CHIPPING AWAY AT GOD IN AMERICA

Easter reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  What have you done for Him?  I resigned from my position as a chaplain for Hospice by the Sea when the CEO tried to become politically correct, by banning God from staff meetings, organizational events, and even the company’s chapel.  Prayers with God and Jesus are ok, but only in the homes or the nursing home rooms of the believer.  Being politically correct is Satan’s greatest weapon against God. 

The head chaplain in damage control mode on 90.3 FM said that it was only a suggestion, yet I remember tears rolling down my cheeks as the other chaplains in that morning meeting thought of prayers without the use of our Father’s Name.

Below is my story.  If you have a chance rent the movie “Expelled”.  Is America heading towards atheism?

On Monday, February the 23rd 2009, while employed as a chaplain for Hospice by the Sea, I had to make a very difficult decision.  A decision ultimately based on my principles and accountability to God.  So, with a heavy heart, I resigned as chaplain from Hospice by the Sea (Boca Raton, FL)

 In the morning chaplain’s meeting, the first order of business was a letter to the spiritual care department, written by the HR Director and signed by the organization’s vice president.   The letter was specifically asking the spiritual care department to cease from using the word “God” in organizational prayers.  It stated that chaplains need to be more “inclusive” to the non-believer.  My response was that I needed to obtain further clarification, since I could not do my work as a chaplain without using the word “God”.   It’s like telling a nurse that she cannot use her medical tools to care for the sick.  God is my tool.  The word alone brings peace and comfort to all who hear His name. He is the reason that I am a chaplain to serve and comfort others.  

Furthermore,   God is as generic as you can get.   It’s not Jesus, Abba, Allah, Jehovah, etc.   It’s God by whatever name you call Him.  At which point, reference was made to the spiritual reflection that I presided on a couple of weeks ago.  The meditation was on Psalm 23:  The Lord is my Shepherd.  I was told by the department supervisor that the usage of the word Lord gives the meditation a Christian connotation, and that would be against organizational policy.   

As a chaplain for over a decade, when a person has less than six months to live, that person is moving towards a form of what I call, “divine consolation”.  The human mind searches for truth and knowledge of the infinite journey of life.  The word “God” becomes an essential aspect of comfort care and “must” be used in prayers.  Whether the prayer offered is in the Hospice organizational setting, offering support to the staff, or in a nursing facility offering comfort to those who are sick and dying, the usage of the word “God” affirms a connection to the divine and infinite or eternal peace.  God is the response to the here and now, and to sin and suffering.  To eliminate the word “God” from my vocabulary when offering a prayer for others is contradictory to me and ultimately impossible. 

 I felt frustrated and alone, for it did not seem to bother the other chaplains, as I stood up for what I considered to be a basic religious right. As I write this letter, I cannot help to wonder how many “Peters” are going to be receiving it. Therefore, if you agree that God should be used in prayers offered in a hospice setting, then please, pray to God that justice will prevail.  For His name is holy, and there should be no restrictions as when to use His name.  We need to act in a united front to prevent further abuse of our religious freedom.  I hope that you will never have to utilize Hospice services, but if you do, verify that their chaplains are free to use God’s name in all prayers offered, whether in patients homes, nursing facilities, or in the hospice organizational meetings. 

Please, pray to God that this becomes an opportunity in which He can transform many in our society to bring the necessary change. 

You have a choice to make now, click the delete button or take a stand for God.

May God Bless You,

Chaplain Mirta M. Signorelli, M.A.