Boss told me off for exclaiming Jesus Christ

[GloMum]

The other day my boss told me off for exclaiming Jesus Christ when I was surprised during a work meeting. Boss told me it’s rude towards people from different religions and asked me if I’d done my DEI training. I have, and I enjoy friendships with colleagues from varied backgrounds. I feel really stressed now in case I slip again, and embarrassed I should be told off.

YABU - This is an inappropriate exclamation at work
YANBU - It’s just an exclamation and you shouldn’t be told off for that.

I’m an atheist with no religious upbringing so may have missed some information along the way, but Jesus isn’t anyone’s Mum? Weird analogy.

We make a conscious effort not to say it at work as one of our team is a Christian and it upsets her. What isn't a big deal to some people is to others.

Blasphemy IS insulting someone's religion.

Business are actually allowed to dictate standards of acceptable behaviour including language to their employees. And it's quite normal for a person's language and behaviour to be different in a work context to what they do and say amongst friends or in casual social situations.

That's nice for him, but the vast majority of black people DO find the N word extremely offensive, and wouldn't ignore it or laugh it off if a white person called them it or said it in front of them.

why ?

Jesus Christ! Is something I say all the time. Also Jesus fucking Christ! I was raised a Catholic, convent school educated (now proud atheist), and think anyone that takes offence is an uppity twat.
I had Irish parents so taking the lord’s name in vain is very normal and something I love about dyed in the wool Catholics. I don’t associate with anyone that would take offence, mind. The uppity CofE ‘Christians’ in my village would undoubtedly think it terribly un-Christian, but they are the very worst types and their opinions count for nowt.

It was a donkey. Please don't mis-vehicle Jesus.

"Jesus fucking Christ all fucking mighty." Was my ex bosses favourite expression, say it in a thick yorkshireish accent.

When did we start treating "I'm offended" as some kind of holy status that must be capitulated to and bent over for?

I have never felt offended in my life and have no idea what the pain of offense is like. I assume it feels like trapping your nipple's in the door of a 1998 Vauxhall Nova whilst a rabid ferret chews on your piss flaps.
I can't see why else the world is so terrified of causing offense to some cunts.

Bollocks they can! 😂

There is no law that supports your assertion so feck off with your made-up nonsense.

Indeed.

Not at all. As I said upthread, if you've been following it, it's very strange for somebody to exclaim the name of somebody who is supposedly very precious to them in a negative or angry way.

Similarly, if another person used the name of somebody who is very dear to you in your earshot, when they bash their thumb with a hammer or drop and smash their phone.

It's immaterial whether that somebody is your God, your Mum, your Husband, your Daughter or anybody.

How old are you OP? 12?

Seriously, grow up. No one needs to swear in life at all. It's a learned practice. You can unlearn it, especially for formal settings like work.

There was a time when that would have been considered very offensive in this country. I'm not a devout Christian but I don't like sweary people at work. It makes them seem shovey and aggressive. It says something about your tone and personality. I'd take your boss's advice onboard.

Blasphemous to you, maybe. I don't believe in this particular god, or any of the others, therefore blasphemy doesn't exist to me. I can't be compelled to moderate my speech so that it complies with a made-up set of rules and to avoid "blaspheming" against something that doesn't exist to me. That's ridiculous.

I have to say that, it's a poor religion that cannot take criticism from within or without, and the three major Abrahamic religions of the world in particular have much to answer for in our common history.
if we want to criticise any facet of these faiths, and there is certainly much to hold up to the light, we should be able to.
It's not 'hateful', and not even blasphemous, to point out and condemn abuses within the Christian churches, or how Orthodox Judaism and some parts of Islam regard women and their rights.

https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/blasphemy-laws-factsheet/

I've got a proper potty mouth but I manage to rein it in at work and even I wouldn't say Jesus Christ. It's out of order.

You need to turn your casual-swearing filter on when you're at work.

On the contrary. Business can have (and define) all sorts of professional standards including things like no blasphemy and no swearing and people can (and have been) dismissed for not following them. There have been plenty of employment tribunals to test and prove the idea. You might not be up in court for your language in the workplace but you can well be out of a job.

Try going to an Islamic country, saying something blasphemous about Allah and see if saying "blasphemy doesn't exist to me" helps you.

Er, so this must be why Italians never say Mamma mia?
And they are not talking about Mary...

Nobody is saying that you can't criticise religions, if you have actual points that you want to make.

It's just that exclaiming the name of a God or Prophet whom many people hold precious, in place of a swear word, is not criticism - many more than shouting "Your Mum!" At somebody in the schoolyard is intelligent debate or sensibly raising points of concern.

What a dull work culture you have there OP. Perhaps ask if there is a policy on suitable exclamations so you don’t misstep.

I used to work in The City and quite frankly, if you hadn’t heard someone being referred to as ‘a fucking cunt’ by 8am there was probably something seriously wrong. I liked it. Get your anger and frustration out there. It’s just words.

When you work in a corporate environment you absolutely can be compelled to moderate your speech. You can join in with the rules or fuck off and work somewhere else.

FFS. We're a secular society. Your boss is at fault for telling you off.

We are heading down a very dark road indeed when religion follows us into every building we walk into, not just church.

pretty outrageous you actually need to ask. .Especially if dei done. .Regardless of which angle deems it offensive,.religion,blsphemy,make a fuss bout everything .Would you want your toddler. to say it. might help determine the bit your. missing.
shite fuck bollcks prob not ideal either. Prob even if continue not see issue,accountability n apology might be a consideration.