Sincere question about religious freedom in the USA?

Question

Me and my girlfriend are moving to the USA this fall. She's a Christian, I'm an atheist.

We both hate it when people forget that there are many religions on this planet, so we both get annoyed if somebody assumes their beliefs are the only correct one.

Let's assume I get sick, and end up in a hospital. We will both put our trust in doctors, and as a little bonus my girlfriend will probably pray.

In the hospital, what has the bigger chance for us to be exposed to?:
1) an atheist telling my girlfriend that her prayer is useless
2) a Christian telling me that I should pray to God

To us, both are equally bad.

I don't intend to divide groups with this question. In a world with this many different religions, we both feel everybody should leave others alone when it comes to religion. But I'd just like to know what we have to prepare us more against.

Answer 1

Good god honey. You don't have to worry about an Atheist telling you anything in a hospital.

I just had to register my son at a hospital. I had to list his religion and you should have seen the look when I said "Atheist." I think she would have reacted better if I said "pedophile".

When I was giving birth to this son, I had put down "Deist" under religion, because I was one then. My midwife then told me how much Jesus meant to her DURING MY DELIVERY. And let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've had Jesus shared with you while pushing out an 8 pound human.

Sorry, too much information. I know!

Answer 2

I think what you're most likely to find is a Christian - many hospitals here are Christian - who will offer to pray with you if you'd like. I have never had any religiously intrusive experiences when loved ones were in hospital, abd both recent times they have been at a hospital called St. Mary. You will likely see depictions of saints and Jesus on the walls, but not really people prying into your spiritual lives. Usually.

Answer 3

Speaking as a Damn Lima myself I do not think that you will really get either. But 2 is probably more likely than 1.

Where I live in the south there is pretty much an assumption that you are Christian, but no one has thrown me out of their house or anything like that if it comes up.


I find it ironic that Britain is a Christian country - the head of state is the head of the church - but is much more laid back about religion than the officially secular USA. Or that has been my experience.

Answer 4

In all the time I have spent in hospitals, I've never heard either one of those things.

Now, the last church I went to... the pastor's wife was an RN and she would *ask* patients if she could pray for them (I have no problem with asking so long as the person leaves you alone if you say no)...

Other than that, I've never heard of any nurse, doctor, orderly, etc. advising anyone to pray or advising against it.

Now, depending on what room you are in, and who you are in the room with, you might get another patient or someone in their family who gets preachy on you. But even that I have never personally experienced.

Answer 5

You're not likely to hear either. I work in a hospital, and in the admission questions we address spirituality. We ask what religion you are and if you want to be visited by a minister/priest while you are there. If you say no you will not be visited by clergy. I feel the same way as both of you seem to, I keep my beliefs to myself, especially at work. And I think all religions are beautiful in their own way. Most of the people I work with feel the same way.

Answer 6

Neither, as hospitals are not allowed to advise religiously to their patients ... it's against standard professional policy and procedures. (Unless your in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is largely Mormon.)

However, had you made the selection between:
1) Everyone in the suburbs getting in your business.
2) Everyone in the rural area getting in your business.
3) Everyone in the country (side) getting in your business.
4) Everyone in the city getting in your business.

I've lived in all of them.
The only one that would be less likely would be selection 4 as cities generally have the most eclectic mixes.
Selection 3 -- you can get the space from your neighbors, but if you have kids, it brings the issues back to your front door.

Somehow, living in the USA version of Democracy, makes so many think they get a 'vote' in everyone else's life.

Why, I don't know. Especially since we have so many different cultures. Does our exposure make us experts on everything?

But then, didn't I just do what I accuse others of doing? Hmmmm......

Opinions are like as*holes as everyone has one. Hope your into butts. Welcome to the US of A.

Answer 7

The answer might vary depending on what part of the country you're moving to. I would say that if you are moving to one of the Southern or Midwestern states you'd be more likely to have someone urging you to pray.

That said, my answer would have to be:

3) neither, because most people aren't going to bug you in such a personal way

In some ways, the U.S. is the most religious nation on earth - certainly the most religious industrialized Western nation on earth. But the U.S. is also a very pluralistic nation; the great majority of Americans are not interested in how (or whether) you worship God - only that you are permitted to if you like (and, perhaps more importantly, that they are permitted to without interference from you or anybody else). So while we have religious nutjobs who want to save your soul and convert you into something you personally don't wish to be, I consider their existence in our nation to be a good sign that the U.S. actually does live up to its own ideals (something we don't do so well in other areas) and actually does allow individuals to worship God however they choose - or, conversely, to choose not to worship God at all.

Answer 8

Years ago I was in a hospital for surgery. Just before surgery I talked with the doctor for a bit. When I ask him about my condition. He told me I had it because at one time we were all fish like creatures in an ocean and that we had gills and somehow my cyst on my neck was a throwback from that time in evolution.
My point is. Anyone is capable of telling you anything in any given situation.
I highly doubt you'd be exposed to either one or two. Not in America not nowdays.

Answer 9

I live in Connecticut - small state in the more liberal northeast. I have been in the hospital a few times over my life and honestly no one has brought up religion to me at all except ask for what my faith was on admittance (they do this for everyone and they don't discriminate or lecture). I have even been in a Catholic run hospital and no one has brought up christianity to me.

It may depend on what part of the country you are in, but that has been my personal experience.

Answer 10

Personal experience: #2.

Example: christians have voiced their beliefs on jobs I have had, without any effects to their standings or worker relationships. One ex-coworker was told by more than one person she was going to hell because her husband wasn't christian (this was at an office party).

I've 'come out' as an atheist, and let me tell you, people start treating you differently. I don't mean that in a good way.