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.

How very un-Christian of you 🙄

Matthew 6 5 - 6

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Well, you found the time to post a jibe about it...

Who are you to judge why someone might find someone else performing religion distressing?

Unless you work for a religious organisation then prayers aren’t appropriate in a meeting.

But are you followed by billions of people today throughout the world 😅
It's a choice & not something to impose on people before meetings, especially if they are athiest or uncomfortable in the situation.

That should apply to all religions.

I love the King James Bible. Ever quoteworthy.

Jesus wept.

You should explain that this is awkward and discriminatory towards non Christian staff.
This

I used to work for a Church of England organisation and be married to a vicar.
I'm now rather an atheist. Let her have her prayers, sit quietly and remember red wine in a mug is usually the answer. Helps the illusion if you blow on it.

Teaching job 1. I taught in a Church secondary school. Prayer at end of day with children was ok. Everyone expected it but teaching a practical subject with a deal of packing away meant they were some time forgotten.

But as staff we also had our week of starting the daily staff briefing. First 2 heads - fine. 3rd head less so. Upset a lot of people with her antics and bullying behaviour despite a pious exterior.

So we had Prayer Wars. Prayers with pointed messages. Didn’t change much but it made one, and others in the know, feel a bit better.

For what it’s worth, my mother-in-law says she is a Christian. I can remember going round her house years ago for Sunday dinner with my husband, and other in-laws and she led a prayer at the dinner table before we ate. It happened on at least one occasion, if not more. I am not religious and had to sit through it. She is most definitely left-wing in her beliefs. I know because she’s preached about enough times. She’s also a total hypocrite because she lies, has been unkind to me on numerous occasions and also cheated on my father-in-law. This thread is just intended to have a go at people who don’t vote for left-wing political parties.

Weird comment. I don't get annoyed about public displays of religion, but I do get annoyed with people who have such carefree lives that they take issue with trivial things. I don't see where the inconsistency is.

That's not the King James Bible. The King James Bible is the "ye olde Englishe" version which the Americans love because that type of English sounds holy to them.

The King James Version of that verse is much better - prayers should be in the closet

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Teaching job 2. Secular secondary comprehensive. Technically there should be a collective act of worship every day.

Laws written in different times.

School was approx 66% white, few of any faith. 25% Muslim, mainly male, 10% Hindu. So whatever I did it stood a fair chance of upsetting someone.

I did a thought for the day/quick discussion/chat about events in the news.

New International I would think.

Can you not imagine any circumstances where this might not be trivial? Because many of us can.

I'm american and fairly often perform senior HR functions for a US company. I would be shocked to have anyone bring this up. There are so many things wrong with this. The individual suggesting the prayer time needs HR training ASAP. Suggesting this could result in people feeling discriminated against based on grounds of religion, and people who decline could feel that future events trigger concerns of retaliation for non joining in. Leadership needs to take a strong line against that for the good of the company. I'm sure the person in question is just very religious and wanted to include people in their lifestyle choices, but no, this is simply not an ok suggestion.

Many years ago I worked for an American company. Each day the managers went off to a meeting called morning prayers. I remember thinking have I joined some weird cult! 😂 I later had to go to cover morning prayers it was just a clinical reporting meeting. The actual prayers had been dropped as soon as the American boss had left!

shuggles · Today 20:47

There was no impingement, and no beliefs were imposed on anyone. A woman asked to say a prayer during a meeting, which is not imposing anything on anyone

Yes, it absolutely is an imposition to demand that other people join her in thanking an imaginary being for getting a sex offender elected. It's an imposition to demand that people join in in fantasy conversations with imaginary beings for any reason.

I worked for many years for a long-established firm of City solicitors: the early morning meeting was referred to as "partners' prayers". No actual praying was involved!

@FadedRed

A friend of mine once had a job where all meetings started with prayers, but she was PA to an Archbishop, so not unreasonable really.

That would make an amazing drip-feed.

Love your thinking.

Like she could really go to town with this if she can keep a straight face. Closed eyes and a bit of swaying maybe? 😂

I dunno. I'd say that can still be considered private, as everyone is there for the same purpose. it's more about the praying to be SEEN to be praying if that makes sense.
I'm Pagan, and have taken part in group rituals, but wouldn't just do them out in the open in a preachy way. because it's my path. with others on the same path, it's not the same as me announcing, right, now I'm going to bless this meal in front of everyone, look how holy I am.

yeah, it's not like they're expecting anyone else to stop working while they do it, or join in. that's a requirement of their religion, that is being allowed for by employers, and not impacting anyone else as long as it doesn't take too much time out of their working day.