Would you think someone wearing a crucifix at work was religious?

[BeatricePortinari]

Or would you think it was just fashion jewellery, or maybe sentimental?

Would you care and would you judge them (good or bad) in any way?

I wear a crucifix, it has family links but I'm also a Christian.

At work there have been some passing derogatory comments about religion/ religious people.
I wonder whether my crucifix has been noticed and what they think it represents?

This thread is very reassuring to me as actually people are much more tolerant than I thought they would be.
I am a Christian and no one at work knows. I wouldn’t be confident to wear a cross (I am a TA).
The reason I would not wear a cross/crucifix is because I feel the UK is so hostile to Christians. You only need to look at a religion thread on MN to see the intolerance and anti-Christianity comments. I fear that if I wear a crucifix all those same sentiments will be directed at me.
I realise people will just say they have the right to criticise and ridicule Christians (you rarely see it against other religions) but insulting something that I deeply love is hurtful to me (it would be like someone ridiculing a much loved parent) so I keep my faith secret and show no outward signs.

Got halfway through reading and gave up when it was clear even the OP doesn't know the difference between a crucifix and a cross.

I was in a gay bar in Amsterdam some years ago and hadn’t immediately noticed it was a gay bar. The manager was wearing half a crucifix, so the crucified Jesus without the cross. That’s when I noticed Mr Gay NL posters on the way

I wouldn’t give it a second thought, whether it was religious or fashion. As for derogatory comments from colleagues unnecessary and I would be telling them so and if I felt it necessary HR.

That's sad. I get it though. Something that I'm getting my head around is really accepting that I have as much right to my own views as anyone else. My colleagues know I'm a Christian but there have been certain issues at work that I have been nervous about speaking out on, rather than disclosing my faith itself. Its so important to move away from the 'fear of man' but its so hard! I recommend rereading Acts of The Apostles for courage.

I don't feel the need to raise anything with HR.

I was just curious about how they might interpret my cross.

I do think there is a group assumption that no one in the team is religious. It's a group of white middle class professionals and I think there is an assumption we're all a bit above 'that nonsense'.

The comments just reflect that assumption really, and derogatory is probably overstating it, it's more just an assumption we all think it's nonsense.

I thought you said it was a crucifix? So not quite the same as a cross I think.

It's a cross.

I clarified this earlier.

I don’t think it’s up there with a loaves and fishes car sticker. I wouldn’t necessarily assume anything.

As an ex-catholic myself; yes, of course I would assume that someone wearing a crucifix was religious, and probably in quite a big way. Why else would they make a public statement by wearing one?
What I wouldn’t do is comment on it because that person’s religion is none of my business.

I had a new boss who made fun of schools in Middle Eastern countries for not celebrating Halloween. She scoffed that they thought its a pagan festival, in a kind of 'how silly' way. The assumption seemed to be that nobody on her staff was religious because nobody wore a hijab, so we could all laugh along with her. As a Christian, I absolutely don't celebrate Halloween and immediately felt that I couldn't ever speak to her about my faith. I don't mean to evangelise, but just generally. I've had to speak to colleagues before about certain issues which has been completely fine, but I knew where my boss stood.

Yeah, my problem is I struggle with non-specific information. I can't make it useful. I think what OP wrote can be interpreted as what I wrote below, I have no evidence otherwise.

Like: who would would still go to church??
I imagine a jokey, "hey, isn't it a dreary long time sitting Shiva, I can't do it again!" type comment. "And then some jerk pinched my bottom at the al-Hajar al-Aswad, I swear I'm telling every woman never to go on Hajj or near the mosque!" etc.

Or hating Christian music.
"My gran I love her but she only wants the dreariest hymns at grandad's funeral, he was such a lively guy and that music will put such a downer on his life, I hate it, such a wrong way to remember him." : that type of comment you mean?

A dismissive attitude of it's all old fashioned nonsense.
MNers are always dissing circumcision, it's a pretty old-fashioned practice, arguably nonsensical and morally wrong when demanded by a religion. That's what you meant?

I wear a cross because I am Christian, I stopped wearing it for a time after miscarriage and a family death because I lost my faith. I now wear it again now it has been restored. My mil is very derogatory about my faith and anti Catholic/Christians but wears a cross which really irritates me, but everything about that ghastly woman does so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cruicifixes, i.e. those with a Jesus on them, are usually worn by catholics/high church anglicans
Plain crosses usually tther christian religions
But yes, it is obviously religious

Religion is a protected characteristic under equality legislation, so it would in fact be illegal for you to suffer any comments you found insulting or derogatory about your religion in your workplace.

the whole point of equality legislation is that people don’t need to put up with bigoted crap from others in their workplace, be that related to sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.

FYI The hand of Fatima/Hamsa Hand has significance across the Middle East to Jews and Muslims, and historically, Christians as well.

I wouldn't assume anything either way with the wearing of the cross/crucifix because I grew up in the states and I new plenty of people that were them that were only socially religious or for cultural reasons.

Now if someone has an Ichthys on their car in the UK I would assume they were religious.

I'm in England. Where aren't people allowed to show their faith?
I'm not sure what 'proclaiming' (aka informing of) your pronouns has to do with anything.

I'd assume they were religious and I wouldn't care. I also don't care about other visible signs of religion such as headscarves. I am happy to wish my colleagues a Merry Xmas, Eid Mubarak, Happy Diwali, etc...

You do you!

I have a huge cross pendant that i sometimes wear. It's a beautiful piece.

I'm an atheist