Due to a reduction in health service finance, hospitals are having to reduce the number of chaplains who are employed within them:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7032265.stm
Given the empirical research which clearly shows that prayer and other religious devotions carried out in hospitals make a significant difference regarding whether a patient survives or not, is it not the case that these cuts will put the lives of patients at risk?
2007-10-07 05:35:29 · 15 answers · asked by dougietrotter1945 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
peoples faith in God, faith that he will save them from illness or death, that is what gives hope, hope is what makes people build resilience to illness, thus they survive. They do not need the middle man anyway, so I don't think it matters
2007-10-07 05:55:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, I do not believe these cuts will put the lives of patients at risk. There are other alternatives to hospital chaplains if some feel the need to have one around in order to pray.
2007-10-07 12:41:58 · answer #2 · answered by OPad 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know where you're getting your data from, but the empirical evidence shows conclusively that prayer has no positive effect whatsoever of patient survival.
The only data that showed any chance at all, showed a NEGATIVE trend, thought to be caused by people becoming frightened about the severity of their illness when they discovered they were being prayed for.
CD
2007-10-07 12:40:54 · answer #3 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No going on experience on being in hospital, and from the patients who were alongside me. The one person who was particularly religious found the chaplain who visited fatuous and unfeeling. I could not countenance seeing one in hospital, i let the doctors do their job, not the priest.
2007-10-07 12:40:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. And Duke did a study that showed prayer made no difference in healing time or ability. It's all what you imagine. Hospitals don't need chaplains; they need good doctors.
2007-10-07 12:39:03 · answer #5 · answered by Flatpaw 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Certainly many patients hace rediscovered a will to live because of chaplains.....so possibly, YES
2007-10-07 16:00:24 · answer #6 · answered by alan h 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My reading of the research is that Intercessory Prayer has been shown to be irrelevant to healing. What helps is the person's own prayers.
If I am injured and in need of help, do me a favor and forego calling the chaplain. Just get me a doctor.
^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^
2007-10-07 12:46:36 · answer #7 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lives will not be put at risk,that is ridiculous. I would much rather they did away with chaplains and kept Doctors, no contest.
2007-10-07 12:39:36 · answer #8 · answered by northern lass 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Looking at the number of Hospital Chaplins per patient now, then I doubt their loss will really be noticed.
2007-10-07 12:39:29 · answer #9 · answered by Felidae 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No...cutting Nurses and doctors will put patients lives at risk.
2007-10-08 05:10:51 · answer #10 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes lets hire a cleric and not buy the new heart valve or other needed equiptment, or sack nurses and midwives or doctors to keep a cleric on if the patient wants a cleric then their own should come
2007-10-07 13:13:04 · answer #11 · answered by manapaformetta 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋