One of the best psych hospitals I know is religious based, but not near as invasive as you experienced. That hospital never pushed its religion - they are Mennonite, so not as evangelical as even the Catholics can become. As long as the medical care is good is my motto. Too bad there is even a need, and there is, for religious groups to maintain health care units in the U.S. We need universal care.

When checking into a hospital that had no apparent religious affiliation , I was surprised when I was not only asked my religion , but if I smoked , did drugs , or drank , and when I said no to all four , the woman asking the questions , then asked , " Well , what do you use as a crutch , then ? " Just told her , I stand on my own two feet , then realized I was sitting in my scooter .

Kindness is a gift you accept in the spirit it is offered. I gave birth to a 5 weeks premature boy, double cord strangulated and 3 points from stillbirth in a Catholic Hospital in Boston. He was resuscitated and taken to NICU and emergency baptized on the spot. I proceeded to dammed near bleed to death. I woke late to find an elderly nun in the black outfit and wimple covered by a white apron giving me a bed bath. She was wispering prayers as she worked and told me how my son was doing. They didn't release him for 5 days. I saw more black clad Priests and Nuns in those 5 days than before or since. They were all kind, and I was blessed by everyone I passed, probably because I was bloodless and looked faint. I wasn't Catholic, but they were kind all the same.

"First, do no harm!"

Praying is not harmful... Just useless.

Read a meme today, it was:
"If your doctor worked in mysterious ways, would you trust them?"

Glad you made out well!! A few things: first, the Urgent Care Center didn't ask you your preference on hospitals? Neither did the ambulance crew? See, that is illegal. It's called steering a patient. Unless you meet specific criteria (trauma, stroke, cardiac/AMI) you have a choice of hospitals if the distance between them is relatively similar. You mentioned, CT, which is almost exactly the same as NY, so I can speak with a bit of authority. As far as your religious choice, upon arrival at the ED, you may have been deemed to be in no condition to be asked about it. At some point the topic should have come up, and I'm surprised it didn't. But anyways, glad to see it worked out anyways!

I’m sorry to hear that you were so ill a few months ago, and do hope that you’re now fully recovered. I live in the UK where all our hospitals are NHS (National Health Service), so I can’t actually relate to your experience of religious or secular hospitals, as all public hospitals here are secular. I can relate though to your remarks about not mocking those who believe in the power of prayer. If anyone ever says that they will pray for me I always say a polite thank you, even though I think “fat lot of use that’ll be”. It seems to bring comfort to many, and if it does that I have no cause to argue with them, especially if they are trying to be kind and well meaning.

I sometimes think how much fun it will be dying in Hospice and while doing so amusing myself by the dismantling of the wandering clergy.

I'm glad you're feeling better. Your posting also highlights the need for people living alone to contact emergency care when it's needed and not be too stoic. If your condition worsens there may be no relation of friend available to call for help.

Your story was well written, very fair and an interesting story. Perhaps it also shows how important tolerance is in life. I think your assessment of your care was very fair. As a group do we need to be so hostile to Christians? Toleration does work bothways.

So they took good care of you, and provided a free show - can't beat that !

I would've laughed at him, and if he asked why I'd tell him that if he wants to help people as much as it appears he does, he should have done something useful with his education like go to medical school.

Glad you're ok.

My wife has been admitted to a Catholic hospital in our neighborhood quite a few times. We like it. There is a picture of the pope somewhere, and the odd crucifix here and there. There is a chapel where you can go for mass (or listen if you are in bed). There is even an episcopal (Anglican) service once a week. Priests only come by invitation, and the medical staff are knowledgeable and helpful. If you don't mention religion, they won't either. But then this is Australia. I hope it stays this way.

I think I would have rather had an Iroquois or Cherokee shaman.
Happy that it worked out for you, stay healthy.

It can happen but the care was good that is what matters getting better the rest is just a inconvenience

My mother died at Georgetown here in DC. Obviously, a Catholic hospital with huge pics of the Pope. But no one ever came in to pray or asked about religion. Glad your ok, and the prayer won't kill ya! I think of it as nice thoughts from a random.person

Full of endometriosis, I wound up having an hysterectomy at a Catholic hospital. (Don't ask...it's where the doctor practiced.) Anyway, I was just waiting for someone to lambaste me for having the WOMB removed. Every morning a priest would come in and I'd send him out. I also asked them to put a cover over the giant crucifix hanging in my line of sight. I hope you're ok now?

I was in Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MO last Feb (five days) for AFib and pulmonary hypertension. They knew I was an atheist, and I never had a problem with them.

Last year, I had an x-ray done by a male technician wearing a do-rag covered in Bible quotes and a big cross around his neck.

"I'm an atheist," I said when he started proselytizing about how he was saved by Jesus. "Please stop talking about religion." He would not stop.

Afterward, I wrote a letter to the clinic customer service, describing the experience. I said his proselytizing was unprofessional, inappropriate, pressuring and uncomfortable for me.

The x-ray supervisor called asking for his name. I didn't remember. "Why don't you look up my last x-ray and see who did it?" I suggested. She said she couldn't find him. Unbelievable.

I'm sorry that you ended up in a hospital in the first place but glad that it all turned out OK. As for your idea of getting less from a hospital system of this type if you admitted you are agnostic, you are probably right. It means you did the right thing.

If people want to pray than it is okay with me. Just don't force me to believe. They did what they thought was right.

Hope you're feeling better now.

Similar experience a few years ago.The general practice when in acute observation care is to ask
the patient if they have a religious believe.
As for the religious propaganda. I feel sorry you had to go through it.
But one must be tolerant of other peoples philosophy when in such a position.
Of life or death.
Any port in the storm if it saves your life

I had elective surgery in the 1970s when a newly purchased horse threw his head back, smashing into my head, then reared up until he fell over on me.
When I came to, I was walking in the pasture with my border collie, Benji, but I had lost my memory and didn't know what that weird black and white thing was running around, even though I somehow knew her name.

I kept staring at her curiously, and went out a pasture gate, even though I didn't know what the gate was, who I was, or my name. Hours later, when I recovered my memory I saw my nose was smashed and crooked.

I had Blue Cross insurance with my job, so scheduled nose plastic surgery, but it was in a Catholic hospital over Thanksgiving. I was so happy to get my nose fixed, I was tickled over the cute priests blessing me before the operation, and the cute nuns coming by to bless me afterward, trying to "cheer me up," even though I was so happy I felt like I was floating on air.

After that, I had a warm place in my heart for Catholics until all the child abuse reveals. But now a driver from a Catholic charity takes me to my paracentesis hospital appointments every ten days,

He's so funny, patient, and fun to talk to in the car, I now wish I were more like him. I did slip up and used the F word last ride, during a story, but I plead grogginess from pain medication.

I take half droppers of Indica cannabis oil..triple the amount on hospital days, to make sure I don't feel anything; I learned the hard way that if I don't take my own (cannabis) pain killer, the hospital pain shots aren't very effective, if at all.

Anyway, I modified my hate list after encountering such unselfish kindness to cancer patients from a Catholic charity.

No matter the pain I might have been experiencing...I would have insisted on being transferred to a medically capable facility POSTHASTE. #FuckReligion

Glad you are better!

In my area the ambulance driver always asks where i want to go, and methodist hospital is on record in case i am unconscious or something. Why methodist? I have never been christian a day in my life and rhe county hospital, while not as near as methodist, is not so very far. Well, neither establishment has ever tried to lay religion on me, but the county hospital has abused me in other ways, while methodist has an affiliation with the clinic i use. If anyone tried to lay religion on me ans i was capable of prowtesting they would get an earful!

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