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.

Just no and I say this as a practising Christian. This is not appropriate at all in the workplace.

I’m a Christian and if someone put prayer on the agenda for a meeting in my workplace I would contact HR (and I would contact them LOUDLY)

It’s NOT harmless, it’s performative and othering and open to terrible abuse.

Someone who would suggest something so inappropriate is not above highly manipulative nonsense during the prayer.

I work in a church so we get a lot of prayer (and I love it) but there's no way I would force it on people.

Gosh. This all sounds so unbelievable. So very unbelievable. How strange.

Excellent!

People asking what harm it does, or saying just let her, are drastically missing the point.
In your opinions this may be a small thing - but it's a breach of the Equality Act 2010. It's also a breach of Fundamental British Values. So this time it's "just a prayer" - but erosion starts as "just a drop".
It doesn't matter that it's "just a prayer" - it's divisive, and inappropriate.

Absolutely agree!

My entire department happens to be Catholic, pure coincidence, but I’d object if one of them wanted to do prayers at the start of a meeting. It’s just not appropriate in my workplace, plus I had plenty of forced attendance at mass/prayers as a child.

In U.K, I think you could legally decline on belief or non belief grounds.

It comes across like they're asserting some power or dominance. Same reason why I don't think like pronoun introduction nonsense. It's mostly to designed to reinforce their idea that they are righteous, and out anyone who is a dissenter.

Anglican priest here. Completely inappropriate - complain to HR.

Also when did you have extensive religious discussions with your entire UK team btw to determine their agnosticism? I find that almost as surprising as a multinational American company putting prayer on the agenda? Because to the untrained observer this reads like it was written by someone who knows exactly nothing about American companies and nothing about normal behavior in the UK.

Quietly murmur "Allahu Akhbar" throughout the prayer.

This!

Totally inappropriate. Tell them to let you and your team know once they have finished praying and are ready to work and then you will join the meeting.

I think most people know if their close colleagues follow a specific religion, don’t they? And if it hasn’t come up in conversation then it’s a fair assumption someone is non-religious.

I remember going to a meeting with councillors at my borough council over a planning application - it was open to the public. The meeting started with one of the councillors, a rabbi, saying a prayer. It was a surprise to me but just thought it must be a traditional practice.

Are the Houses of Parliament a workplace? There is a prayer said in both houses, but participation is voluntary. Shouldn't that practise be scrapped entirely given the multitudes of faiths and none represented there, even if joining in is not mandatory?

It starts at the top. Not sure of the drill in the House of Reps or the Senate in the US.

No, not at all. I might know if someone is a Muslim because they follow certain dress or take specific holidays off but a Christian? Not a chance. Most people celebrate Christmas and most people don't discuss their religion at work. I know a friend at work is a Christian because we've discussed it in privately out of work but I wouldn't have a clue about anyone else.

I certainly don't know how she's had these conversations about "illegals" with this woman repeatedly in America over work zoom meetings?

The OP is just your standard anti American nonsense that MN eats up regardless of how absolutely idiotic it is. "So far so Maga" "'Merica" etc. it's blatantly ridiculous and makes no sense but won't stop ten pages of people believing it.

I'm a Christian and I pray but would never expect this in the workplace. Anyone who wants to pray can do so privately without imposing their beliefs on others.

https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/prayers/?id=32625

This is plain silly. Just say no. As previously said it's "performative religion". US guarantees separation of church & state. That includes the workplace.

I am a Brit living in the US. Its very cringe and wholly inappropriate but doesn't really surprise me.

The number of times I have been "blessed" by strangers.

What? Trump isn’t even religious. It’s all fake news to woo ‘religious’ idiots.
just say no not doing it. My religion of the spaghetti flying monster forbids it. Or something.
Also remind her the first commandment includes ‘Thou shall not have strange gods before me’. In relation to her adoration of Trump.

Parliament is a workplace but those taking part in the Prayers are not employees of the workplace!

What state do you live in?

No. This lets "them" prevail.

That's how we are ending up with a right-wing, superstition-fueled, authoritarian world. Because the non-batshit are too polite and too tolerant of those who are trying to force their religion, bigotry and extreme ideologies ologies into the public sphere.

Call your Human Resources department and escalate.

Good on you OP. I assumed this thread might be about fundamental Muslims, as I'd just been on one. & this is a reminder that any fundamental religion is dangerous , depending on degree as to how dangerous. We need to keep an eye on the Christian Nationalists, and no inch should be given. They don't want secularism, they homeschool children in extreme ways (I support homeschooling btw), they support male authority & female obedience, some even want the vote going & marital rape to be allowed (look at Phyllis Schlafly's views on marital rape, & she wasn't that extreme compared to Christian Nationalists).
I'm an agnostic, I still attend church & value religion for many things, but Marx was right on some things, to some extreme extent it can def be a dangerous drug.

Go into a 10-minute Hare Krishna mantra. They won't do it again. 😆