Should Humanist Chaplains be funded by the NHS?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

With the appointment by the NHS of a Humanist chaplain as team leader of a hospital chaplaincy. Do people think Humanist chaplains should be funded on the NHS?

[SteveH]

I imagine it would be a spare-time, voluntary job, so it wouldn't need funding.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I imagine it would be a spare-time, voluntary job, so it wouldn't need funding.

It isn't, the job is so sophisticated, The NHS thinks it needs a tier of practitioner management hence the appointment of the first Humanist
chaplaincy team leader.

[SteveH]

If a chaplain of any religion or life-philosophy can aid the healing process and increase survival rates, and I think it's been demonstrated that they can, then fund them.

[Aruntraveller]

Not sure what you are on about here. There have been paid religious chaplains in the NHS as we have discussed before. At that time I posted that I thought the service was worth having as it brings comfort to the sick and dying.

Why would it be any different just because it is a humanist chaplain?

Or is it just your knee jerk response taking over because something vaguely relating to your shifting definition of antitheism has turned up in the news and you feel like having yet another tilt at your windmill of choice?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Not sure what you are on about here. There have been paid religious chaplains in the NHS as we have discussed before. At that time I posted that I thought the service was worth having as it brings comfort to the sick and dying.

Why would it be any different just because it is a humanist chaplain?

Or is it just your knee jerk response taking over because something vaguely relating to your shifting definition of antitheism has turned up in the news and you feel like having yet another tilt at your windmill of choice?

I voted that a humanist chaplain should be paid by the NHS and if they are good at it coordinate multifaith chaplaincies.
According to Ippy the National Secular Society don't want chaplaincy paid for..... period.

And you will notice someone has voted for No Chaplains

This therefore isn't the theist on antitheist thing you seem to be portraying.

This looks like a National Secular Society on Humanist UK thing.

[Aruntraveller]

I voted that a humanist chaplain should be paid by the NHS and if they are good at it coordinate multifaith chaplaincies.
According to Ippy the National Secular Society don't want chaplaincy paid for..... period.

And you will notice someone has voted for No Chaplains

This therefore isn't the theist on antitheist thing you seem to be portraying.

This looks like a National Secular Society on Humanist UK thing.

I apologise if I have misunderstood you but this sounded rather sarcastic in tone:

The NHS thinks it needs a tier of practitioner management hence the appointment of the first Humanist
chaplaincy team leader.

That's the problem with MB's 

And as you posted this in isolation to the thread also dealing with this, which I hadn't seen, you can perhaps forgive me for my faux pas.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I apologise if I have misunderstood you but this sounded rather sarcastic in tone:

That's the problem with MB's 

It isn't at all.

[Aruntraveller]

It isn't at all.

Whatever, it appears we agree on the main point that chaplains of whatever stripe should be funded. So all good.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Whatever, it appears we agree on the main point that chaplains of whatever stripe should be funded. So all good.

But don't you think the NSS are the spectre at the feast or will humanist UK win the argument among the non religious?
I wonder if there are those who think there should only be humanist chaplains.

[Aruntraveller]

But don't you think the NSS are the spectre at the feast or will humanist UK win the argument among the non religious?
I wonder if there are those who think there should only be humanist chaplains.

As I said you are discussing this on another thread, it would have helped if the context had been given on this thread.

As to what either of the 2 organisations advise I am supremely indifferent.

My thoughts on the subject are governed by what I think is in the best interest of patients. I think Religious & Pastoral Care is an important element of a hospital's strategy for helping patients deal with some of the most difficult issues they are likely to face in their lives. I do not need either the NSS or Humanist UK to inform me on this issue.

[Gordon]

During a long NHS career I had frequent contact with the Chaplaincy service and I fully support their role: they were part of the team, very discreet and sensitive and their involvement did make a difference to some people: and not just to the religious either.

One of them, now in his mid-80's and a retired CofS minister, has been a personal friend for around 40 years now. 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

As to what either of the 2 organisations advise I am supremely indifferent.

say no more.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

During a long NHS career I had frequent contact with the Chaplaincy service and I fully support their role: they were part of the team, very discreet and sensitive and their involvement did make a difference to some people: and not just to the religious either.

One of them, now in his mid-80's and a retired CofS minister, has been a personal friend for around 40 years now.

I take my hat of to you and your former colleagues.

[Aruntraveller]

During a long NHS career I had frequent contact with the Chaplaincy service and I fully support their role: they were part of the team, very discreet and sensitive and their involvement did make a difference to some people: and not just to the religious either.

One of them, now in his mid-80's and a retired CofS minister, has been a personal friend for around 40 years now.

Parallel lives.
I also worked with the Chaplaincy service for many years and have a close friend who is a retired chaplain. Spooky or what? (Probably not spooky at all, but a coincidence of the kind that I quite like!)

[Enki]

As a humanist,I see nothing wrong with having chaplains, including humanist chaplains, per se. If the Christian chaplains are paid by the NHS, I see no reason why humanist chaplains should not also be paid. This should extend in theory to all religions(e.g. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs etc.) and I believe that there are a small number of such chaplains working in the NHS. However this could not possibly cover all hospitals, so the answer would be to have chaplains(or a member of a minority faith) on call if needed at any particular hospital.

[Rhiannon]

Currently most minority faiths have voluntary chaplains. I think that having a humanist chaplain is an excellent move; as a pagan I’d get more from talking to a humanist than someone with a faith position. And yet many atheists don’t identify as humanist; it’d be interesting to know what non-humanist atheists feel about this move.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Currently most minority faiths have voluntary chaplains. I think that having a humanist chaplain is an excellent move; as a pagan I’d get more from talking to a humanist than someone with a faith position. And yet many atheists don’t identify as humanist; it’d be interesting to know what non-humanist atheists feel about this move.

I'd like to hear from whoever wanted to do away with any chaplain of any stripe from the NHS.

[floo]

No chaplain should be funded by the NHS.

[Aruntraveller]

No chaplain should be funded by the NHS.

and what are your reasons for this?

[floo]

and what are your reasons for this?

Because the NHS is about curing people's ailments, which should have priority, especially as it is not doing well financially.

[Nearly Sane]

Currently most minority faiths have voluntary chaplains. I think that having a humanist chaplain is an excellent move; as a pagan I’d get more from talking to a humanist than someone with a faith position. And yet many atheists don’t identify as humanist; it’d be interesting to know what non-humanist atheists feel about this move.

I'm not a humanist and I'm fine with it

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Because the NHS is about curing people's ailments, which should have priority, especially as it is not doing well financially.

You talk as though it is a normal business that is dreadful and more in line with running for profit than curing ailments.

[floo]

You talk as though it is a normal business that is dreadful and more in line with running for profit than curing ailments.

What are you talking about?

[Aruntraveller]

Because the NHS is about curing people's ailments, which should have priority, especially as it is not doing well financially.

Presumably you are ok with the education system just educating your child with Asbergers rather than helping him manage his condition.

Sarcasm alert: I'd hate to think money in education was wasted on conditions just because they are outside the normal range of human experiences.

I'm guessing 'one size fits all' is your life philosophy.

As to not doing well financially, in what sense?

Because they are not managing finances or because they are being squeezed by a government intent on making Richard Branson an even richer person.

I'm going have to go before I say something I regret.