Who Comforts the Heathens?

[parrotslave]

Several times during the extensive coverage of the Minneapolis bridge collapse it was mentioned that the Red Cross had set up a place for families who were waiting to hear about their loved ones. Many churches sent over chaplains to offer comfort to those who wanted it, even the Scientologists were mentioned showing up.

Are there any organizations for agnostics or atheists who show up to provide comfort for those without faith?

 

[YouBelieveWHAT?]

Agnostics & Atheists are NOT Heathens.

Heathens have their own faiths.

YBW

 

[H3LL]

Are there any organizations for agnostics or atheists who show up to provide comfort for those without faith?

Since when did The Red Cross only comfort the religious?

I think you'll find that The Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations do not usually give aid according to religious belief or non-belief.


.

Agnostics & Atheists are NOT Heathens.

Heathens have their own faiths.

YBW

Not necessarily:
Heathen^dict
.

 

[brodski]

The red cross/ red Cresent/ Red crystal movemnt is not a religious mpovment, from the Brittish Red cross website

The simple red cross on a white background - the reversal of colours of the Swiss flag - was adopted as the emblem of the Movement when it was founded in 1863 by Swiss humanitarians trying to care for battlefield casualties who otherwise would have been left to suffer.

But while it has no religious connotations, the symbol unintentionally reminded Muslims of the Christian crusaders, and they began using a red crescent in the 19th century.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=19314&cachefixer=

 

[Ryokan]

Indeed, the Red Cross is a secular organization. I do a lot of volunteer work for them.

 

[Dancing David]

There are plenty of secular organizations called out during a disaster. During the 1994 floods our local crisis team and members of the counseling staff travelled 200 miles to provide grief support to flood victims. From a non-religous mental health center. We also sent people to cover the local red cross after a tornado ripped up a town.

 

[kbm99]

Are there any organizations for agnostics or atheists who show up to provide comfort for those without faith?

Why should there be? What unites those without faith other than a lack of faith?

As has been pointed out, the Red Cross is itself a secular organization and would not, I am certain, turn away anyone because of their church membership or lack thereof. In addition, I would hope that the members of the clergy present would offer what comfort they could to anyone who seemed to need it, not just to members of their "flock." Certainly many of the clergymen I have known would do so. No doubt there are some mean-spirited ones who would not, or who would use it as an opportunity to proselytize, but I believe they would be in the minority.

 

[YouBelieveWHAT?]

OK H3LL,

You can prove anything with facts

As I've seen quoted here before....

YBW

 

[Lonewulf]

Since when did The Red Cross only comfort the religious?

I think you'll find that The Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations do not usually give aid according to religious belief or non-belief.

This underlines an important point that runs counter to the one brought up by those that claim that religion is needed to counsel a family member, or to aid the dying.

Religious officials would preach that there was a plan, that the supernatural would look after the victims, that they went on up to heaven...

Meanwhile, the irreligious is actually down there, *helping*; curing the disease, discovering new cures, administering blood, everything they can do to help.

Sure, the religious can provide all of the latter, but the irreligious could provide all of the latter as well. It is the former that is less than useful, not the latter.

Someone once advocated a religious group to me (I didn't realize that it was a full charity), and he encouraged me (politely) to join them. I said that I wasn't very religious; he said, "Neither am I! But do you need to be religious to love?" I hold to those words.

 

[tsg]

Are there any organizations for agnostics or atheists who show up to provide comfort for those without faith?

Others have mentioned the Red Cross is a secular organization. Other than that, I would think that the "comfort" offered by the religious organizations wouldn't be of much use to a non-believer.

ETA: "God, please help us get through this time of crisis you could have and should have prevented."

 

[H3LL]

No one has mentioned the emergency services themselves.

It would certainly be a comfort to me seeing the face of a firefighter who was cutting me free from a crushed car.

A comfort to see dedicated paramedics attending to the injured.

A comfort to see responsible police officers protecting on-lookers and those in danger.

A comfort to see doctors and nurses helping those that need it.

A comfort to see the ambulance drivers rushing patients to hospital.

A comfort to see construction workers and engineers making the structure safe.

A comfort to see ordinary people helping the best they can before, during and after.

A comfort to see the trained professionals psychiatrists and social workers assisting those that are bereaved and injured following the event.

A comfort to see efficient, effective and tested medication administered to those in need.

A comfort to see sophisticated technology utilised to diagnose/detect hidden, life threatening injuries.

A comfort to see engineers discovering what went wrong and hopefully preventing a repeat.

Nope...No help whatsoever from secular organisations.

Pity a quick pray couldn't do all those things.

Lucky that no-one suggests that the religious should be left there as their god will sort things out for them.

The implications in the OP make me want to smack someone.

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[brodski]

Indeed, the Red Cross is a secular organization. I do a lot of volunteer work for them.

Thank you, it's a great thing that you do.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

I had to read up on it, but the cross in the Red Cross was not meant to be Christian:

The symbol is composed of five equal squares, sometimes referred to as a Greek cross. It was chosen because it is a reverse of the colors of the Swiss flag and because the red cross on a background of white was easily recognized and reproducible on battlefields.

Reference