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Selecting under religious preference

What do you list under religious preference when asked to select from a list?

When registering for a test at the hospital, the woman asked for my religious preference. I asked if there was "atheist" (she was selecting on a list in her computer). The woman said not and laughed like she'd never heard of such a thing. Then trying to be helpful she said, "We do have Pagan." I said that's not the same thing. I asked if she had humanist. She said, "No, but we have Wiccan" (which she mispronounced). I said, "No." She said that she could put "unknown." Just annoying. I realize that atheism isn't a religion, but there must be something better to list under religious preference. If for no other reason, I want to stop people from coming in to try to pray with me (which happened in the hospital when I had my daughter).

Tags: atheism, hospital, preference, religion, religious

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by skepticmom on September 21, 2011 at 7:57pm

It amazes me that we are such a minority hospital workers that fill out this kind of thing on people all day long, are shocked when they come across an atheist.

I hate that when you say, "none" they think that's the same as "No preference" While I can see grammatically how that would make sense (religious preference - none = no preference) but what I really mean (and I suspect all of us here) is religious preference = no religion. I realize atheism isn't a religion but it would be more clear and less of a chance of getting prayed over.

I wish there was a better way.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on September 22, 2011 at 5:49am

I put on my form "no preference" because that is all they had. They don't have none, or Atheist, or secular humanist.

Permalink Reply by FernWalker on September 21, 2011 at 9:35pm

I respond with "None". So far I thought it worked at our local Samaritan Hospital, but now I wonder if they just fill in what they want. I'm curious enough that I might just ask to see my records...

Permalink Reply by skepticmom on September 21, 2011 at 10:10pm

There probably is a "none." But let us know what you find out.

I am actually not sure what the choices really were on the form. I think the woman completing my form had no idea what an atheist is. I told her that I don't believe in any form of superstition, but I think that just confused her. Because I think it was after that she offered Wiccan (which she pronounced WY-can).

(I am re-posting this because because I realized that the first time I posted it, I was accidentally signed in under my husband's account.)

Permalink Reply by Carl Pastor on September 22, 2011 at 2:35am

hello everyone here. you might ask, why do you want to know? do you think the doctor is going to kill me, if so i can tell you my undertaker company. or mebe i shud just leave and find a hospital with a doctor who wont kill me.

Permalink Reply by Brent Beaver on September 22, 2011 at 8:38pm

Hmmm....I work at a hospital and I happen to be on the forms committee there....I really hadn't thought about forms that may have religious preference information on them, but now I'm going to investigate if there are any such forms and look into getting them revised.

Permalink Reply by skepticmom on September 22, 2011 at 9:11pm

Cool. I'm glad that something good came out of my experience!

Permalink Reply by x Secular X Combatant x on September 22, 2011 at 9:25pm

there should rightfully so be a 'non' issue option. box etc. check/x done. non. computer says ok
~
and yeah I hear in hospitals in s. florida people are asked by nurse for registration form purpose xyz...
"what's your religion?" patient: "none" nurse; "yeah we're getting a lot of that these days"
lol
ha look what I found
http://www.skepticmoney.com/brad-pitt-says-religion-spreads-misery

Permalink Reply by Carl Pastor on September 23, 2011 at 1:06am

i really dont see the relevance of any question on belief at all. nor do i understand why a hospital would have "chaplains"' seems to me if you want one you shud ask to see one, otherwise they shud stay away. ive been hospitalized a lot, but ive never gone to a hospital to meet a preacher

Permalink Reply by skepticmom on September 23, 2011 at 9:08am

Chaplins- Hospitals probably make great recruiting grounds. I guess they figure that lying in hospital bed is the most captive audience they can find. And on top of that you have benefit of being in a vulnerable state -- more easily suggestible. And taking hospital drugs may make you more prone to having "religious experiences."

OK, that might not be how they are thinking about it exactly. But I bet that at least part of it is that they want to try to save our souls before we die. I'm sure they think they are doing a good thing. And I also think that they think they are comforting people. That could be true for some people. But I find it an uncomfortable thing.

Permalink Reply by godfree inseaofred on September 28, 2011 at 12:07am