Christmas decorations. Innocent. Yet I felt very emotional the other day as the nurses put up Christmas decorations in my doctor's office.
I started thinking about those who don't celebrate Christmas. I felt that they were oblivious to me who doesn't accept Jesus as the son of God. He was a very cool dude, though.
That office has an international clientele. How many of them belong to an assortment of other religions, or no religion? What would they think about the Christmas decorations? Did the nurses and doctors realize that Christmas isn't for everyone.
In California, there is a cross on Mt. Soledad... or was, until enough people complained. Click on the link and read the article.
Is this different than a Christmas tree in a quasi-public place like a doctor's office? I remember that in the Community College where I worked we passed a rule that office holiday decorations had to be non-denominational. I liked that.
Should I complain to the doctor's office? I'm already the trouble maker because I suggested that the nurses change gloves from one patient to the next. They told me that the gloves are to protect the nurses, not the patients.
Opinions?
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Reflections on Talks on Buddha's Lists
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13 comments:
Kim. The mindset of the nurses in the Dr's office is much different than in a hospital. In the hospital the concern is to maintain sterility between patients. In fact I'm not allowed to wear gloves when passing out trays to patients. I have to continually use the alcohol hand lotion when going from one room to another. I don't think the nurses you talked to were using correct procedures. Changing gloves between patients protects both the nurse and the patient. They are just being lazy.
I did not write this. It appears on my Facebook newsfeed after your post about the big cross statue. Facebook. . . Letting you see all sides of an issue. . .
WHAT A CROCK ..... We can't say Merry Christmas now we have to say Happy Holidays. We can't call it a Christmas tree, it's now called a Holiday tree? Because it might offend someone. If you don't like our "Customs" and it offends you so much then you can KISS my ASS. They are called customs and we have our traditions If you agree with this...please post this as your status!! IT'S MY FREEDOM TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS! Do you have what it takes to re post this?? Plus if they don't like our customs, they can piss off and go back to where they come from
If we all went back to where we came from there would only be American Indian celebrations. I'm not trying to end Christmas, just wondering if it is thoughtful to celebrate it in a multi-ethnic/religion doctor's office. Even a dept. store is different, because at that time of the year it mainly caters to those who shop for gifts for that occasion.
As you know, I am a fervent advocate of separation of church and state, but the doctors office is not state. Its up to the doctor and his staff to make the decision about Christmas decorations, besides you should recall the pagqn origins of the decorated tree. H.
Imagine that the doctor's religion advocated for the eradication of those of another religion... or believed that those not in his religion will not go to heaven (as some Christians believe). What then? What would a sensitive doctor's office do?
You altered the question severely. Up to constitutional limits the doc has his freedom of speech. I probably would not want to patronize his office. H.
DO NOT CARE IF THIS DOES OFFEND SOMEONE… AND IF IT DOES, DELETE ME PLEASE :) THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE…I AM SICK AND TIRED OF EVERY YEAR WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AROUND; THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE…WELL, HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE CHRISTIANS?...WHAT ABOUT OFFENDING US BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING OUR CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS?...CHRIST IS CHRISTMAS!...IF YOU AREN'T CELEBRATING CHRIST THEN WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING?...CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR!...CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF A FEW HOLIDAYS LEFT THAT CELEBRATE "MY" CHRIST!...LEAVE "MY" HOLIDAY ALONE!...AND TELL EVERYONE MERRY CHRISTMAS, NOT HAPPY HOLIDAYS!...RE-POST IF YOU’RE NOT ASHAMED
The heck w/ the decorations- I'm much more concerned about the glove comment by the nurses. Decorations are just "superficial fa-la-la" compared to the statement that "gloves are to protect the nurses, not the patients." I would have walked right then to shop for a new Doc. (then maybe even reported that statement.) Scary- Obviously you were right. Gloves should be changed after contact with each patient. (Dana)
Seems like allergists don't change gloves when they are giving shots. In St. Louis they don't wear gloves. When I complained, they changed the gloves for me... but I felt funny asking them to do that.
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=21010#gloves
Question 33: Q33. Are gloves required when giving an injection?
A33. Gloves are not required to be worn when giving an injection as long as hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials is not reasonably anticipated.
In my particular brand of Christianity, we try to follow the Christian calendar.
Beginning yesterday we are in the season of Advent, which is a time of
preparation for the coming of Christ. We don't sing Christmas songs at
church until the "midnight" service on Christmas eve. The diligent among
us don't put up a Christmas tree until Christmas eve. We celebrate the
season of Christmas, the twelve days made famous by the song. Christmas ends on Jan 6, Epiphany which celebrates the coming of the "wise men" and concurrently, the revelation of Christ to the gentiles.
So, you can imagine the our whole mode of worship gets highjacked by the marketers and the dominant culture. Not only do we not care to see Christmas symbols before Christmas, but we really don't want to see them before Thanksgiving, but that is just kinda the way it is. While most Christians follow the calendar seasons
in some way, many are not as diligent as the liturgical churches: Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian and to a certain extent Methodist. By the time we get around to "celebrating" Christmas, the rest of the world has moved on.
So, in my own little way, I'm with you. The nurses shouldn't be decorating for Christmas because it isn't Christmas yet.
What is annoying to some Christians is that hijacking of Christmas by the marketers who make a ton of money and insist on "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" like it makes a lot of difference to those who object to the whole notion of Christmas anyway.
I just hope the Westboro Baptist People aren't reading your blog.
They would probably litter my lawn, although that might be an
improvement.
I'm off to prepare to celebrate the winter solstice, praying that warm weather will come and longer days will soon be here. I'm sure the pagans are bent out of shape that we hijacked their celebration.
I am curious what about the decorations at the doctor’s office made them ‘Christmas’ decorations and not ‘holiday’ decorations. Were they nativity scenes?
I am totally about the kitsch holiday décor. I started my holiday décor madness back in October when made a glitter house village out of cat litter boxes (up on my blog soon). I made wreaths, snowflakes, ornaments, miniature trees, and am currently in the process of making gifts for everyone I love most. I’m not exactly Christian, I just like having an excuse to do the holiday thing each year. It’s fun and I get days off work.
I empathize with the nurses. It’s fun to have a reason (no matter how vague) to put up paper snowmen, to make wine cork reindeers, and bring a tree inside and cover it with lots of little do-dads that are just super cute? OMG! Don’t let me forget miniature train sets. That’s the best part. Creating a whole little town in your living room would seem crazy any other time of year. Christmas/Holidays are awesome.
I think you probably were just in a mood because you had to go to the doctor. I get that way too. It’s hard for me to understand how someone who appreciates art so much would ‘be offended’ by some nurses sprucing up the office a bit.
I remember those books you handed out at the NAC. I found the book gutsy and hysterical. . . Don’t get me wrong here, but seriously. . . Which item do you think more people would find offensive; Santa and reindeer in a doctor’s office or page 22 of your book (Which is the best page! I show it to lots of people.)?
As far as plastic gloves go. . . They don’t do anything for the air-born pathogens which are probably far more numerous in a doctor’s office than they are anywhere else. Meditate on that the next time you go for a check-up.
Kate
So I've been to the doctor's office yesterday and today. Not that I'm sick... they were supposed to have something for me to pick up.
Anyway, the decorations are pretty generic (No crosses or naivety scenes. My daughter said, "as long as you realize that your issue was with you and not with them."
But then I went to a dentist today... with bibles in the waiting room. My wife said that they'd have lots of decorations for me... but no... nada. I kept thinking I should ask the dentist why no decorations... but I didn't want to give him any ideas.
Glad you enjoyed the book, Kate. Some we recycled when we moved... but I still have about 200.
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