Is it ok for a Christian to say 'God Bless' to a Muslim?

[thankyouforthedayz]

I'm a Christian and I feel I have more in common spiritually with other people of faith (particularly other People of the Book ie Abrahamic faiths) than people who have no or nominal faith. I will often say "God bless" (ie God Bless you") or "Gods hand is on X " to Christian friends/family, but would Muslim people be offended if I said this to them? I believe there is one God but different paths. I wonder if I should revert, as I whilst I love Jesus Christ as a prophet, a spiritual man committed to social justice in a time when people of faith were oppressed by pagans (Romans) I find it hard to believe the literal truth of the Virgin Birth and Resurrection (though I believe in them as powerful metaphors).
I work in the NHS with lots of Muslim colleagues. I have asked, and she was so kind and accepting and said she felt happy for me to say it, but I think she was speaking as a kind friend rather than theologically.

OP I guess the only way to know if your Muslim friends are comfortable is to ask them, as evidently we are all different. In this chat I’ve advocated bringing your “whole self” to work (or indeed anywhere you go), and I’d encourage all to do this and to be tolerant and supportive of others doing this to. I was reminded of a quote inthe Great Dictator later used in one of PaoloNutinis songs. It reminds us of what can happen when we forget ourselves, our values, and follow the herd. I wasn’t going to post here but it occurred to me that it’s armistice day and it seemed poignant. Excerpt below and I’ll post a link to the full speech for interest.

from The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin; a film he made in response to the rise of fascism

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

www.charliechaplin.com/en/synopsis/articles/29-The-Great-Dictator-s-Speech

I work with quite a few religious people- Hindu, several Muslims, a Jewish person, and two Christians. I've never heard any of them mention God in the office. It seems inappropriate somehow. Having said that, if you said God bless to me, I'd take it in the kind way you intended it.

As a Muslim and kinda practicing.
I'd appreciate it.

It isn't a religious need to fly family back to the native country in fact on the contrary.

You should burry the dead as close to where they died and asap.

Even how blessed prophet was buried where he died at home.

Speaking about a god loving someone is completely inappropriate in a mental health crisis. It's definitely overstepping.

If I 'brought my whole self' to work, I would have been giving a wholly inappropriate response to some people. I don't think others would have wanted me to give my opinions on lots of things which were nothing to do with my actual job.

No, but sexuality is a protected characteristic, as is belief or no belief. So people should not have to hide who they are. There's a big difference between expressing your own identity and imposing it on others.

I haven't suggested that anyone should 'hide who they are' though. Faith isn't who you are.

I'd advise you to have a Google of countries where sharing your faith is indeed either prohibited or not tolerated and see what the outcomes are like there

I'm not sure your point.
I've never advocated for banning speaking about religion, just the consideration that it's not appropriate to impose your religious beliefs on others in the workplace.

That's an incredibly naive comment. Your belief system and values underpin who you are and your world view.

It's not naive to think a person doesn't have to show every part of who they are. Your faith might be a part of who you are, it isn't all you are. In many jobs you must put faith related expressions or behaviour aside.

Of course you don't have to show every part of you, but you shouldn't have to hide it either to pander to atheist sensibilities. The only ones on this thread who have not held back their beliefs are the atheists saying 'religion is ridiculous, God doesn't exist, this and that theory is fact.' On a forum created to be a safe space for Muslims! Yet the Muslim posters haven't criticised atheist beliefs or said they were offended by a Christian saying God bless; which is what the OP asked about, and our answers have been drowned out by frothing atheists determined to have the final say.

Nobody is suggesting anyone panders though.
I didn't discuss anything to do with religion at work when I was religious and I wouldn't discuss my atheism now as an atheist.
I've worked with people of a variety of faiths at work and most of them didn't feel the need to bring their religion into discussions within the work environment. It's better all round.

Better for whom? People can talk about what they like, stop censoring. Obviously its on each person to gauge the appropriacy of what they want to say, and to whom. Someone saying 'God bless' can hardly be described as 'bringing your religion into the discussion.' Where I work we're able to converse on a wide range of topics without anyone getting offended: religion, relationships, zodiac, fashion, TV, politics, history. Nothing is off limits because we trust and respect one another.

Like I say, it's better all round if religion is kept out of the workplace. You have the rest of your own time to speak about whatever you like. You wanting 'not to be censored' will force others to censor how they respond.

I am Muslim. I wouldn't be offended at all and can't think why any Muslim would.

The equivalent of 'Inshallah' is 'God willing' or 'If God is willing'.

This is tricky OP I think with someone you are friends with it is maybe acceptable but not to say it generally to other people.

As I have said to many, many students who were going to be nurses, "people will hear you and they will judge you by your words".

How do you want to be perceived at work?

It wouldn't bother me a jot. It's a nice sentinement. It's frankly, messed up in the uk that a person can't mention their faith without someone assuming they're mental or, somehow 'forcing' it on them.

Lots of people are outspoken bigots against Christianity too. It's as if they think white folk especially, aren't allowed to believe in God. Like they're supposed to be 'beyond that' somehow. But they patronise people of different ethnicities by acting like its OK 'for them'. As if they're somehow lesser-than, so allowed their 'flights of fancy'.

Everyone should be allowed to openly practice their faith. So long as they're not telling you you have to live by its rules too, just graciously thank them for their kindness and move on.

Good on you for your openness. Tired of people being stifled by judgey assholes. Of whom, the majority I've met have been outspoken atheists, not people of any of the faiths.

Do you appriciate Muslims saying Inshallah to you?

Tbh religion has no place in a NHS staff room.
My coworkers know I am a Christian and I answer all questions if asked. No problem but I would never force my point of view on others.

I don't think Muslims would care in slightest. We also believe in God, and we believe it's the same God Christians and Jews believe in. I am sure your Muslim coworkers would not think twice about you saying it to them.

We use religious sentiments all day, 'alhamdulillah' (thank God), 'inshallah' (God willing) 'bismillah' (in the name of God), 'astaghfirallah' (forgive me God) 'yarhamek Allah' (God bless you- eg after sneezing). Generally only to other Muslims though its such a reflex it's very difficult to 'turn it off'.

Islam is a very physical and outward religion in a way Christianity is not. We even use one specific foot to enter a door as an act of mindful remembrance of God. We dress, eat, wash and talk in specific ways. We pray 5 ritual prayers a day.

None of this is deliberate attempts at 'forcing religion on others' or whatever and we obviously don't expect non Muslims to do the same. Most Muslims do this all as subtly as possible as it freaks the (generally older) English generations out- young adults who have grown up in multicultural society tend to feel less assaulted from having seen a Muslim do Muslim things.

There is no need to mention faith or religion in a non-religious workplace though.

I have no issue with muslims doing the muslim things they need to do, or christians doing the christian things they need to do, in their own time.

Unfortunately for you, we Muslims do our Muslim things all day :) you could not let it annoy you, as another option.

I pray at work at least twice a day (5-10 mins a time), luckily for me I have a team who don't feel the need to care whether I do or not. We have a Jewish colleague who works from home on Fridays, that took some rearranging but we were happy to accommodate.

I'll never understand the dour mentality of not accommodating other people's beliefs where possible.