Very religious colleague

What's the update, OP?

Have you heard anything back?

This is nuts. If he worked in my office plenty of people would just ask him to wind his neck in keep his opinions to himself.

I'm struggling to believe that not one person has asked him to do so.

It isn't any kind of "ism" to ask him to keep controversial opinions to himself.

I worked in a large open plan office for thjs creative agency where sometimes they’d have two different songs playing at different ends of the office.

It was a nightmare. I longed for the quiet too.

I agree, I'd go mad!.

Call me old-fashioned, but sex, religion and politics should be kept out of the workplace.

Here you go @ThatLadyLady - try this: "Opinions are like arseholes. Everybody has one, but I don't want to have to listen to yours while I'm at work".

I’ve worked for the Church of England and the only time I came across someone with these extreme beliefs I reported him to the safeguarding team for spiritual abuse (he was a young preacher). He is entitled to archaic and misogynistic views, but you shouldn’t be made to feel like this.

I live in a part of the world where any of my colleagues would just say to him, “bloody hell Dave, have a day off will you?!”

Or alternatively a quiet word with your/his Manager about how ridiculous, offensive and distracting this is.

His reasons are shitty and he should keep them to himself. It's enough for him to say he'd prefer not to have music on. Nobody should have music imposed on them when working in an office though.

Colleague is not being unreasonable not to want to listen to music that makes him uncomfortable, for whatever reason
Including the (purported) personal lives of the artists? That’s not reasonable.

Colleague is not being unreasonable not to want to listen to music that makes him uncomfortable, for whatever reason. I don't like having music on at all when I'm working, unless it's a particularly mindless routine task. He should just say he prefers a quiet office though, not make it all about religion.

He's being completely unreasonable about the rest of it though. Starting conversations in which he elicits others' views on controversial topics and then criticises them for being out of line with (his interpretation of) the bible? That's utterly inappropriate, and you should speak to him, his line manager and then HR, depending on how far you have to go to make him stop.

Absolutely, sounds like one of those men who take pleasure in goading people into endless arguments and “debates” as well.

I used to come across a lot of staunch (atheist) males like that in my younger days actually. Whereas my atheist ex boyfriend was nothing like that because he’s not a dick.

Exactly this.

This guy sounds like one of those opinionated, women-hating, Andrew Tate-types who is using religion to hide his misogynistic feelings and controlling the narrative.

Easy.

Take up Satanism. Counter everything he says with Satan’s perspective. Go on and on about it and never let it drop. End every exchange with him with a cry of ‘Hail Satan!’ to which you colleagues respond ‘And all his evil deeds.’

The nuisance will soon cease.

No ! Why would they pander to his nonsense?

Why cant you ask him ? He's the one spouting this misogynistic rubbish in the work place . Everyone is so worried about speaking out these days .

This isn't a Christian problem, this is a him problem.
I got to church, know plenty of other denominations, including Evangelicals - I've even been on a couple of Evangelical weekends with a friend to see if I felt I wanted to move closer to that side of Christianity (turns out I don't) - used to attend a very enthusiastic American church when I lived abroad (lots of impromptu yelling of "Praise the Lord!" and "A-men!" during the service which, as I'm a naturally deeply inhibited Brit as the good Lord intended*, made my toes curl)...
...and I've never come across anything like this. This isn't how evangelising works.
The "you're being gluttons" thing sounds particularly like made up bollocks.
He's someone who wants to have power over people and to feel self-inportant and thinks he's safe using his religion to do so - not very Christian at all.
*Joke BTW.

He isn't worrying about being against your beliefs and values, and is openly criticising them. I know it's tricky as I'm sure you have no issues with others practising their own beliefs. I think I'd say, 'I'm strongly opposed to religion, and whilst I respect your beliefs they don't align with mine. We are never going to agree so lets not discuss these things in the workplace. It's a shared space and we will all have to tolerate things and compromise'. If he objects to music etc I'd say I'm sorry but it's commercially available music and it's not inappropriate. It's not ok for him to try to change your behaviour - you're not being prejudiced or discriminatory.

Totally agree with others you should all make a complaint. I am religious but I certainly dont behave like this forcing my views on everyone. Christianty teaches you to accept everyone with forgivness and compassion. Not to critise others continually. Good luck OP.

Senior HR here.

With the utmost respect - you all need to grow a backbone here. Just because it’s religion doesn’t mean it’s touchy or hard to deal with. He’s protected from discrimination- not from being held accountable for a sustained campaign of harassment against his (female) colleagues. You wouldn’t put up with a gay man having pops at you for being straight, a young man having pops at you for being old(er), or a disabled person having a go at you for not being disabled. So don’t accept this behaviour any longer. Go to your line manager, give them the chance to knock it on the head informally, and if that doesn’t work - raise a formal grievance, again to your line manager.

If I was you guys, I’d be having a bloody field day with him fighting fire with fire and regaling all the tales of my youth and 20’s. He’d either backdown, or I’d walk in one Monday to the next team building being a full on exorcism.

I think you all need to support each other and each file a complaint, managers can’t sweep 10 plus complaints under the carpet!

It has naff all to do with his religion and everything to do with his misogynistic views.
why do women have to be looking for marriage? Ask him if he’s a virgin and if not I would openly call him out for his sexist views. / being a hypocrite!
Him laughing at peoples views is utterly disgusting IMO!
I think everyone in the office needs to get together and agree that if he asks anyone’s view on anything - the correct answer is ‘that is not appropriate to discuss at work’…. OR ‘It is very unprofessional of you to ask those questions at work!!’… he’ll hopefully get the hint that no one will tolerate his subject of conversations…
Id be unable to be civil to someone who preached and mocked my views…. As others have said it’s harassment
… or reverse discrimination!
Maybe you should all just openly say ‘we worship Satan!…. And laugh at him!

I think people on this thread are misunderstanding what a protected characteristic is.

The UK Equalities Act 2010 provides for people to be able to practice their religion (or be female, or Black, or gay etc) without them receiving discrimination for it.

In this example it protects his freedom to practice his religion and his right to hold and express his views... HOWEVER it also protects others in his workplace from him expressing his views if they infringe on the rights and dignity of others; workplace harmony; or are against the workplace's equality policies. He does not get a free pass under his protected characteristic to offend everybody else.

If he is saying things like "women should stay at home" or that "gay people are sinful", these things clearly meet the EA definition of harassment to women and gay people in his workplace. They are almost certainly against the workplace's policies, which should include an "everybody has a right to work in peace without feeling intimidated or harassed," type of clause.

It doesn’t matter if he intended to offend, only that his conduct had that effect.

TLDR: religion being a protected characteristic is not giving this guy impunity. All it is really doing in terms of protecting him is making sure that he can't be fired because he is a Christian.

Good point about the US as I’ve never come across this with Christian colleagues in the workplace in the UK only Muslim colleagues, one in particular who thought everything, inc client events should be compliant with his religion,