Getting Your Religion With Surgical Precision
Hospital, Religion, Texas, USA | Healthy | November 13, 2017
(I get a phone call from the hospital where I’ll be having outpatient surgery at in a few days. The nurse is asking me personal questions about my medical history, medicines, and gets to questions about religion. I’m atheist.)
Nurse: “Do you have any spiritual or religious objections that interfere with this surgery?”
Me: “No, ma’am.”
Nurse: “Do you go to church?”
Me: “No, ma’am.”
Nurse: *pauses* “Well, that’s okay. What religion are you?”
Me: “None.”
Nurse: “None?”
Me: “Yes, none. I’m atheist.”
Nurse: *takes long pause*
Me: “Are you there, ma’am?”
Nurse: “Do you need prayer?”
Me: “…what?”
Nurse: “Would you like prayer before the surgery?”
Me: “No…? I’m fine without prayer. But thanks.”
Nurse: “Have you ever been to church?”
Me: “Yes.”
Nurse: *long pause, then whispered* “Well, that’s okay.”
(We continued after that without any problems or weird pauses.)
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