Down On Your Knees!

Am I described as an atheist marketing consultant? No - so why is it the BBC has taken to describing a biscuit-munching nurse as a Christian in the story leader, here.

The 45 year old - who got God early on - has been suspended without pay since mid-December pending an investigations since she offered to pray for a elderly coffin-dodger.

She told the BBC, "I saw my patients suffering and as I believe in the power of prayer, I began asking them if they wanted me to pray for them. They are absolutely delighted."

Or perhaps they're just polite, dear.

The problem with prayer is it doesn't work when subjected to scientific investigation, but Mrs Petrie is entitled to her belief no matter what.

Worse still she's gone to that den of religious rabble-rousing, the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) which is probably why this has made it onto the BBC and even the bastion of inaccuracy, The Daily Mail.

Why do we need a Christian Legal Centre? Don't Christians have the same rights as everyone else?

Not surprisingly, despite the naval-gazing and hand-wringing from interested parties - yes they do - and (remember, I am a seriously angry atheist) even I can't understand the trust's decision to suspend this woman for offering a prayer. Provided that's all she did and then let it drop, then there's really no substance here.

UPDATE:

The Mail, which carries this story on the front page of its print edition has a little more depth adding that Mrs Petrie was already under caution for this behaviour.

Alison Withers, Mrs Petrie's boss at the time, wrote to her at the end of November saying: 'As a nurse you are required to uphold the reputation of your profession. Your NMC (Nursing Midwifery Council) code states that "you must demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity" and "you must not use your professional status to promote causes that are not related to health".

Now that does tend to shed a rather different light on it and I'm actually surprised at the Mail for balancing this up - albeit almost as an aside in a fairly long lead article. The Mail also notes:

Paul Diamond, a leading religious rights barrister, has been instructed to handle the case. Mr Diamond represented Miss Eweida and last year appeared for Relate counsellor Gary McFarlane, of Bristol, who was sacked for refusing to give sex counselling to homosexuals.

Yes, the awful Miss Ewedia who refused to follow the rules clearly set out by her employer but got her own way by petulantly claiming discrimination. The CLC got shafted back in December as my friend at Mediawatchwatch gleefully describes here in brilliant detail.

Melanie Phillips also writing in the Mail has this to say:

"I am a Jew; but when my mother was in the last stages of her terminal illness she was cared for by deeply devout Christian nurses who regularly prayed for her. Far from being offended by this, I was touched and comforted by this signal that they cared so much about her."

Which I found rather interesting - Ms. Philips doesn't note that Christians and Jews share the same god: where they differ around the "birth" Jesus who they don't recognise as a saviour or living God. I think they're all fucked in the head, personally, but that doesn't matter.

It's the interpretation that counts: I would have been surprised if Ms. Phillips had not taken some comfort that the people caring for her mother shared her belief in sky fairies. When my mother passed away recently after a long illness, the local bible-toting god botherers were at my father's door within hours. Luckily for them I wasn't there at the time.

Yes, prayer is harmless: in fact it does more for the person doing the praying than the person being prayed for. Mrs Petrie crossed the line when she raised the subject - because that's when she started marketing her idea. OK, it's the mildest form of prostelysing but it's prostelysing nevertheless.

Should she be sacked though?

No.

But not because what she did was right - because it's already way out of hand and a PR nightmare that interested parties such as the CLC can't lose and the poor NHS can't win. Call me a cynic by all means, but why do you think this made it to the papers so late the day?

Anyway, Mrs Petrie's a Baptist so perhaps this will all come out in the wash: take a deep breath now dear.