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.

Anglican Christians don't bother themselves with offence like this.

You do know that Muslims consider JC to be a prophet too? In fact, Islam and Christianity are pretty much the same. And, of course, JC, being from the Middle East, would look more like Bin Laden than Bjorn Borg.

I would have suggested you keep your language professional and avoid swearing and anything that anyone might find dodgy. In a ‘bye the way’ sort of way.

(Atheist free speech advocate with experience of formal and informal work situation)

Are you? That's weird. A few millennia of religious influence on a language tends to stuck around for quite a while. Even goodbye is a contraction of God be with you.

I'm an atheist, but I would ask a member of staff not to use any sort of expletive in a work meeting.

"All religions should be treated with respect "

Why? Consider a popular one that claims their holy book is the source of all morals (theirs is the only true religion. All the others are lies - probably spread by Satan). They have a long history of torturing people to death for following the wrong religion.

Their moral holy book requires believers to kill gays on sight.

Its biggest human hero the father of the whole religion got the job because he tied up his own son and was about to cut his throat to impress god. That is why they call them Abrahamic religions.

(he didn't have to do it in the end, but was specifically picked because he was the kind of man who would do that.)

Would anyone here invite him to babysit?

It has a beloved prophet of god offended by being called 'Baldy' by some kids and who prayed and had god send some bears to rip the children to pieces. 2 Kings 2:23-24

It tells of how a Pharaoh was being defiant so to teach him a lesson God sneaked into every bedroom in the kingdom and murdered the oldest child. It even gloats a bit one how much wailing there'll be when the mothers find their dead kids in the morning. Exodus 12:29-30

So when someone from that religion says to me "respect my religion" I am deeply offended that they thought I was so bereft of morals/decency that I'd feel anything but contempt for it.

Laugh it off and start using weird derivations like-

Jeezum Crow
Jumpin Jehoossphats
Geez
Gee
Sheez
Gee-wiz
Jeez wizard
cripes
Jeepers
by Jingo
Jeezers
bejeezers
Jiminy Cricket
Jumpin Christmas (might upset boss)
jumping Catfish
Jeepers Creepers
Jeezy Creezy

etc

DP got in trouble for using the c-word at work, and just started saying “clown” instead. Boss still got angry … but calling someone a clown not bad enough to call HR. .

Funny how the expression DEI suddenly seeps to be cropping up everywhere....

It's never really been acceptable ime but I'm old.

I would find this upsetting/offensive and if I heard it at work I'd have a quiet word with the colleague who said it, asking them not to do that in the workplace again. Religious discrimination is not acceptable at work, ever, no matter which religion it is.

Meeting was just between me and the manager who as I said is not Christian. Some weeks ago boss themselves said “Guys, if we don’t deliver well on this, I’ll smack you” which I found quite patronising and rude. Perhaps I’m just a bit upset about being picky about other people’s choice of words but not minding your own.

and eeh blasphemy I can understand but this is in no way religious discrimination.

I'd have rolled my eyes at you and laughed tbh OP. You should have asked your boss to write you a list of acceptable exclamations, just in case.

In what way is it discriminatory?

How is saying a quite common phrase religious discrimination?

If you were Jesus's daughter, you'd have also been dead for nearly 2000 years. So would your children and your children's childrens children. A woman in an office taking your name in vain would not even make the top 10 of your biggest problems. Since you aren't, it isn't a comparison.

I'm Christian and this makes me cringe internally, but I wouldn't raise it as an issue.

I do have a senior boss who swears quite a lot and I can't stand it! I like a swear when needed, but she goes overboard in huge meetings.

Since when is saying 'Jesus Christ' offensive?

Is saying 'god' offensive?

Ultimately it is simply a name...

I think too many people are professionally offended these days, meaning they just look for reason to feel superior and try to impose their views on others.

I was raised a catholic by the way in a catholic country before moving to the UK and I find this absolutely ludicrous...

If they were perfectly normal every day exclamations used by almost everyone and only found offensive by a tiny minority...yes of course. Wouldn't we all?

Im christian and i wouldnt care. It wouldn't even register tbh

But are they praying to him or in what context are they using it.

I think there is some sort of idea that because it doesn't offend (some) non Christians, it is in someway a slight against Christians.

Whilst discrimination is generally nto be encouraged (although we do need a measure of it in society) I am less sympathetic to matters of choice. People can't chose their sex, their colour or where they were born. But you chose your religion and your hairstyle.

Why does it make you cringe internally? I still am genuinely struggling to understand.

As someone who is Christian, you choose to follow the 10 commandments. That is 100% your right.

why should you be bothered by someone who isn’t Christian and therefore not bound by the same commandments using the phrase? How does it affect you? When you hear it what specifically causes the offence? How does it affect your personal relationship with god?

Indeed. It was EDI for a time but that quickly faded as it was replaced by the American DEI.

On a societal level, it pretty much is. There are things that we agree as a society are offensive. It doesn't mean literally everyone agrees, but I imagine you get my point.

Something like this is the opposite. The vast majority have decided it's not offensive. Even religious people use these exclamations. They're actually an example of how deep the religion is embedded into a society.

“All religions should be treated with respect”

They haven’t earned my respect and never will