Response of a Hindu When a Cross is Removed from a Hospital Chapel

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TWIN CITIES, U.S.A., December 26, 2004: This news release was written by Anantanand Rambachan, a Hindu and a professor of religion at St. Olaf College in Northfield, in response to another article written by Joe Soucheray. Apparently Mr. Soucheray was upset with St. Paul Region hospital for removing the cross from their chapel. Rambachan points out that as North American society has become multicultural, this diversity is reflected in hospitals across the nation where patients from diverse backgrounds receive medical treatment. People often turn to prayer for strength and courage when dealing with the suffering caused by illness and death. Mr. Rambachan feels that it is important that the sacred place for worship and prayer in hospitals accommodate people from every kind of religious background. Mr. Rambachan explains, “One of Mr. Soucheray’s principal contentions is that the Regions Hospital place of prayer is designated as a chapel and that a cross in a chapel is entirely appropriate. While few will argue with this, it is also true that the fact of our religious diversity is transforming our religious vocabulary and resulting in a more inclusive use of some traditionally faith-specific terms. Some of our colleges and universities, for example, have Hindu and Muslim chaplains. On the occasions when I offer a prayer to open a session of the Minnesota Senate, I am designated as the chaplain for the day. Language is dynamic and malleable, and the meanings of words change to reflect new social realities. We may also have to search creatively for new words to reflect the shared elements of our religious lives.”