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.

They're not expletives, though. That's like saying "Bruce Bannerman" is swearing.

firstly it is turn of phrase that is now common in the Uk. It isn’t being used to deliberately insult someone. I think it has actually moved from religious meaning to common vernacular.

secondly - lots of people say ‘oh my goodness’, ‘gee’ or ‘jeez’ in common usage. These all mean the same thing. I bet you have said these in front of people but they are equally as offensive surely? You can’t pick and choose which specific words are offensive. It’s and all or nothing surely?

Thirdly- religion in purely a relationship between an individual and their god. It involves no one else. Hearing other people insult your god- why does it affect your individual relationship with god? Someone raised the analogy of insulting my mum and how would I feel? Well if you don’t like her that’s your opinion. It doesn’t affect my relationship with her so why should it bother me.

I am a vegan myself and would personally find it quite funny if a butcher called their shop ‘the weeping vegan’. Why should it bother me? I choose be a vegan but I honestly don’t care if anyone is. What has it got to do with me?

@SquashedSquid

Jesus did exist and it is written in Roman documentation whatever you think about him.

I'm surprised you used that exclamation as a Christian OP. Anyway, I personally would refrain from using it, along with quite a few other expressions, in a professional meeting. I left office work behind in 1997 and even then exclaming "Jesus Christ" in a meeting would not have been viewed in a particularly good light.

And if he did, he was just a normal bloke.

Yes, it’s offensive to Christians and yabu to say it in a context where you don’t know for sure that people won’t be offended. If you wouldn’t say something that was offensive to people of other religions then you shouldn’t be saying JC.

I have a mouth like a sailor and an extensive range of swear words (in multiple languages) in my vocabulary.

What I also have is the ability to know my audience: I don't use the same language in a work meeting that I would happily employ in a dinner meeting with friends of 20+ years.

Keep your language neutral and professional at all times. It's easier that way.

(And although I'm agnostic at best these days, I grew up in a fairly strict Church of Scotland family. 'Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain' is the third commandment, so fairly high up the list.)

The Romans also wrote a lot of shite. to be fair. Britain being full of dragons and all that.

The existence of Christians doesn't prove the existence of Christ. Just the idea of Christ. Which may - or may not - be related to someone who lived about that time. Messiahs being two a denarii in first century Judea. I should know, I've followed a few.

However, I must admit that the cult of Christ absolutely smashed it with their USP. Once which was intended to protect their followers from fakes in perpetuity. And they almost got away with it if it hadn't been for those meddling bishops.

So no ‘oh my goodness’ is allowed? No ‘gee’ or ‘jeez’ or would ‘golly’ also be unacceptable? Turns out jeepers is also blasphemous- I had no idea! I use that a lot! I would honestly need a list of unacceptable words to not offend!

You sound an utter delight of a human being. 🙄

The eternally offended will often look for things to be offended by.

To be fair, being offended is proof that as a species we rather over achieve. If you can waste time of fripperies like words (or the lack thereof) then you are unlikely to be worrying about where your next meal is coming from.

Maybe God created us specifically to be offended ? Has there been any research into whether there are other organisms that are susceptible to offence ?

I don't believe in any gods.
I'm just fed up of the eternally offended.
Maybe I've prematurely entered grumpy old woman stage (no doubt that will offend someone too). 😬

Religion isn't special.
I don't set out to deliberately offend but I also don't continually focus on the eternally offended.

Exactly @AffIt - it's about knowing your audience.

Yes, but finding language jarring is very personal and subjective isn't it. We all have words and expressions we don't like, the question whether the offence is enough that the person should be told off for using it.

It's clearly not offensive to all Christians and you can't speak for everyone. Furthermore, plenty of Christians blaspheme themselves from time to time.

Christianity itself is offensive to some people though, yet they don't go around saying you can never mention your faith or pray or anything else!

The problem with all of this "respect" is that it's really not that easy.

Why should anyone "respect" a religion that treats women as second class citizens ?

I'm not going to go on, as that hurdle in itself is insurmountable. If your religion enables you and your elk to treat women (obvious the OG flavour) as anything less than men then I shouldn't need to explain my lack of respect to you.

OK, I'm not going to vex myself by finding random Christians to go up and harass. But if they come within my orbit and want to make a deal of it, then I may not acquiesce.

I’m sure the same goes for other religions then, eg no Jewish person would speak for all Jews and what would offend some Muslims wouldn’t offend others. A person still wouldn’t say anything that they feel might be offensive to some Muslims, for example, just because some, not all.

I don't set out to offend religious folk, just like they don't set out to offend me with their beliefs, however we will both potentially feel offended if we think others have to police their language for our benefit.

Not in the primary school I worked in. Or the ones my DGC go to

For me as a Christian, I find it offensive to hear because, whilst it’s not a personal insult against myself, to hear someone use the name of Jesus (who I believe is their creator, and God, and the name above all names) as a swear word is so deeply irreverent and upside down that it’s jarring and I don’t like to hear it.

@Rizzla

That's my perspective as well.

Plus imo it comes across as uncouth in a professional setting

Why do people have to adapt to your view though? To me jesus is fantasy character - can I be offended when someone says otherwise?