Bibles Banned From Hospitals In Australia

Bibles are banned from Victorian hospitals because they may offend non-Christians. Almost all major hospitals in Melbourne have withdrawn the Holy Book from rooms.


Political correctness? They say they don't want to offend anyone? This is crazy! I am not a Christian myself but this is ridiculous!

yes, it is ridiculous...... those bibles are donated free of charge by the gideons....

you dont like it, dont read it......


Oh! also! neat little trick, people often leave things in those bibles for whoever turns to God next.....money usually even though I have found rolling papers

Sounds like we are finally getting somewhere!

In the children's department in a Norwegian hospital they had animal doorsigns, some which portrayed pigs, and they had to remove them because muslim parents were offended. I can't see why that was "right" and removing bibles is "wrong".
In fact, they should have kept the pigs but thats a whole other story.

I don't see anything wrong with this. If they allow people to leave bibles in the rooms, is it ok for Satan worshippers or Jehovah's Witnesses to leave their tracts in the rooms? Why should the bible be any different than any other propaganda? It's not, in my opinion. If someone wants a bible, they can bring their own or ask family to bring one.

From the original source:

"It is also an infection control measure."

Personally I think this is good news. I'm kinda sick and tired of going to a hotel room and seeing a christian bible every single time. Never seen one in a hospital though, but regardless, this is good. Now only if those damn hotels would catch on to the idea. And the US Dept. of Treasury. Sick of seeing god on our money, this country wasn't founded on the christian god or religion so wtf is it on our money? Yea, I know WHY already. Should just outlaw the christian religion, it's almost as if they decided since they can't use violence anymore, they might as well use politics and other idiotic tactics.

I guess the political correctness is related to the fact that it is state governed by christian inspired rules. The "western" world nowadays is secular enough to drop these things though, it's about time.

This is similiar to what occured in Several Hospitals in Canada.

The 'Spin' was the Bible could not be cleansed, and may retain foreign Viral Infections and be passing these on to the Next Patient in the room.

Trust the Leftist Secularist to figure out this scheme.

And to Proton

Although it displeases me to agree, you are correct.

Sick of seeing god on our money, this country wasn't founded on the christian god or religion so wtf is it on our money?

The sad part is you have NAILED IT.

It is due to the Masons, and their god, that you have this on your money. The god they wish to seat in the Temple in Jerusalem, in they coming years.

This of course, is not the God of Christians.

Ciao

Shane

I think the title of this thread is slightly misleading.


Firstly - the article was only relating a story about the hospitals in Victoria - not the whole of Australia. I'm not sure of the measures in other states , you'd have to speak to hospitals there.


Secondly - Bibles are not BANNED from hospitals here in Victoria. They are just no longer provided by the hospital as `1 - an infection control measure and 2 - so as not to offend anyone. There is NOTHING stopping you, if you are from the christian faith , from bringing in your own bible to read nor is there anything stopping you from bringing in religious tracts from whatever religion for yourself to read.

The patients themselves could always contact the Gideons to bring one in especially for them or get someone to go BUY them a copy of the bible of their own to read if they really wanted one.

Furthermore - not all hospitals are taking this measure. St Vincents, a catholic hospital, still has these bibles. Most, it would seem , have taken the step of removing them, however, for the reasons stated above.

[edit on 13-5-2006 by mulberryblueshimmer]

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
If they allow people to leave bibles in the rooms, is it ok for Satan worshippers or Jehovah's Witnesses to leave their tracts in the rooms?

It sure is OK. I doubt it would ever happen, but if it did they have just as much of a RIGHT to give the hosptial the option of allowing bibles and other religious material in rooms.

There's nothing wrong having a bible in every hotel room and hospital bed. If you don't like it then don't read it...it's that simple. I'm so tired of people whining everytime they see a bible....well I haven't really heard that much of it, but you know what I mean. Obviosuly it's an issue, especially if hospital administrations are giving in to the loud minority (the PC crowd).

As a Chrisitan I think it's a great idea to have Bibles available free of charge to people with poor health. It's not mandantory people, there's no laws being broken by having them on a night stand....it's a little something extra in case someone wants it. And since most religious westerners are Christian chances are it's the right book.

Also, I think it's the hosptial's decision. This is not a legal matter, it's just a matter of whether or not the managment/owners wants to have religious material in the rooms. If not, oh well, maybe it could be made available upon request. Anyways, I'm sure you could find a bible double the price in the hospital gift shop.

Sporty



[edit on 13/5/2006 by SportyMB]

I think hospitals should have a special storage-area and they should stock it full of Bibles, Korans etc. If a patient wants a particular book in their room, they can order and buy or rent one.... I think this cost should be picked up by the patient and/or his insurance but another option would be the state can pick up the tab for this and so as not to infringe on the religion/state issue, partial proceeds can go to non-religious affiliated charities with the rest of the profits used to pay for distribution.

Same could apply with hotels but I work at a hotel resort and I know damn well it just wouldn't work. I don't think they should be provided at hotels, period. If someone wants to read the Bible, they can bring their own or go to a bookstore.

I think the whole thing is ridiculous.

I think this cost should be picked up by the patient and/or his insurance but another option would be the state can pick up the tab for this and so as not to infringe on the religion/state issue

What's wrong with a non-state owned hospital having bibles in every room? What's wrong with the bibles being free? They were donated ya know....

Originally posted by SportyMB

[

What's wrong with a non-state owned hospital having bibles in every room? What's wrong with the bibles being free? They were donated ya know....

Why do they have to have them in every room? Apart from having disease transfer implications. Hospitals are rife enough without possible added cross contaminations.

lol
why this is another cut back by the Vic Govt that I hadnt even thought of...just ask any RN in the emergency dept how they are coping. Now waiting patients will be ringing the bell constantly cos they havent got any reading material. Perhaps on the up side though the little old gideon ladies can help out in the hospital as volunteers cos they now have free time? Perhaps its another initiative /strategy of the Govt?

I am sure with my private health cover, when I request a vegetarian meal with a glass of white wine, I am sure they will happy to accomodate me by providing a Bible too.

Public Hospitals...cmon are we really suprised?

Oh BUT bugga, (after thought) the implications of catering to the new multi cultural Aussie oi oi oi are huge...we have a Constitution firmly grounded in Christendom and we have taken Bibles out of Aussie (Vic) Hospitals oi oi oi ???? (Victoria are ALWAYS the first for reform...barstadages!!...so they have set precedence...other States & Territories will follow suit) wow..I might email Peter Costello and tell him the Muslim nation is already started.

I think it is BS and I rely on 'when in Rome' analogy....

Originally posted by SportyMB
If not, oh well, maybe it could be made available upon request.

I don't have any problem with a bible being made available upon request, as long as any other book (or many other popular bits of reading material) I might want to read would also be available upon request. Got a copy of today's paper or "The Old Man and the Sea" hanging around?

Or mayby Gideons could provide the hospitals with a few bibles for patients on request. I don't really have any problemn with that. I just don't think a bible should be an integral part of EVERY hospital and hotel room in the country just like the bed.

Originally posted by Panzeroth
I guess the political correctness is related to the fact that it is state governed by christian inspired rules. The "western" world nowadays is secular enough to drop these things though, it's about time.

Heh. Yeah, it's about time the western world finally abolish that stupid freedom of religion civil right so many seem to try to support.

BH, what makes you think satanists couldn't leave Satanic Bibles or whatever in the rooms before? As to your last comment, are you saying that if a hospital doesn't have a lot of other books available, they shouldn't be able to give or lend people Bibles? I'd just like to remind you that a very large majority of the western world (particularly in America (north and south) and Australia) consider themselves Christians, and being in the hospital doesn't exactly mean everything is right with your body at the time. In order to give a book that brings comfort to the vast majority in their time of need, the hospital has to keep copies of Animal Farm and 1984?

Junglecake: Freedom of religion is one thing, governmental support of one of them is something else. I firmly believe everybody are allowed to have their own religion, as I expect a mutal understanding that I chose not to have one. Therefore all public institutions should be neutral or all-supporting on the matter.
Preferably neutral.

Originally posted by Panzeroth
Junglecake: Freedom of religion is one thing, governmental support of one of them is something else. I firmly believe everybody are allowed to have their own religion, as I expect a mutal understanding that I chose not to have one. Therefore all public institutions should be neutral or all-supporting on the matter.
Preferably neutral.

Except most hospitals are private institutions in the US and, from what I understand, most of Europe. As of now, I have no reason to believe Australia is any different. That being the case, we have an example of the government stepping into a private enterprise and telling them they cannot supply religious material.

To be honest I wouldn't know, but my point still remains the same. It goes for all state-run institutions.

Originally posted by junglejake
BH, what makes you think satanists couldn't leave Satanic Bibles or whatever in the rooms before?

Well, I suppose they could leave them, but come on, Jake, the minute a nurse saw a wiccan pamphlet or a Watchtower leaflet or the Qaran on the bedside (anything other than a bible, in fact) it would be removed from the room.

As to your last comment, are you saying that if a hospital doesn't have a lot of other books available, they shouldn't be able to give or lend people Bibles?

No. That's not what I'm saying. I don't have any problem with them having bibles available. It's the assumption that a bible in the room is acceptable to all, so it should be ok to just have them as part of the furniture in every room.

I'd just like to remind you that a very large majority of the western world (particularly in America (north and south) and Australia) consider themselves Christians,

I don't care. The majority has little to do with this.

Originally posted by Panzeroth
To be honest I wouldn't know, but my point still remains the same. It goes for all state-run institutions.

Believe it or not, I agree with you on that (to a degree, in so far as government endorsing any particular religion). However, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

BH, I understand your first two statements, but as to the "I don't care" one...It's not a majority issue? Who is it, then, that the hospitals have to cater to on this one? The minority? How is that representative to the majority, which is the core of what a democratic republic is all about? Why does the vast majority have to suffer to avoid offending an extreme minority? I see it as saying to a baseball team, "We all have to bat left handed because Joe is left handed and he may feel left out if all the other players bat right handed." In essence, I don't give a flying # about 8 of you, all I care about is how Joe feels. How is that helpful to a society or an individual, including Joe?