Does anyone else think that religion is a bit of an odd protected characteristic?

[ADHDPI]

I may be way off the mark here as it is only a thought that has popped into my head just now.

As an atheist, I have quite strong feelings about religion and find it all quite bizarre and absurd. However, if I said that to someone religious in my office I could potentially be sacked due to criticism of their protected characteristic.

I just don't feel it is the same as saying a similar comment about disability, ethnicity, sex etc. Of course I don't think anyone should be actively discriminated against because of their religion, but no more so than because of the colour of someone's eyes. It doesn't effect anyone else. It's more the fact that I as an atheist cannot voice my opinion about religion without insulting a protected characteristic and vice versa.... Yet its generally OK to believe that God doesn't exist. Odd!

Thoughts? Have I missed something? Am I being far too black and white here?

There is a state religion.

There is a state religion.
But no one should now be privileged by belonging to it or discriminated against for not belonging, that's the point.

Of course, there's still some shameful exceptions around schools admissions (I live in an area with a ludicrous excess of faith schools), but we have the freedom to campaign about our children being discriminated against at least.

Nobody's trying to "cancel" anyone from history. What point were you trying to make about parents' right to choose a nanny who won't actively teach a religion the parents don't follow, with the particular fact you selected? The proselytising angle is that you selected this historical story to tell, in this particular context, and you had a motive for doing so.

Using childcare is not farming out kids ffs.

i think it depends.. i'm Pagan, and a practising Witch, i'm always happy to discuss religion/faith/belief if people have questions.

However, i DO have a right to be protected at work from Christians who want to call me a Satanist, or leave evil eyes/crosses on my desk, or tell me they'll pray for me to save me from the Devil, or refusing to include me in things, or refuse promotions or opportunities because of my faith.. all which are things which HAVE happened in the past.

As you indeed have a motive for writing what are you did of course!

Obviously. My motive is that I think it's okay for people to decide not to employ a person as a nanny to help raise their children, if that person intends to train the children in a religion the parents don't share (and I'm backed up by the law in that), and that I wanted to draw out from you what you thought about that.

Your motive in posting a carefully-selected lovely positive story about a person who credited their philanthropy to a nanny who taught them to be a Christian was… what?

Your motive in posting a carefully-selected lovely positive story about a person who credited their philanthropy to a nanny who taught them to be a Christian was… what?

That sometimes farming out kids can work out well?

It was just giving a point of view - like you were just giving a point of view! I don’t see why you must be so jumpy that everyone who gives a different point of view over the Internet must be accused of proselytising

Mmhmm, and what was the point of view? What was the point that you were using the example to illustrate?

Just to counter your point that the Christian faith is not the negative force sone people were making it out to be. I can give you dozens of examples if you like but I might be accused of proselytising. Just trying to balance the books a bit

Yep. OP, you are massively missing the point. Belief in religion may be 'bizarre' when taken out of context, but religion is deeply rooted in sociology, culture, history, ethnicity and many other aspects of life. In addition to which, freedom of belief is a basic human right. How about if I was sacked for distributing Christmas cards? Are people still allowed to wear crosses? Should Muslims be forced to eat pork? What if they are vegetarian? Your argument breaks down almost immediately. So yes, as a fellow atheist, YABU. Don't be ridiculous.

I've said absolutely nothing about whether Christianity is a negative force.

It's interesting that you perceive a defence of parents' right to raise their child according to their own beliefs, and their right not to employ someone who actively teaches their child practices from other religions, as anti-Christian.

I wonder why, in the UK, you would think that a stance against parents being required to allow others to impose different religious teachings on their children is an attack on Christianity specifically.