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.

But why are you so offended?
I would bow my head out of respect if somebody from a different faith, or none, was sharing a prayer or words. It doesn’t mean that I have to believe. Taking offense at everything is such a modern disease.
Could you not just take a little bit of pleasure in the words of love and gratitude and disregard the rest?

Who was the woman who said the prayer?

We need to bring back openly celebrating yule instead of calling it christmas.

So you're a Christian - great. You don't get to impose expectations of prayers on everyone else in the workplace in the UK (many places in the US do though) and this was a work end of year event. I don't know any workplace situation where this would be deemed appropriate these days - unless you actually worked in a church or in a denominational school.

What you think is nice for friends and family because of your shared beliefs is fine, but we generally keep religion out of workplaces because other people have as much right NOT to be Christians as you do to be one. I really don't care if you think it's a shame. And yes, people continue to call it "Christmas" despite most people in the UK not being practising Christians, and many like to follow traditional festivities - with and without their religious elements - but as many others have had to point out and as you know, it was originally a pagan festival, not a Christian one at all. There is no reason to impose prayer at a workplace event for all staff like this and it will make many attending uncomfortable.

Don’t go to his birthday party then?

When is his Birthday exactly?

We don’t all celebrate the birthday of Jesus - even if we were once nominally Christian…

That’s why Santa Claus was onboarded and so readily accepted by most people as a symbol of the joyful break in an otherwise cold and miserable part of the year (in the UK, anyway), and tying in with the ancient customs of celebrating new life with the New Year.

Our “Christmas” was imposed on the pagan feast of Saturnalia by the Romans, or Jul by the Vikings: by making it less about the Christian faith, we let other people with other beliefs into our national celebration so that everyone can experience the joy of family gatherings, present exchanges and general joy at this time of year.

We are so lucky that Christianity here is not so fundamentalist that there are “rules” - this makes it so inclusive to people who have come here to make their homes from abroad - and that is wonderful!

You can ask for a moment for people to think of those less fortunate, and for those who wish to pray, do so.

Different if it was a carol service of course.

Lucky it's not actually his birthday party, then, isn't it?

This is a workplace end of year all-staff event, a chance for everyone to let their hair down, and something that was a traditional winter festival long before Christians appropriated it. If you wish to campaign for only Christians to be permitted to ever use the word "Christmas" then go at it (I prefer Yule and Winter Festivals myself) but I very much doubt it'll be catching on countrywide any time soon - in fact, generally people get accused of being "PC" for suggesting alternatives.

Christmas party for Christmas holiday. Nobody has to celebrate it but bringing out syncretism like it’s the Sword of Righteousness is the last word in Solipsistic Twerpery. Have a lovely gingerbread biscuit and a lump of coal for your stocking.

And here we go again….
Why on earth are you so offended and angry?
I’m not ‘imposing’ prayers on anyone, anywhere. I have never done so.
I would not personally have prayed in the circumstances the OP outlined, but I merely suggested that perhaps everyone should have a little bit more tolerance to each other. Would it not have been possible to perhaps just have enjoyed the words of love and gratitude and disregarded the rest? I’ve been in situations many times where I don’t agree with what’s said or shared the persons belief, but I just behave respectfully and disregard it. I don’t feel the need to be outraged or complain.
CHRISTmas is, and has always been, a Christian festival, when we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is true that the date was hijacked (ish) from a couple of pagan festivals. This is very different to saying that Christmas is a pagan festival; it is not. It’s also true that Jesus almost certainly wasn’t born in the 25th December.
Honestly, you are acting like somebody is cutting your arm off. With all the hell in this world, could we not all show a bit more love and tolerance. The issue isn’t that somebody said a few worlds of prayer and gratitude, it’s the ridiculous level of ‘offense’ that people seem to take these days.
Whatever you believe or not, wishing you a lovely Christmas or whatever you chose to celebrate.

That would be an ecumenical matter :-)

These days it's mostly a secular, non-religious festival - we just call it Christmas partly because of tradition, but also because other alternative names (or older names) have not caught on, plus you get accused of being 'woke' or 'pc' if you don't call it Christmas.

Bringing prayer into any workplace or work-related activity should not happen - otherwise it is basically an opportunity to preach to a captive audience.

Indeed. That's what I wanted to know.
I’d taken it pretty much as read though that everyone here would be stunned and miffed by anyone bringing religious faith to a Christmas party like that. Shocking solipsism and lack of awareness from this mystery woman!

As a pp said, it’s a point very much in GB’s favour that private faith isn’t routinely rammed down people’s throats as though it were of equal importance with, say, health and safety guidelines at work, or a traffic bulletin on the radio.

I wouldn't be impressed but I also wouldn't feel obliged to bow my head and join in. I'd sit quietly and hope it didn't take too long.
It's kind of weird in this kind of context. I've seen it at sports dinners never a xmas parties and I know why it happens - there is a pushy person who has some influence and puts themselves forward to do it.
I'm not offended by it. Mildy irritated probably best describes it. And I'm not alone - there's always a few rolled eyes and a muttering of 'here he goes again'.

Every Day. Official dates include 25th December and a rerun / rebirth in the spring which is a movable feast 🙂

Are you really saying that celebrating the birth of Christ, which is what Christmas is, hasn’t got Christian origins?

This. Would you attend a birthday party and object to mention of the celebrated person?

This is one of those threads where I find it hard to believe many posters. There isn’t anyone, surely, who genuinely thinks that an office Christmas party should start with Grace? I’m pretty sure none of the Christians I know would expect that!

I think the only parts that Christianity added to existing pagan festivals were the name, nativity and the Christian/Muslim/Jewish God. Most non Christians would only use the name from that and the other aspects are not Christian origins

Syncretism innit. When new religions sweep in, locals often glue both new Gods and their festivals and traditions onto the local ones - so Christmas is stuck onto the midwinter festival of light. The guy who often represents the midwinter / Yule celebrations is the Oak King or sometimes Green Man - who bears a suspiciously marked resemblance to the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol and to Santa in a pre Coca Cola incarnation. Lighted trees are clearly the midwinter festival.

But there is room for Christianity at the inn; why not? Religious tolerance should be extended to all religions and actually I think prayer is quite beautiful as a concept.

And also I think that people trying to deprive believers of the comforts of religion - or their Yule celebrations - are joyless and mean spirited. Costs nobody anything except not being a Scrooge for 5 minutes.

It's a bit odd in a work context but Christmas is a Christian festival & if they've perhaps recruited a particularly keen Evangelical, it probably just seemed easier to let her have her moment then forge on with the usual party.

Edited to add - maybe for shitz & giggles you should militate in favour of a company Purim party next year & see how she likes them religious apples? (hic!)😈

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.

Agree. Lots of virtue signalling and disingenuous comments on this thread.

For the majority of people in this country, Christmas and Easter are essentially cultural celebrations (obviously the former is celebrated much more than the latter). People don't generally pray before an office knees-up, before doing an Easter egg hunt or before eating their pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

How was everybody ‘expected’ to bow their heads? Did she command you to? I would imagine if you don’t want to take part in prayers, just don’t bow your head. I’m guessing joining in with the prayers wasn’t compulsory…..