Are Catholics, Christians? (not joking)

[Jersey Girl]

So I was at the hospital today with a family member checking in for surgery. The registration lady asks the family member if they want to receive communion, right? So in the next exchange the family member asks her if she's Catholic. She says, no. I'm not a Catholic, I'm a Christian. The talked a bit more and she emphasized again...Anyway, I'm not a Catholic, I'm a Christian.

I would just like to say as a matter of possible interest that this hospital has a Catholic saint as it's healer icon--symbol, or however you say that.

Yup. All true.

In response (in my head of course because let's not start a debate in a place of healing):

Dear Lady,

It's okay with me if you thought the question posed to you by the patient was a bit intrusive but here is the thing. You could have easily answered "No, I'm not Catholic, why do you ask?" That would have been the professional thing to do or simply answer "No, I'm not." But no, you chose to offend every Catholic on the planet in a well, a Catholic hospital and to a Catholic patient OR did you miss the fact that you were asking the Catholic patient if they wanted to receive communion because you know, the patient's records indicate their religion is ...what's that again? Oh yeah, Catholic.

Ding dong.

[Gunnar]

That was a bit extreme, but I know there are extreme Christian sects who refuse to acknowledge anyone not belonging to their own, particularly narrow exclusionary sect as fellow Christians.

[Jersey Girl]

That was a bit extreme, but I know there are extreme Christian sects who refuse to acknowledge anyone not belonging to their own, particularly narrow exclusionary sect as fellow Christians.

I thought it was weird given the circumstances and the environment in which it was declared. Go figure, right?

[Gunnar]

Yes it was certainly weird, alright!

[Atlanticmike]

Yes, Catholics are Christians. I think anyone who believes in the mortal ministry of Christ and believes him to be the Son of God is a Christian. I do have some family members though who are Baptist and Presbyterian who think Catholics are worse than Mormons. Me personally, I don't want Mormonism to seek shelter under the tent of Christianity. I rather we stand alone.

[Some Schmo]

Obviously, I don't know what is in someone's heart, but it appears to me that most people who call themselves Christians don't do it because they actually follow the teachings attributed to Christ. They seem to do it because they think the label will tell us something important about them quickly. It's their imagined shortcut to respectability.

Nothing makes me cringe faster than someone chirping about their purported Christianity.

[huckelberry]

I have gotten the impression that it has become style for a variety of nondenominational evangelicals to adopt the name Christian in contrast to others. It is a naming game which is a bit misleading in my view.

Catholics are Christians as well as Greek Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists and others.(though perhaps imperfectly) I do have some doubts about some evangelical groups.

[Jersey Girl]

I have gotten the impression that it has become style for a variety of nondenominational evangelicals to adopt the name Christian in contrast to others. It is a naming game which is a bit misleading in my view.

Catholics are Christians as well as Greek Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists and others.(though perhaps imperfectly) I do have some doubts about some evangelical groups.

I can't disagree with your above.

Let's look at this from the patient perspective. You're going in for surgery. The registration person asks if you would like to receive communion in the tradition of your faith (because it's on your records but in the moment you're not thinking about that because surgery) so somehow you connect that you're in what appears to be a Catholic oriented hospital--because of the images and icons that you see around the environment. You say yes to communion and you want to make small talk with the person and casually ask if they are Catholic. Not meaning to pry, but thinking the person might be a kindred spirit.

And she says she is not Catholic and then goes out of her way to differentiate that she not only is not Catholic, but she is a Christian. She repeats the statement at the end of the brief conversation.

If I were the patient, which I was not, and if I were Catholic, which I am not, and someone had asked me if I wanted to receive communion during my hospital stay and...if I had just in passing asked the person that same question and gotten the same response, I would think...

Is she saying I'm not a Christian? Great. I'm about to have surgery, go under and under the knife as it were, and if I don't make it through (since every surgery carries risk) is she telling me I am not a Christian and therefore going to end up in hell? She couldn't just say no or that she doesn't share personal information without making me question my eternal destination?

Like seriously, the more I think about it, the more I think I want to report her to her administrator. Shouldn't a professional who fields questions every day of her working life be able to finesse their way through an exchange like that without insulting the patient or possibly scaring the actual hell out of them prior to surgery?

I am not saying the patient was scared. I'm saying that if that were said to the wrong patient, it could make them feel stressed and anxious just prior to surgery when everyone is at least a little stressed and anxious already.

I mean, if that had been me behind the desk, I would have simply said, "No, actually I'm not Catholic but you are and I have got you signed in to you receive communion according to your faith tradition. I hope you have a pleasant stay with us and a good outcome! "

And I would say that ---->with a freaking smile on my kind, positive, and encouraging professional face.

How hard is that? I mean, come on.

[Gunnar]

I mean, if that had been me behind the desk, I would have simply said, "No, actually I'm not Catholic but you are and I have got you signed in to you receive communion according to your faith tradition. I hope you have a pleasant stay with us and a good outcome! "

And I would say that ---->with a freaking smile on my kind, positive, and encouraging professional face.

How hard is that? I mean, come on.

It should not have been hard at all. Even if the receptionist had been an atheist, that is precisely how the patient's question should have been answered. In fact, I bet that typical atheists (if anything) would have been more likely to give that compassionate response, under that circumstance, than a narrow minded, judgmental believer of any religious persuasion, whether Christian or not.

[Jersey Girl]

Epilogue.

The patient never the received communion they requested.