Nurse suspended after offering to pray for patient’s recovery
by Anne Thomas
Posted: Monday, February 2, 2009, 11:41 (GMT)
A Baptist community nurse has been suspended after she offered to pray for the recovery of an elderly patient during a home visit.
Caroline Petrie, from Weston Super Mare, says she had offered to pray for the patient after applying dressings to her legs but the offer was refused and she did not push the matter any further, reports the BBC.
"The woman mentioned it to the sister who did her dressing the following day. She said that she wasn't offended but was concerned that someone else might be,” she was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Mrs Petrie, 45, was suspended without pay on 17 December following a complaint from the patient to the North Somerset Primary Care Trust.
"I was spoken to by my manager. She said 'I've got a letter in one hand and an incident form in the other. You won't be able to work until we've investigated this incident',” she said.
The outcome of an investigation by North Somerset Primary Care Trust will be made known next week.
Mrs Petrie said she began asking patients if they wanted to be prayed for after the death of her mother.
"My faith got stronger and I realised God was doing amazing things in my life,” she was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"I saw my patients suffering and as I believe in the power of prayer, I began asking them if they wanted me to pray for them. They are absolutely delighted."
A spokesman for North Somerset Primary Care Trust said it would “conscientiously” investigate the matter, adding, “We are always keen to be respectful of our patients’ views and sensitivity as well as those of our staff.”
Mrs Petrie has sought legal advice from the Christian Legal Centre, which has backed a number of legal claims of religious discrimination in recent months, including the suspension of a Christian radio presenter for defending the Christian faith on-air and the dismissal of a Christian relationships counsellor who expressed concerns over offering sex counselling to homosexual couples.
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Added: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 10:44 (GMT)
Where is the reaction of the churches? Another case of it being more comorting to walk on the other siide? Then they wonder why their congregations are dwindling.
Sid Robbins, Rusper England
Added: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 6:17 (GMT)
Dear Mrs Petrie, Scripture says, "if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." The devil successfully threw prayer out of many schools in America, and now he is comming against those who are praying in private for the sick and needy, and his children are helping him in his evil endeavour. But He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, and the Lord shall have them in derision!
The days of the devil and those that hate God are numbered. The Lord said, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
So don't lose heart. keep doing what you are doing and someday soon you will hear from the Master Himself, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!
Mike Jeshurun, Hyderabad India
Added: Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 22:13 (GMT)
It just defies belief that what Mrs Petrie did could even remotrly be thught of as wrong. The 'banner of equality' as has been spouted by so many, is simply a front to try and repress Christianity.
Now what could be the danger of Christianity that the Buddist, Seik, Hindu, Muslim, etc. faith don't have, but simply that it's real and personally challenging, the very thing people find discomforting, and so try to block it out. Becoming a Christian requires a 180 degree turn, away from self and to the complete and 100% acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord, something our self self self society doesn't want us to do. Those 'in power' who find it individually unpalettable to accept Jesus then try to force the rest of society to reject it also, by creating rules and regulations that can so easily be misused and abused.
To the manager(s) in the North Somerset Primary Care Trust to took this action, I can only offer my prayer to you, that you know and accept that the faith of one offered to another in prayer is something you'll be crying out for when you become seriously ill. You'll be the one who then understands what Mrs Petrie understands now, that the spiritual care of a Christian is very powerful, more so than than just a change of dressing. So understand it now. Think of it this way, how much better would the patient feel after a home visit when the carer is warm and friendly, symathetic and caring, than if she were silent, just changed the dressing and left. Where do you think that warmth, friendship, sympathy and care comes from, certainly not the survival of the fittest mentality he atheist would claim, but by God's design of man. As he said "in our own image", meaning that of himself and also Jesus who was the ultimate healer and carer.
Mrs Petrie deserves the utmost praise, for offering something of herself to help the whole healing process of her patient, physically and spiritually, and when declined, gracefully accepted.
Simon, Cambridge, UK
Added: Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 12:29 (GMT)
If we stand still and look back then we see that as human beings we are born with spirit, which animals do not have (they do not need to repent and be baptised). When a patient takes a turn for the worse we contact their minister who reads the patient their last rite before departing this world. We as human beings were born to worship from childhood days, hence prayer is a part of our make-up, all of us, whether or not we bother to pray. To deny us the opportunity to pray, or to deny us the opportunity to invite others to join us, is to deny a human right.
When I get up in the morning the first thing I do is pray, thanking God for bringing me through the night. I pray in silence or out loud, inviting others to join in if they are around. What happened to this nurse is an example of the most evil thing I have known. Those who have suspended her should be suspended themselves. I will continue to pray for this nurse. God has given some of us the power to rule, and those chosen in this case are abusing and mismanaging that power. The nurse deserves an apology at the very least, and all Christians should make it be known that we are not going to accept this increasing manifestation of the devil's work.
Those under the influence of the devil, I say come out of your Lodges and your secret devil-worshipping societies, repeal your laws and get back to the ultimate authority of God. Political correctness needs to be abandoned, atheism is on the decline. This nurse showed a deep sense of spiritual awareness, and political correctness will not destroy such spirituality for she is following the laws of God. The laws of men are powerless against the mandate of Jesus who demonstrated that the first recourse to healing is prayer.
If this nurse is not totally exonerated, the Christian community, in fact all who believe in God, should demonstrate with all resources available that we will no-longer succumb to the devil. "God Delusion" what?
MaryJ, Bridgetown Barbados
Added: Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 10:27 (GMT)
We are with you Ms. Petrie. You have done right by our Lord and nothing else matter no matter what they will decide against or for you.
Like Paul, He stands by you,
"At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"
2Tim 4:16-18
kopiong, Jakarta, Indonesia
Added: Monday, February 2, 2009, 21:42 (GMT)
I was so offended when I read this, it upset me alot that a code of conduct that is intended to insure people treat people with different beliefs with kindness and consideration was being misused in this way.
But funnily enough I am Buddhist, and find the number of articles looking at this from the persecution of christians angle unsettling.
This choice by the nurses employers defies logic and reason as well as basic fairness and kindness.
Dorian, bristol uk
Added: Monday, February 2, 2009, 21:31 (GMT)
When will the True Church of Christ wake up? The signs are coming thick and fast: there will be increasing persecution, under the the PC-based hate crime, 'religious' discrimination, and human rights and diversity laws, that promote every human desire and need, within supposed 'reason' - at least there are not beds on every street corner, as there were in Sodom (yet)! - in the name of humanism, including supporting every religious practice, from witchcraft to Islam.
EXCEPT Christianity!!
Even though our law system, and the US', are based on the Ten Commandments!
True Christians in every walk of life are being disciplined or arrested for standing up for the Word of God, offering supportive prayer or sharing the Gospel in any place but a church. And, soon, maybe not even then.
In the US, a Bill (H.R. 645) has been introduced by Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings (Democrat), that will allow to be built 'humanitarian camps' to house people in the event of an 'emergency or major disaster' (Sec. 3(b)(1)), by FEMA.
In view of the internment camps built in WWII, by the UN for Japanese Americans (but not Germans, as far as I know!), in case of sabotage or subverive activities, there is a growing feeling of history repeating itself, amongst Christians, especially, because of the increased 'legal' silencing and regulation of any sort of overt Christian outreach (Boy Scouts of America in, I think, Philadelphia or Pennsylvania - maybe someone could put me right! -, where they are losing their meeting place, because of their adherence to Christian principles, by the local council by their putting up the rent to over $200K per year, for example, because of 'lack of diversity', i.e., not promoting homosexual lifestyles as a 'normal' alternative).
Where America leads, can Britain be far behind? What would it take for a govt to manufacture a 'national disaster', or a legal precident to segregate people - Christians - for their own good, protection from a population blaming Christians (a-la Nero!) for something awful happening, into such 'humanitarian' camps?
The BA 'Cross-wearing' incident, and this one, are just the thin edge of the wedge, along with many other small incidents blown all out of proportion, involving the police and legal services, for sharing God's Biblical principles, with people, in public. And it will increase.
But Jesus said that when these things happen, and other signs, to look up, watch and pray, as our redemption is close! Keep your eyes on Jesus, don't be distracted by this world's deceptions and pray.
MARANATHA!
Amen!
Chris Maguire, ventnor, IOW, UK
Added: Monday, February 2, 2009, 17:18 (GMT)
In our Christian zeal, we are leaving enthusiasts like Mrs. Petrie hopelessly exposed. Before we do something like she did, we need to ask ourselves, "Would I be happy for Scientologist, Spiritualists, Satanists or any other 'religious' person to do what I am about to do?" If our answer is "No", we shouldn't do it.
Jethro, Dunblane, Scotland
Added: Monday, February 2, 2009, 16:18 (GMT)
this is disgusting... the nursing profession goes on and on about evidence based practise and the truth is the evidence does suggest that prayer works....
what i found worse was that she appears to have been suspended on no pay.... that is below the belt. So much for innocent until proven guilty.
Steve
steve holmes, chesterfield, UK
