Today I went to the hospital to get some lab tests done. The receptionist insisted on going over all my admission stuff. On and on. She finally got to the religion part of the questions and noticed that I'm unaffiliated with any religion.

She then asked "So you're no longer LDS? You've left 'the' church?" I told her yes and then I said let's speed this up. I've got people waiting on me.

She got all huffy and handed me my paperwork and I was on my way. It makes me mad hospitals want to know that kind of info in the first place.

I remember filling out that questionnaire several years ago and wondering why there wasn't a box to mark atheist instead on unaffiliated.

Just put OPD or NRE, other protestant demonimnation or No Religion on their forms and call it a day. Used to use this in the military.

I've never been asked that on a form.

But you are correct. As you said in the subject of your post, Mormons can be very nosy. Some of them have no sense of boundaries.

I noticed this when we lived in Utah. We had been married 10 years with *gasp* no children! Each person I met wanted to know why. And they never took a hint. I tried everything from changing the subject to plainly saying I didn't want to talk about it. Some just got more intrusive.

I guess that's what happens in a culture where everything is open for conversation. In Mormonism, it seems that topics that are poor taste in other groups are the norm.

This is not unique to Mormonism. When I lived in Japan, where people are normally polite to a fault, they had no trouble bringing up the size of your nose or your weight. These things are considered poor taste in other places. But even when I was in great shape by American standards, my Japanese friends would make remarks.

Why are Americans so fat?
Are you gaining weight?
How much do you weigh?
Is it hard for you to find clothes? I mean, because you're so fat.
Does your wife mind that you're so fat? Does it interfere with your love life?

And then there are the comments about noses.
Does your nose get sunburned?
Why do you have such a big nose?
Does your nose get in the way sometimes? I mean, when you eat does it interfere?
It is hard to get dressed with such a big nose?

No kidding. Even when I was skinny by American standards. And my nose is just normal.

I experienced the same kind of thing in Armenia. The bad thing is, in the weeks before I left, Herbal Life was becoming popular there. People would stop me in the street and show me before and after pictures, figuring that because I was American, I'd want to buy their product and lose weight. I usually just told them that they were being rude.

Lol you could have told them that your big nose doesn't get in the way getting dressed but your big dick does.

Edited to add that this was supposed to be a reply to T-Bone's post.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2011 09:13PM by Charley.

I think that it's perfectly okay to respond, with a raised eyebrow, "I beg your pardon?" and to keep responding in that manner as many times as needed in order to stop the questioner.

That's how I would respond to unnecessary personal questions when I was a student at BYU, and sometimes they wouldn't get it like they were entitled to ask questions like that and you're required to answer them. They would get pissed if I tried to be evasive.

I remember having conversations about privacy, and being told that if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about. As if not disclosing personal information means you're hiding something unseemly, which is ironic coming from members of such a secretive organization.

The main reason is that if you are about to kick the bucket, they will know what sort of Clergy to notify.

Recently I asked to have mine ammended to remove LDS/MOR from my records.

The receptionist in your case was clearly out of line and ought to be reported.

Yeah I would report her but her boss is a mormon too. Sounds like a bunch of b.s. I don't need. Next time if I have more time I'm going to redo the whole questionnaire.

I guess that at least they know if I die I don't need or want the bishop coming by.

Charley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I guess that at least they know if I die I don't
> need or want the bishop coming by.

Yeah, Charley, it's prolly just one of your cousins anyway.

;o)

You're probably right. She definitely knew me but I couldn't quite place her. Too too many cousins.

Oh you meant the bishop. Yeah him too!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2011 12:23AM by Charley.

He needs to know that such intrusions are inappropriate as well.

I would have asked to see the supervisor the instant she asked "So you're no longer LDS? You've left 'the' church?" The reasons I put what I put are my own business. My religious history and any associations I may or may not have had with the LDS is none of her business.

Mormons will continue to violate personal boundaries as long as we let them.

My daughter who got sucked back into the cult by marrying an RM in the temple, had to go to the ER, and she put "none" for her religion. There is hope for her yet!

Yes, it is for the final death rites, or blessings, or whatever. She didn't want to be pestered by ward members. Some women don't want strange male Satanic cult members coming into their sick room and giving them a mumbo-jumbo anointing into eternal polygamous servitude.

Better put "None", "N/A", "unaffiliated."

Word of my divorce is getting around. Yesterday I got a FB message from someone I barely knew wanting to know the nitty gritty. Sure I could have said "she left me when I quit the church" but I barely know the fool. All the got was a message confirming I am divorced, and I don;t discuss those details of my personal life.

That solved it.

(First let me apologize in advance for my inappropriate humor, but I just can't help myself.)

You could reply:

"Ex-wife wanted to start a swingers group and I was not okay with that. She left me because I would not participate."

or

"Ex-wife was whoring herself out to the Bishopric to support her garment shopping addiction. I could no longer bear witness to it."

or

"She had a personal revelation that she was supposed to enter into plural celestial marriages. She wanted me to be the first brother husband. You were going to be the second."

or

"She decided to take her TBM freakshow on the road and join the circus. Her show is called Dingy Granny Panties."

- priceless.

Awesome.

I was attending a Sundance when we were raising the tree one of the dancers injured his shoulder nearest town off the Rez with am er is the Mormo Cinder block on a hill temple town. He was from the other side of the country, so when he came back to the lodge that night he was saying. The crazy doctor in the er after asking how I injured my shoulder wanted me to take a tour of that mosque in town. Thinking its amusing how both pulled from a pedophiles arse angel brought religions both begin and end with M. I explained to everyone where mormons came from and the wacky things they beleive

Most if not all hospitals, including the one I work for, ask this question for several reasons.

Pt's are able to specify which clergy they want or need to visit them if they become ill or whatever. Also, if the Patient dies, the right clergy can be notified, and in some cases, they may be able to get in touch with family members where the hospital may not be able to.

there is also the issue of diversity respect.

Imagine your a JW, and you suddenenly code. During the code, you need blood, because you have say a torn aorta, and are bleeding internally. If that information is not in the chart, then the pt could get a blood transfusion, which is strictly against their religion. Even though I along with other staff members may think the notion is silly, the hospital and care staff are exercising good diversity skills, by honoring the request of the pt. Remember, pt's can refuse any treatment they want, including blood transfusions, or anything else against their religion or whatever.

So, I would say don't hang the facility out to dry. They have to ask that question.

The receptionist however, now that's a different story.

I just had surgery 2 weeks ago and had to answer the same question. However, I live in Florida and my answer of "no religious affiliation" was accepted and noted without comment. It was none of the intake lady's damn business and she knew it.

I have lived in a total TBM neighborhood for 27 years. I am the only non-mormon in blocks. For years they would come over, uninvited and ask very personal questions and assume the worst about me. "So and so has told me this about you,,". Women would come by and invite me to meet her "friend". I finally got to the point I was very rude and ask them stupid questions. It took years but we all live in peace now and I am good friends with some of them.

I remember last time someone at the hospital asked me about that, but I live in Texas. When I lived in this town years ago, I was affiliated with Mormonism, so they still had me checked off as LDS on their paperwork when I moved back. I promptly changed it to "non-religious" and then the lady came back and asked me if I was SURE that I didn't want to check off at least some kind of church. Uh no...I'm pretty sure all Christianity is bullshit and couldn't help me with anything if I was dying. Texas is still very conservative, so the idea that someone doesn't believe in Jeezus is appalling to most people.

I've noticed that not playing along with rudeness sometimes triggers indignation.