To have objected to ‘prayers’ at work

[Iamthewintersale]

Will try to keep this brief… Work in a team of 12, 6 in U.K. and 6 in USA ( mid-west) and once a week we have a team meeting that we take turns in running.

Tomorrow is the turn of A. A is a Republican, church goer, voted Trump because she wanted, quote ‘More money in my pocket book and illegals dealt with’.
So far so MAGA. This came up pre-election as she’s the only Trump fan on the team and was open about it.

On the agenda for the meeting is ‘Prayer’ as point one. I pinged manager a note saying what?? A thinks it would be nice to start off with a prayer. As a team. I have asked for it to be OFF the agenda. US manager thinks it’s ‘harmless’ but has said will clarify.

AIBU to think it’s totally inappropriate??? I’m an atheist for a start, most of my U.K. team are the same or at least agnostic.

Seems weird that she’s never tried this before, but suddenly Trump ‘god saved me to MAGA’ is inaugurated and a team prayer is in the agenda.
We are a large global company, BTW, not some local mom & pop outfit that sells bibles…

YANBU - work is secular. She keeps her views and prayers to herself own time.

YABU - lighten up, what harm can it do.

I'm a Christian and I would never dream of putting a prayer on schedule for a work meeting. Totally inappropriate to assume that others would want to do this. Honestly, do you have any team members of other religions to offer leading the team in prayer of their own next time? As I bet she would lose her shit if they even suggested it!

Totally unhinged to even suggest it.

as forced observation of religion is likely to be against the law

It's against the law in the US as well. Employees cannot be compelled to participate in prayer or any type of religious observance in the course of their employment.

It would be reasonable to inform this person's manager that your team will be online for the actual start of the work meeting and that any praying should take place before the "official" start of the meeting. In other words she can pray if she wants to but you and your colleagues cannot be compelled to participate.

I wouldn’t join in.
I’d probably be willing to sit quietly while those who want to do their payer, do it.

Somebody being pro-Trump at work would drive me insane!

It was Martin Luther King day yesterday. A public holiday.

None of the kids of my acquaintances have prayer at school for decades, unless they go to a faith school. To have a place at a CoE/catholic/etc school in the UK parents have to evidence that they are adherents (christening certificates etc) and therefore explicitly consent to their children participating in prayers/religious festivals. All other schools hold secular assemblies.

This is hilarious! I'm commenting purely to have a reminder to check back on here tomorrow for an update on what happened! Utterly batshit! That's Americans for you though!

This is nothing to do with work though, should we all respectfully sit quietly wasting valuable time while colleagues indulge in their own personal pastimes?

That is totally out of order. I’m agnostic/a-religious, but don’t mind people praying for me. On the contrary, I find it deeply touching - and who knows?... But, I’m fiercely against people imposing their views on others. I even think it should be illegal to instil religious beliefs in children. I’d equally oppose teaching them to be atheists.

Actually, you don't need to be a Christian, practising or otherwise, for your kids to get a place at a faith school.

Although, if such a school is oversubscribed, that is one of the criteria that can be used to allocate places.

Totally agree - this is me also.

As you’ve already queried it, ask the colleague who texted you to reply to the agenda circulation with “is item 1 a typo?”

really very inappropriate.

YANBU. Unless your organisation is clearly identified as a religious organisation (ie a Christian charity or place of worship?) then no, the religious views of one employee should not be forced upon the rest of the team.

I doubt they would expect Muslim or Jewish colleagues to join in with their Christian prayers, so I don’t see why they think it is ok to make an atheist do it

@Iamthewintersale just tell your manager and cc A that you do not mix religion with work and that this is a secular meeting. that you will NOT be participating and that either the prayer is removed from the agenda or someone can ping you when the meeting proper is about to start.

I would be raising an objection with managers.

Whatever goes in the USA prayers, doubtless of the Christian form, have no place in the workplace.

The world's going to turn into the Handmaid's tale soon. Of course YANBU. Why do people feel it's okay to impose their religious or spiritual beliefs on others I have no idea, especially in work environment.

I am religious and think this is outrageous! Very offensive to have it imposed and especially for anyone who doesn't follow the same sect or religion or has no religion

As this prayer is totally irrelevant to your work (I assume) I can't see how the manager / organiser of the meeting is allowing it.

It's nothing to do with freedom of religion or appropriateness, it's just completely out id context.

Why don't you ask to sing a football song the next time a We never walk alone or something similar?

Totally inappropriate. And as a pp said there are laws about this.
I am religious but would never do and wouldn't participate. Honestly I'd take it further depending what the manager says. It is not appropriate in the work place.

Trump has nothing to do with it.
Many religious individuals want prayers to be allowed at the workplace, such as muslims and I doubt they are pro Trump.
But no, nobody should be imposing their religion on others.

I work for a team that has people dotted about the world, we make every effort to acknowledge any religious celebrations, we send mass emails, people share photos of them and their families celebrating etc.

That said it would be completely inappropriate for anyone of any faith to start praying in a meeting - its very odd, are you supposed to just sit there or is there an expectation to join in??

If she insists, ask if you can do a pagan prayer at the next meeting.

Love it!

On a further note, religion needs to be kept out of the office/work place.

My actual school song (but we didn't do it with the Lloyd Webber tune). Starting a meeting with a prayer is totally inappropriate.

I am not fiercely anti-religion the way the OP and many others may be but apart from anything else, I would find it distracting from my work and the business of the meeting. And I cannot understand why people need to form private religious associations in the workplace but apparently they do.

You could either put up with it - that famous tolerance we're supposed to exemplify - or make your point and objection. But if religious belief or expression of it is not to be tolerated in the workplace, that calls into question the enforcement of other kinds of belief or practice one may be signed up to because considered 'a good thing', for instance the celebrated doctrine of 'd'. And might not participating in religious prayer be an instance of celebrating the 'd'?

On the particulate point (predictive text?) I strongly suspect that if forced to participate the OP might combust and turn into a mass of particulates.

Agree, but they prioritise those of faith when allocating places and implicit within that is the fact that it is a school where the faith colours the education - and prayers will be said in assemblies? Either way, you are consenting to a religious education and prayers?

But the fact is, prayers have not been said in most schools on a daily basis for decades, even at a faith school [my DD went to one 10-15 yrs ago and assembly was once a week, in fact so did I 45-50 years ago and likewise, one assembly a week, sometimes in the church next door 🤷🏻‍♀️].