NHS appoints humanist to lead chaplaincy team

[trotsky]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/09/nhs-appoints-humanist-to-lead-chaplaincy-team-lindsay-van-dijk

A humanist has been appointed to lead a team of NHS chaplains, in a move that reflects growing demand for emotional and spiritual support from people who do not identify with any organised religion.

Lindsay van Dijk will lead three Christian chaplains and a team of 24 volunteers, including a Catholic nun, a Buddhist and a Bahá’í, at the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS trust. The world-renowned spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville hospital is part of the trust.

Although there are two other humanists among the NHS’s paid chaplains, it is the first time that chaplains in hospitals and hospices will work under a non-religious leader.

...

Carolyn Morrice, the trust’s chief nurse, said: “Lindsay’s appointment confirms our commitment to provide a chaplaincy service with individual choice at its heart, catering to all our patients, visitors and staff regardless of faith, denomination or religion, including those who have no faith or religion.”

[edhopper]

1. Good News

[Mariana]

2. It is very good news indeed.

70% of young Brits identify themselves as having no religion.

http://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43485581

[AZ8theist]

3. the government support of Religion in the UK..

is RIDICULOUS.

Complete bullshit. So is the governments endorsement of BS like homeopathy...

But, as an American, I have no place to criticize the Brits. We have more than enough bible thumping knuckle draggers in the states. Religion disgusts me. And I make NO APOLOGIES saying so.

Hopefully, having non-religious leaders of the chaplaincy is the start of getting rid of the god-botherers once and for all.

[trotsky]

4. And recently our own Navy refused to allow a non-religious chaplain at all.

Congrats to the UK - hopefully we can get to the same stage of respect for non-belief here as well.

[Mariana]

5. Hospital chaplains perform important services

for patients and their families, but few of those duties require that the chaplain be a member of the clergy or even a religious person. Sometimes they do want or need that, for example, I believe some Catholic rituals must be done by a priest and no one else. In that case, if the chaplain is not a priest, it would be his or her job to arrange for a priest to come and do the ritual. A chaplain doesn't have to be religious to do that.