enough not to lead with that kind of stuff. I only move that direction when patients have indicated they're open to it. My job requires me to build rapport effectively in a very short time, and I will say that I'm pretty damn good at it. 😉
Hopefully they didn't take her blanket from her. It always amazes me how sometimes people who are ready to go just do. I had a patient I was just consulting on for an abscess but it was related to his leukemia so over the next few months I got to know him and his family well. He inquired about physician aid in dying (the Oregon type law they recently passed here) and I was the first person willing to sit down and talk about it with him. We never did get to the point of proceeding with it but I know he was comforted by the thought that I was willing to if he chose. As things got worse I offered hospice but he was initially reluctant, then a little more open to it, and finally on the day of his scheduled follow up they cancelled saying he had chosen to go to hospice (I was no longer actually doing anything at the appointments beside talking to him about his situation and looking at his no healing wounds from the drainages). He didn't survive more than a few days on hospice.
Those still aren't neutral, though. The very concept of a spiritual force, higher power, or any form of God or god is a decidedly non-neutral topic, and even referencing a generic higher power is uncomfortable for many people. Just don't want those folks getting lost in the shuffle; some people don't realize that the firm belief in no power is as strong and worthy of respect as any individual spiritual belief.
I'm sorry, but this is such a freaking weird reply to this thread.
Why? It's a very relevant set of beliefs that is often overlooked.
True. At that point, I was replying to a comment rather than to OP. Apologies on that front.
We get it. You are an atheist. So am I and may others on this thread. Hell, I'm militantly atheist according to some. You are making this so weird and about you. No one's post said you can't be atheist. No one assumed your belief system because no one asked you. You are in for a real treat if someone praying next to you gives you the creeps. You need to get a grip, frankly.
Just using myself as an example because it avoids me making any assumptions about anyone else. I could have phrased things in generic 3rd person if you'd prefer. And I didn't say anyone made assumptions about me...just saying that people often make the assumption that everyone they meet is OK with spiritual discussions, period, and obviously that's not true.
