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 have had this in the UK. Not on the agenda, just a team meeting when the team leader ended with a prayer. It was when I temped at Social Services - Older Adults. I just remained silent while those who wanted to bowed their heads.

My sympathies to you. People who remember singing the primary school bangers and say ‘but it’s only a wee prayer’ have no bloody idea do they. Faith can take all sorts of forms and I’m down with that. But the organised gangs, with their big books of rules, restrictions, performances and punishments can get tae fuck. I will fight them.

This would be a hill I was willing to die on

Crazy behaviour! I work in a field with a diverse group and we have staff members who take time out to pray during the working day and we respect that but they also respect the fact that it’s not our religion and don’t expect everyone to down tools and pray either!! It’s such a personal thing and shouldn’t be forced on anyone

Massively inappropriate. Isn’t this an issue for HR?

I work in a Catholic school, so obviously it’s different, but our meetings start with a prayer and I find that weird. I’m fine to do it in assembly or when being a role model for the kids, but I sit quietly and don’t join in during the staff meeting ones as it feels daft.

No, just sitting silently while they pray is not an acceptable alternative, neither is having to absent yourself from the start of the meeting to make a point - you miss out on the greetings and chit chat which some people find important for relationship building while they wait for you to rejoin. By praying as a group in a meeting with people who don't share their beliefs, your colleague is basically saying My beliefs that this meeting is blessed by a higher power we should express love and thanks for is a valuable use of time and deserves to take up your time. I don't want my time pointlessly taken up by worship for a deity I don't believe in and my lack of belief should not be used to 'other' me by me clearly choosing not to participate. If colleague wants to take time to pray in private beforehand she is free to do so.She does not get to push her beliefs that her way of life is superior into a secular work environment.

Just say you don’t believe in god so won’t be joining in with the prayer. How hard can it be? Your post seems more aimed at having a dig at people who voted Republican than the meeting to be honest so I voted YABU. And I can almost guarantee (due to the scale of the win) that there are others on the team who voted for Trump but will remain silent about it due to the vitriol and hysteria they would face from their left-leaning friends and colleagues.

"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story" - Mark Twain

Carry on, Mumsnet. 😂

I don’t know what Trump has to do with it, but I won’t participate in anyone else’s religion just to appease them, and I’m not afraid
to express that.

I would rather resign from a six figure salary than be compelled to say a prayer to any deity.

I would make it very clear, if it is going ahead, as how long it will take and log on afterwards. Religious people have no right to inflict their beliefs on others.

I would be questioning the management if they allow it to go ahead. What if everyone wanted to waste time by doing something? Last week you could have all been asked to bring along pots and pans to bash together for a wassailing moment. Admittedly far more fun than a prayer but equally divisive and might upset any non-pagans.

I went to a school where we prayed several times a day and it became meanless. The older I got the more I hated the performative nature of it.

Hopefully the line manager listens and if she wants to do it in the states for her US colleagues then she can if the others want to she can set a voluntary meeting request prior to the meeting!

Agree it had no place in the workplace unless your working in a religious school, are a minister or you work for a religious charity etc.

Nothing, it’s just an excuse to have a dig at people who voted Republican. In fact I’m not even convinced it’s real.

If the Christians get to impose their nonsense beliefs/prayers in meetings, then equality demands that so should others. The Zoroastrians have some nice short prayers.

Oh crikey, i also work for an American global company and this BS would not be tolerated. No religion would be performed in this way for fear of upsetting other faiths in the meeting. Its surely an written rule??! In a world where its not PC to say “merry Christmas” for fear of upsetting others, im struggling to see how management can authorise this!

Oh they exist, for sure.

Just not so conveniently for the pleasure of whipping up Trump supporting outrage the day after said president is inaugurated. With all the required tick boxes.

But if you want to make someone's day, keep believing! It almost requires faith!

There is absolutely no way this would be allowed in my workplace.

I was once in a slightly similar situation. When it was my turn to host the meeting, I played «God» by John Lennon…

I think you need to let people know you follow the Greco/Roman gods and require a priest to sacrifice a bull before the meeting and also that an augur needs to decree if the meeting can go ahead or if the gods are against it.

Oh bloody hell. We’ve wandered into the land of you can’t say nuffin these days. Reversing my ferret. Peace out.

Tell her you support the separation of church and state and as such will not participate in any prayer activity at work.

DH worked in Nigeria and they used to start meetings with a prayer. He just sucked it up. At one meeting they asked him to do the prayer, but he refused that. I've been at meals where people say grace I just bow my head and don't join in.

Has she seen what the pope thinks of Trump and his “un-Christian acts”?

I'm a Christian and I would feel very uncomfortable with this. It is not appropriate for a professional setting.