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.

Have you a HR to bring this too? It’s wildly inappropriate. Personally I would refuse to attend any work meeting where someone was allowed to force their religious beliefs on me.

A Hail Mary would tip her over the edge. She’s in one of those evangelical type, the pope is a false prophet type churches.

I'm very lapsed Catholic and wouldn't take too kindly to being led in prayer by a Catholic hater.

Looks like she's gonna piss everyone off. Fun times. 😀

to everyone saying respect cultural differences, this is not an accepted practice in the United States. Group prayer during meetings does not happen in secular workplaces. It would happen at a religious school, a church, or a faith-based charity, but not a regular workplace.

there may be a space at the office where people can go pray or reflect. My own office has a room that has the compass directions marked, enough floor space if someone wanted to be on the ground, a nice chair, and some comfy poof things. You could kneel towards Mecca, say a Catholic prayer, meditate, or just take a few quiet minutes to yourself.

My husband works for one of the big 4 banks and they have done some bat shit stuff in the name of inclusion but I don't think they would even try this. Although all the us employees had the day off yesterday, but maybe it was a public holiday

I hope so, long overdue. We shouldn’t still be beholden to Henry or Cromwell’s (either of them) shenanigans, as if any of it had much to do with the faith side of it all anyway. They got their land and trinkets. Time to move on.

Totally inappropriate.

I am a practising Christian but would never want this at a work meeting. I would respect my colleagues’ feelings and expect them to do the same for mine. There is no place for any public prayers, to any deity, that are right in this meeting.

She is in the wrong, her beliefs are hers and hers alone.

She is riding on Trump’s coat tails.

Most people aren't atheists and don't agree belief can be split from their being, whether in the workplace or not. People can't leave thier beliefs or philosophies at the door.

Just go along with it and then move on if you don't like it.

You are right to object to starting a business meeting with a Christian prayer, or any prayer. It's not inclusive, it's not appropriate and it's not necessary.

Who she voted for is completely irrelevant but it's interesting and very telling that you felt the need to set the whole AIBU about the prayer up with a moan about her being a Trump supporter.

I wonder if you'd be making so much of a fuss about the prayer if she'd been a Democrat?

she wanted, quote ‘More money in my pocket book and illegals dealt with’.

Has anyone in the history of elections ever voted for less money in their pocket and more illegal immigrants coming in and going undealt with? I doubt it.

They can have it in their soul/brains/body and it will likely inform their actions or decisions in some ways but they can keep the performance of it to the appropriate venues.

WTF? No way, totally inappropriate for a professional setting.

She doesn't need to leave them at the door. She just needs to keep them in her head for the duration of the call. Much like her colleagues who think she's a Trumpet lovin', dingbat, bigoted MAGA twat will be keeping THOSE thoughts in their heads too. 🙂

I think you need to ask your manager about running this “harmless’ prayer by the uk legal team, as forced observation of religion is likely to be against the law. Would she check this with a UK based lawyer/HR and pass their legal opinion back to you.

i think you might find it becomes too much work, and no longer harmless.

The US is very religious and very Christian centric.

Ah this is interesting!

Many years ago I worked for an organisation who was the customer to an American organisation.

At the end of a long series of activities we had a "wash up" meeting which was led by a manager who was slightly higher grade than those we'd been dealing with.

He suggested that we started the meeting with a prayer! Cue lots of raised eyebrows but we let him get on with it. Very bizarre.

May your colleague is having an evangelical moment? Not that that excuses it, but nothing surprised me when working there (in the south/bible belt of the USA in my case).

How frustrating. What utter nonsense. I wonder if the project hadn’t been a success who would have been blamed for its failure?

And what about those of a different belief to the person leading the prayer? Should they just go along with it, even if it is against their own beliefs / philosophies?

I think you need to 100% respect this co-workers religious belief, I also think you need to 100% attend the meeting dressed like this @Iamthewintersale

More people in UK are atheist than believe in God: report | World

I'd like to think that in this situation, I would say or email directly to the prayerful one: "As an atheist, I will join the meeting after the prayers" and then I would wait outside the meeting until that bit was done. At least that way I'm staying true to my own beliefs without trying to control anyone else.

It would seriously fuck me off though and I'd have to rise above the irritation I'd have at the colleague who thought they could dictate prayers in a meeting.

I think yabu and your judgement is clouded by her political views. You shouldn't be forced to join in prayer but should respectfully sit quietly whilst those who want to participate do.

Isn't it funny that we all agree that this is totally inappropriate. And yet all of our children have prayers every day at school... not that that's appropriate either but no one kicks up a stink about it.

Parents are allowed to withdraw their children from collective worship (which is what prayers would be) at school, though.

Most people aren't atheists and don't agree belief can be split from their being, whether in the workplace or not. People can't leave thier beliefs or philosophies at the door.

No-one expects them to. But they should internalize it and not pressure others to join in with worship in the workplace. It's completely inappropriate and unprofessional. Absolutely no way should anyone feel they should just 'go along with it' for an easy life and to indulge this sort of nonsense.

Any religion or religious ideology has no place in the work environment. Yes, your beliefs are part of your identity, but you can keep those to yourself, at work, otherwise it could potentially make others around you feel uncomfortable. I am lapsed and an atheist but have learned to keep those views, at work, to myself. No one should have to be forced to go along with having to take part in any one’s prayers.

I'd say that if it's the first thing on the agenda, and someone is going to lead the prayer, then staff who feel that praying during office hours and during a meeting, can join said meeting after the prayer.
The person saying the prayer doesn't have to like it, but they do have to accept it, just as the people who don't want to listen to the prayer have to accept that this may be a thing now but they also don't have to attend morning prayer.