Paula Alderson is the CEO of Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton, Florida. This hospice has banned the words "God" or "Lord" from being used in "inspirational messages that chaplains deliver in staff meetings."That immediately raises an important issue: Why, on God's green earth, would chaplains be delivering "inspirational" messages to the Hospice staff at staff meetings? Doesn't the staff have enough to do without listening to the blather of hired religious professionals? And doesn't that make the staff a captive audience? Yikes!
Anyway, this ban has upset the Rev. Mirta Signorelli terribly. Yup. According to the Palm Beach Post, Signorelli said "She would have to watch her language ... when leading a prayer in the hospice chapel, when meeting patients in the public setting of a nursing home and in weekly patient conferences with doctors, nurses and social workers."
But, it appears Ms. Signorelli is lying. Alderson says not so. Chaplains can talk about their god until their nose turns blue when "offering religious counsel to the dying and grieving." Alderson stressed, however, that "we don't impose religion on our staff, and ... it is not appropriate in the context of a staff meeting to use certain phrases or 'God' or 'Holy Father,' because some of our staff don't believe at all."
Signorelli resigned. Thank God!
