That prayer to Jesus is inappropriate at a company party?

sure thing, well the person op is talking about did it this way, so that’s fine right ?

A work Christmas party is not celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s celebrating the end of the year and the fact that there’ll be a few days off with lights, presents, food and fun. For 90% of people that event will also not be to celebrate the birth of Jesus it will be because it a fun thing to do that everyone does.
Religion has zilch to do with a modern Xmas celebration and therefore prayer is as inappropriate as someone doing a group prayer at a work summer party or meeting.
If you want to bring religion into your own Xmas no one is stopping you but don’t try to force a group into inappropriate displays of faith that isn’t shared by the vast majority of the population or the attendees.
And that goes for any religion.
I was recently at a work course in another country that is more religious than the UK. The day was opened and closed by a prayer. I thought it hugely inappropriate given the professional context and didn’t bow my head or say amen and just carried on messaging on my phone and ignored it. As did most people not from that country.

None of that detracts from the Christian fundie weaponizing prayer.

I’m not sure if you’re being serious, but if you are, don’t be daft, of course you can have a party without a hint of religion in it! I’ve never been to one with it and I’m mid fifties!

OP it’s quite odd to have that and it’s not for everyone and really it’s probably the last thing people at a Christmas party want to do…pray! Weird!

What’s my agenda then? What’s the agenda of the posters on here slagging off Christians and Christmas?

CNN reported that a Muslim cleric also delivered a prayer at the ceremony (that detail is missing from your link) - perhaps the Christian representative thought she would get in there first!

It all ended in tears anyway - the Muslim representative had to resign within a year;
Movita Johnson-Harrell, the former Democratic state representative from West Philly, will serve three months in prison followed by 8 1/2 months of house arrest for misusing more than $500,000 in funds from her nonprofit for personal use...
... on personal expense, including fur coats, a trip to Mexico, her Porsche and past-due mortgage payments.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/west-philly-motiva-johnson-harrell-pleads-guilty-theft-charges/

Are we talking here about Sue Wattiph from Planning?

I would just eye roll, go to the bar and avoid the person in question.

I couldn’t give two titties. For many it is about the birth of JC so let them pray and celebrate. Tyrants on here don’t want that though

You can pray and celebrate all you want, indeed, I'd fight to defend your right to do just that, except, you are not subjecting me to it when I have a right to a religion-free workplace. You, and anyone else who wishes to join you, can go into a separate space and pray until your heart is content, but attempt to do so in front of me and no, I won't just meekly accept it and bow my head, I will vocally object and I couldn't give "two titties" if that upsets you.

I had my fill of Christians taking it for granted I was one myself when I was a child and foisting their religion upon me without ever asking for my consent. No way I'd stand for it as an adult.

And before anyone chimes in with the utterly predictable "I bet you wouldn't do the same with a Muslim prayer", yes, I absolutely would. Religion is religion, it doesn't matter which variety, I'm not bending over for any of them.

How do I break it to Sue in the office tomorrow that she is hypothetical?

I would find it massively inappropriate and have never experienced this in 15+ years of working in professional settings.

I wouldn't kick off about it but I'd think it's incredibly weird. Everyone goes to Christmas parties to dance and drink, if you want to pray you can do it somewhere else (and that goes for all religions).

The best thing to do is always be neutral in a workplace - there's enough divide in the world as it is, I don't want to be tiptoeing around it at work too.

Any reason for wanting to stamp out people cleaving to the old ways? I am an atheist, and the religiously observant don’t intimidate me at all. I find it rather quaint.

And now it evolving to become Santa Day and a celebration of consumerism, yet some people still harp to the last century.

Of course I believe that people have been called Jesus. I have met people called Jesus. There is more than 1 Jesus in the bible. The water into wine thing not so much. Given the suffering the world I think if anything the old testiment God that hated us is more realistic, than the 0AD woke God of love and flowers.

Fine, I think most wouldn't expect it. But should OP create merry hell or just keep it to self-talk?

It’s not bizarre at although, is it? What’s bizarre is clinging to the religious element when 95% of people have moved on. Christmas hasn’t been about Christianity since the victorians commercialised the whole thing. The Christians co-opted the winter festivals from the 3rd or 4th century CE (so even they ignored it for 400 years) and by the 19th century it had evolved away from religion to almost entirely commercial. Compared to the many millennia that winter festivals existed for before Christianity and after the period it had anything to do with Jesus is just a blip :)

Thing about evolution is its not static, it keeps moving and "Christmas" is moving away from its original meaning to something more like it was pre Christianity
I have attended events around most religions and I was happy to respect the prayers at those event (even if I didn't join in) BUT I wouldn't expect it at a corporate event

We can certainly see your agenda

There are lots of things that people do, which you can observe and take no part in. Had a Muslim taken to the podium at an event and read an Islamic prayer or blessing, I’d have watched/observed and left them to it. No need to get offended or demand an investigation.

Why do people keep talking about paganism and pre-Christianity. People know that Christmas has some roots in Saturnalia, paganism, winter festivals etc. But it evolved to become Christmas.

It’s like having a conversation about stilettos as a symbol of women’s oppression and half the posters banging on that it was men who originally wore high heels.. it’s bizarre.

Introducing religion into a work context when not relevant is never acceptable, in my view.

Also, the origin of Christmas is multi-faceted and much of it comes from pagan and Roman traditions, among others. I thought this was common knowledge!

As soon as I saw the thread I knew it would be a party in the USA.

Loads of American companies have Christian owners and like to shout about it- there's a much bigger market for it over there.

Also, when you look at MAGA, Trump, the move to un-woke or even anti-woke advertising and marketing They're just leaning into the zeitgeist.

Your husband could complain, but if it's the owner or a senior manager who has approved this I wouldn't expect it to get far, and hus card may even be marked as a result.

Kinda a bit like the king or Queens official birthday so...

But it’s not even when he was born so…

I admit I wouldn’t expect to say Grace at a work Christmas party, however on the other hand it is a Christmas (birth of Jesus) party, so, yes. If I went to a Jewish religious work party I would not bat an eye over a Jewish prayer or any religion come to that, I would be respectful and bow my head and go along with it.