hospital chapels ..?

Question

while visiting someone in hospital today , i visited the chapel on the grounds
i was quite ( happily ) surprised to see amongst the bibles and prayer books
the quran , the bava ghita , and other religious books and religious prayers
is this normal in most hospitals ?
i am in scotland

Answer 1

I'm a hospital Chaplain, and I have found that the best spiritual care departments reflect the patient population. For instance, I live in Chicago, and my patient population is roughly 1/3 Protestant, 1/3 Roman Catholic and 1/3 Jewish/non-trad. Christian/agnostic. Knowing this, I keep shabbat candles handy, Bibles all around and have the rabbi's pager number in my rolodex. When we're doing our job correctly, we provide the spiritual resources to meet patients right where they are -- holy literature included.

Answer 2

Sadly, yes. I went to a hospital chaplains' conference in Crieff Hydro about eight years ago and was horrified to hear one of the speakers expand the word 'spirituality' to include anything non-physical. The spiritual dimension of the patient is now to be respected which is good, but I heard some pretty weird and wonderful ideas about what that encompasses that day, most of which was entirely irrelevant to the life of any patient I ever met, and I had met plenty.

Answer 3

I only have experience of one chapel and I don't remember any religious books there. It was just a place of peace and reflection, as I believe it should be.

There was a book of remembrance where there's an entry for my son. I found it helpful at the time.

I hope you found your visit helpful too and that the person you were visiting is doing ok.

((((((it's me , hug a tree))))))
.

Answer 4

Im a nurse and in the hospital I work we keep copies of many different faiths. It is our policy that spirituality is a personal thing, and often aids in healing, and in that, we have a town full of multiple faiths. From Hindu, to Christian to Catholic to Muslim to Sikh to Native Spirituality to Mormon to Buddist to Johovah's Witness. We want to encourage people to worship as they feel comfortable. Which, while I may not agree with other beliefs, I feel strongly that each person has the right to choose their own without being badgered because of it. Im in Canada.

Answer 5

It is, indeed (fortunately!!!)
It has become common policy to call them multi-faith rooms (or something like that), so that they can be used by everybody. In some hospitals in England, I have also seen pictures of all the clerics, ministers, priests... that help at that particular room.
It would appear that disease help us learn to be together.
Is just a pity we have to reach that point to understand "together" doesn't necessarily mean "singing the same song".

Answer 6

Actually, in 2 Catholic hospitals here in my town, they also carry other books besides Catholic ones. We have 5 hospitals here, 2 are Catholic, and they are the busiest ones...lots on non-Catholics use them.

I think it's quite common.

Answer 7

That's been my experience in hospital and airport chapels.

Answer 8

Yes. I think this is normal and only right.. everyone wants to pray for their sick loved ones and should have the facillities to do so regardless of their denomination!

Answer 9

yes it is, the chapel in most hospitals are are non-denominational, and are for all the faiths.

Answer 10

Yes.