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Original poster

That prayer to Jesus is inappropriate at a company party?

509 replies

Kate8889 · 06/12/2025 12:06

I went with my husband to a company Christmas party and before we started to eat a woman came to the microphone and said a short prayer in the name of Jesus as thanks/blessings for the food. Everyone was expected to bow their head.

This is the first time I've been witness to something like this, it is a secular company with many Jewish, Muslim and agnostic people. We have been going to this Christmas party for 7 years and it's never been like this.

OP posts:
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Poetnojo · 07/12/2025 13:37

CurlewKate · 07/12/2025 13:35

Calling for a Christian prayer is not “deviating slightly”!

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Saying a Christian prayer, yeah it is

Stompythedinosaur · 07/12/2025 13:47

If one more person claims that only Christians are entitled to celebrate Christmas or attend work parties, in will have a full house.

I shall continue to celebrate my secular Christmas!

CurlewKate · 07/12/2025 14:30

Poetnojo · 07/12/2025 13:37

Saying a Christian prayer, yeah it is

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I don’t understand. Are you saying that calling for a Christian prayer is only deviating slightly from saying “Welcome-have fun- Happy Christmas!”

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 18:52

40andlovelife · 06/12/2025 12:50

The party sounds like it was full of absolute melts. Def not a party to ever attend again

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You’re the melt.

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 18:53

BerryTwister · 06/12/2025 12:52

It’s a bit strange, but not offensive in my opinion. Maybe the woman who said the prayer is very religious and was heavily involved in organising the event. We are in a Christian country after all, so these things are not to be entirely unexpected.

In the UK, more than half the population do not identify as Christian. Those days are gone.

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 18:57

2dogsandabudgie · 06/12/2025 12:59

I couldn't really get worked up over this. Someone says a prayer, you bow your heads and that's it, you get on with the meal and enjoy the evening. No different to going to someone's house and them saying grace. It's really not a big deal!

I would never bow my head for a Christian prayer. Means nothing to me so I’d ignore.

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 19:00

Creamteasandbumblebees · 06/12/2025 13:00

Never understand why people who dont believe in Jesus celebrate Christmas, it is literally a celebration of his birth!
It was a Christmas celebration, a prayer was said. If you dont like it, suck it up and forget about it and let those who are celebrating the real reason for Christmas say a prayer.
Jesus is the reason for the season!
Merry Christmas and God Bless you x

That “reason for the season” thing always makes me laugh - celebrating the turn of the sun goes back way way further than 2,000 years. You lot just co opted it to try to force everyone into your ways.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 07/12/2025 19:00

Someone getting upset because a prayer was said at a Christmas party. It’s hardly offensive is it 😹

TableLegs001 · 07/12/2025 19:14

I’m not religious and it wouldn’t offend me at all. Christmas means many things and the carols that I love are religious and I find no offence in them whatsoever.

I have some family members who are religious and when I was a child they would say prayers before eating and bed, and I would partake in that and I’m perfectly fine. I even attended church services with them. It meant nothing to me then either. It’s just saying thanks and making acknowledgements. It’s the same to me as eating traditional food of a certain culture or enjoying a ceremonial dance - I have no affiliation but have maturity to enjoy it and leave petty things like offence out of mindset.

Poetnojo · 07/12/2025 19:41

CurlewKate · 07/12/2025 14:30

I don’t understand. Are you saying that calling for a Christian prayer is only deviating slightly from saying “Welcome-have fun- Happy Christmas!”

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Yeah, it's only deviating slightly from welcoming people and thanking them for coming, maybe praising them in some way for their work or whatever throughout the year and then just including Jesus in that.

MasterBeth · 07/12/2025 20:05

It’s a party. Who says prayers at a party?

Poetnojo · 07/12/2025 20:20

MasterBeth · 07/12/2025 20:05

It’s a party. Who says prayers at a party?

'Mavis' obviously 😀

Theslummymummy · 07/12/2025 20:39

40andlovelife · 06/12/2025 12:11

But a Christmas party is esssntially a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Why is it inappropriate to honour his birth at a party in his name?

Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of jesus. Christmas is a pagan festival, stolen by Christian to try to entice people to join the church. The only mention of jesus' birthday in the bible is that it was in the summer time.

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 20:57

MissMoneyFairy · 06/12/2025 14:45

But if there was no Jesus they'd be no Christmas, was everyone happy to eat, drink, get presents, get pissed, enjoy themselves?

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“If” there was no Jesus, we would still be celebrating a pagan festival with eating, drinking, ….

NemesisInferior · 07/12/2025 21:05

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 07/12/2025 19:00

Someone getting upset because a prayer was said at a Christmas party. It’s hardly offensive is it 😹

The uk is a secular country and Christmas is a festival the christians nicked in the first place, and, besides which, enforcing a prayer at a work Christmas party is just fucking weird.

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 21:07

hihelenhi · 06/12/2025 16:56

I'm not at all "offended or angry", thanks; that appears to be you. I'm disagreeing with you.This is a discussion forum. I am pointing out that many others do not share your religious beliefs and it is inappropriate for them to be imposed on anyone, as this woman did, at a work event. This is basic understanding of cultural workplace norms in the UK. No religion, no politics.

And no, as we have established, it hasn't always been a Christian festival. You can keep writing "CHRISTmas" as much as you wish. It doesn't change the fact that for many of us, our Yule festival is not about Jesus at all.

Prayers were completely inappropriate at a workplace event where people may be of many faiths or none at all, regardless of what you or any other Christians think about that. Again, if you wish to campaign for only Christians to be permitted to use the term "Christmas" for end of year festivals, then do feel free to do so.

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Well said @hihelenhibut every Christian I’ve ever met has never listened to reason or sense.

Poetnojo · 07/12/2025 21:22

MySilentLions · 07/12/2025 21:07

Well said @hihelenhibut every Christian I’ve ever met has never listened to reason or sense.

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Very sweeping bigoted statement right there, insert any other faith or protected characteristic in there and see how that sounds?

MyMiniMetro · 08/12/2025 00:16

Dude you were at a CHRISTMAS party. I’m not religious but I’m fairly certain that mentioning Jesus at a Christmas party is allowed. The person going on about Yule- Yule is the winter equinox a few days before. If everyone is there to celebrate 25th then they are celebrating Christmas.

It’s generally respectful to bow you head and stay quite/still during whatever religious observance is happening- it doesn’t mean you are joining in.

Let it go.

CurlewKate · 08/12/2025 04:41

I have been to a lot of Christmas events in my long life. There have been prayers/grace said at many of them. School assemblies, carol concerts,dinners in private houses, formal dinners, nativity plays, church services…But never, ever at a work Christmas party. Has anyone ever experienced this? Genuinely?

Tryingtokeepgoing · 08/12/2025 05:18

40andlovelife · 06/12/2025 12:13

You’re right they don’t. It’s weird how those people engage in a festival dedicated to him and in honour of him.

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A festival whose history precedes the story of Jesus by millennia! The Christians simply co-opted an ancient winter festival celebrating the return of longer days

RedTagAlan · 08/12/2025 05:32

@Rhayader

Re our conversation on origins.

I have looked into it a bit more, and I promise I will not say Pagan as the single origin. I will say there are multiple theories of where it originated, with the weight of evidence leaning towards... what you said.

Happy you corrected me :-)

This is one reason I enjoy posting on forums. We often learn stuff.

XWKD · 08/12/2025 05:43

brightnails · 06/12/2025 12:24

you know Christmas is about Jesus don’t you? anything else is commercialism
If other denomination prayers are being said I just don’t join in them 🤷🏽‍♀️
YABU

No it's not. It's up to people to make what they want of it. Its traditions, such as decorations, the significance of evergreen trees, and gift-giving are not even Christian in origin.

youegg · 08/12/2025 05:44

Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus. I don’t remember Santa, turkeys, trees, presents of electronic goods, getting pissed being part of the bible.

Rhayader · 08/12/2025 06:23

RedTagAlan · 08/12/2025 05:32

@Rhayader

Re our conversation on origins.

I have looked into it a bit more, and I promise I will not say Pagan as the single origin. I will say there are multiple theories of where it originated, with the weight of evidence leaning towards... what you said.

Happy you corrected me :-)

This is one reason I enjoy posting on forums. We often learn stuff.

Haha, thanks for coming back. Yes it’s definitely moved on! Bart Ehrman does a pretty good podcast on Christianity (from a secular, scholarly perspective) if you are into podcasts: “misquoting Jesus,” I don’t listen to it super regularly, just every other month when a topic I’m interested comes up, as normally in into more straight up history ones. Thanks for engaging in good faith ;)