Hospital scraps bedside Bibles to appease atheist
PLANS to place Bibles beside every bed in a new hospital have been scrapped after NHS bosses ruled Christianity should not be given ‘preferential treatment’.
Officials in NHS Dumfries and Galloway acknowledge that many patients gain comfort from the Scriptures during their time in hospital.
When they built a flagship hospital, managers ordered hundreds of copies of the New Testament from the Gideons to be distributed to all patients’ rooms.
But the move has been halted after a complaint that Christianity should not be promoted over other faiths. Patients in the new Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary (DGRI) will now have to ask for a Bible.
The U-turn has sparked anger from Christian campaigners. The Rev David Robertson of the Free Church of Scotland said the move was an example of ‘religious prejudice’. He added: ‘A small and vociferous group of secular atheist fundamentalists are seeking to impose their values on the whole of Scottish society.
‘Under the pretence of “fairness” it is seeking to exclude all religion, but especially Christianity, from the public sphere.’
Papers going before tomorrow’s board meeting reveal the provision of Bibles for every room was ‘questioned’ and distribution stopped.
The update said: ‘A discussion on this item will be taken to the next Person Centred Health and Care Committee to agree to provide the Bibles within the Sanctuary only.’
The Gideons International is an association dedicated to telling people about Jesus.
A spokesman for the local Gideons said: ‘I understand the person who made the complaint was not of any religion and they were possibly saying why should the Christians get preferential treatment? We discussed this and thought the last thing we want to do is to put people’s backs up by being pushy, so we’ll accept that.’
Ciaran Kelly, of charity The Christian Institute, said: ‘It’s sad that the hospital wasn’t a little bit braver in responding to this complaint. Making Bibles available isn’t forcing them on anyone.’
Dr Donald Boyd, of the Scottish Christian Party, said: ‘Equalities legislation is meant to be respecting individual rights. What you’ve got is aggressive individuals who are turning minority rights into majority rights.’
A spokesman for NHS Dumfries and Galloway said: ‘All 344 Bibles remain available to patients, but NHS Dumfries and Galloway took the decision to halt the direct provision of Bibles into social areas and single-bed rooms in order to consider the most easily accessible yet appropriate locations.’
The bedside Bible ban is the latest move to provoke fury among Christians who fear their rights are being trampled on.
Check-in worker Nadia Eweida was suspended by British Airways after refusing to take off a cross at work. But the European Court of Human Rights ruled in her favour in 2013.