That prayer to Jesus is inappropriate at a company party?

[Kate8889]

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.

I would be offended if a Muslim preyed at me, yes. Luckily it wouldn’t happen.

the main point is a work Xmas party is (despite the reaching on here) undoubtedly a secular event. It was inappropriate

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

It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. But I am used to international travel for work and have often been hosted at events and festivals for cultures and religions that I don’t personally celebrate. I generally enjoy the opportunity to be included in someone else’s celebration of their faith. I don’t feel threatened by it, and I am not shocked by it.

It does seem to be a very British thing - to feel threatened by the celebration of the national religion. Maybe it comes from colonial guilt?

Another atheist here, and hey ho, whatever :-)

HOWEVER

It depends on what was said in the prayer.

There are a fair few cases in the US where fundie Christian politicians do prayers at state senates etc, with the wording designed to offend/dismiss/insult those of other faiths in attendance.

I am not saying that did happen here, but it is something to be aware of ?

'Islamophobia: Critics decry Christian prayer at swearing-in of Muslim lawmaker - ABC News (go.com)

If people are so wimpy that they prayed along with Mavis when it wasn’t what they wanted to do then they need to be taken out and spoken to.

Given there’s no historical evidence that Christ was born on Dec 25th or in fact in Dec I think it’s off to expect everyone to bow their heads and pray at a Christmas party.

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.

All these posters claiming Christmas is and can only be seen as a religious festival celebrating the birth of Christ: that is, in reality, not at all what Christmas is to millions of people all around the world, who celebrate it for their own reasons and in their own ways. You may be Christians, but you don’t have a monopoly on how and why Christmas is celebrated. You will think that logically, theologically, you should as Christianity was the genesis of the Christmas celebration (it wasn’t but we’ll move past that). But this is what happens when capitalism gets its hands on your faith. It happens to all faiths in some shape or form, all over the world. Up to you how you you reclaim
it if you want to reclaim it as just a religious festival. I suspect you can’t - but you can do your own thing and leave everyone else to do theirs. Probably easier and more in the actual spirit. Hence the raised eyebrow at the prayer in a secular and work situation.

But you're celebrating the birth of Jesus? You're at an event that has his name in it, but it never occurred to you that it's a Christian festival, so you think a mention of him is... inappropriate?! At Christmas?

That's spectacular.

It was originally a pagan festival celebrating the longest day of the year. Christians hijacked it when christianity was forced on us so "he" was not born in December (if he was born at all). We're all steadily going back to our roots and celebrating the Season, not the myth!

Religious people may want to do that in their own premises, but most people see Christmas parties at work as a get together, not a religious celebration.
the woman was way out of line in my opinion -
completely inappropriate

Just for reference, do you consider Easter to be a festival of the worship of Eostre the goddess of the dawn, that it's named after?

If not, maybe this isn't the watertight point you think it is.

Oh sorry… I must have missed the part where the OP said Mavis was packing a gun!

Christmas was originally the Winter Solstice, which was stolen by the Christians, along with lots of other festivals.

As a recovered Catholic I wouldn’t like a prayer before a party at a work event, but I’d probably just roll my eyes and fill up my wine and forget about it.

What other name should we use? It’s a cultural festival

If it was a personal act by somebody who has always had a strong faith, it's unusual but best politely ignored. If they've recently discovered religion, it's par for the course to be inflicted with proselytising.

If, however, it's a deliberate decision of management precisely because there are people of other faiths and of none present, along with people of other ethnicities who they are assuming the faith of, that's outright wrong - it makes clear that they see those people as other and could mean they also believe that they shouldn't be 'yoked' to those not of the same belief, which doesn't look good in career terms for anybody who isn't part of the same beliefs (and the specific church, not just denomination, frequently).

The winter solstice was celebrated in many pre-Christian cultures and hijacked by early Christians.

Origins of Christmas

People of all faiths and none have every right to celebrate the start of the lengthening days.

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 think the part of this that most irritates me, is that no other religious group would consider trying to force others to join in a prayer in this way, but because it's Christian it's suddenly ok?

If have no issue with an announcement to offer any religious group the chance to move to the side to pray together, but this way of handling it means that you either have to accept it or disrupt the prayer, which is an awkward situation in a work environment.

I mean it is, but it's been parked right on top of a much earlier pagan mid winter festival, with the dates aligned to encourage compliance in the new religion. So it's a valid festival time even if you don't subscribe to it being Jesus actual birthday (v unlikely)

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

It’s not Christmas. It’s Advent. A time of penitence and waiting (clue’s in the name). Easy mistake to make if you’re not Christian

I’m betting this was a civil service department party

It wouldn't have bothered me as an atheist but I would have felt uncomfortable for any other people of different faiths in attendance. I went to a catholic school with a lot of Muslim girls and all of us were expected to join in with grace every meal time. We all used to laugh but looking back it was a bit weird seeing a sea of girls (none of whom were catholic) doing the spectacles/testicles/wallet and watch every meal time.