i dont mind a little church here and there, i respect everyones beleifs and all, but theres about 3 ladies here that are always like "praise jesus" and "oh sweet lord jesus help me" and shit.

how do i professionally tell them to stfu and keep their cult shit out of the office without being called satan or something.

2/1/2006 8:56:46 AM

you live in NC

2/1/2006 8:57:21 AM

2/1/2006 8:59:17 AM

As long as they aren't trying to convert you or anything, you don't really have grounds to complain.

2/1/2006 9:12:30 AM

Quote :

"you don't really have grounds to complain."

get over it, crybaby

Quote :

"i respect everyones beleifs and all,"

Quote :

"keep their cult shit out of the office"

yeah, you're definitely a respectful young man

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:14 AM. Reason : ROLL]

2/1/2006 9:13:51 AM

sounds like its time for a Grapehead Crusade

2/1/2006 9:14:11 AM

i dont have grounds to complain my ass. you cant fucken pray in schools, or teach creationism, or anything else religious, why the hell should i have to get over it at work. im gonna start yelling hail satan whenever i do anything good just to see the reaction on their pious fucking faces.

and i can respect their beliefs without having to hear about it.

i mean fuck im not trying to make them unjesuses, i just dont want to fucking hear about it every five minutes.

ooh look i can roll my eyes twice as good as qntmfred, i guess that makes me twice as right.

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:20 AM. Reason : rollroll]

2/1/2006 9:19:25 AM

i'm sure you say shit, fuck, damn, bitch, and a serious of other offensive words in the office....

2/1/2006 9:21:36 AM

Are they making you do anything you don't want to do? Will your job be affected if you don't share their religious zeal? Are your rights being infringed upon? No? Then quit yer bitchin', it's their right to "praise the lord" if they want to. You also have the right to "praise beelzebub" if you want to. It's called america, we've been doing it for over 220 years, get used to it.

2/1/2006 9:21:56 AM

nah i dont cuss at work.

but it makes me feel gross inside when some girl comes in here and talks for 10 minutes about how our shitty secretary is just god testing her.

it becomes an excuse for poor performance, and if it makes me uncomfortable, its harassment, no?

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:26 AM. Reason : herassment.]

2/1/2006 9:24:51 AM

Tell them that you finally found Jesus ... hiding behind something in your kitchen.

2/1/2006 9:29:41 AM

If it's a state/government job, then you have a valid complaint (separation of church and state).

If you're in the private sector, expect to be called satan. Just play off of it. Bring in a voodoo doll, tarot cards and the sort.

2/1/2006 9:31:56 AM

Quote :

"if it makes me uncomfortable, its harassment, no?"

Don't be that guy.

I also disagree with the whole "OMF!!!!111 they are pushing their beliefs on me!!!1111one one" sentiment.

2/1/2006 9:32:13 AM

Listen, friend, from a business major who has had to take HR classes and all that...you really don't have a leg to stand on. There are plenty of other cases (sexual harrastment, racism, etc) where you can claim that your rights are being infringed, but this is not one of them.

Of course, that isn't to say that you can't tell her you're uncomfortable discussing religion in the office. I'm sure she'll say she'll pray for you, and that should be the end of it as far as her bringing it up with you directly. But overhearing it...there's nothing you can do about that, and to ask her to stop would be a violation of her freedom of speech.

2/1/2006 9:32:22 AM

I like the Satan idea

and a few "jesus fuckin' christ"s every now and then would be fun.

2/1/2006 9:32:37 AM

^^^^^totally.

one girl this morning was pissy about something, she said "ima go in mah office, turn on mah radeeo, and git me sum jeeesus"

i shoulda been like "yo that jesus guy, he changes tires over at sears. i can introduce you. but he pronounces is hay-zeus"

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:33 AM. Reason : ]

2/1/2006 9:32:53 AM

^^ move to iran... im sure they dont say that there

2/1/2006 9:33:51 AM

Quote :

"you live in NC"

2/1/2006 9:36:53 AM

http://www.religioustolerance.org/harra_wk.htm

its a shaky ridiculous leg, but not an absent one.

when its a 1 on 1 conversation, and the subject comes up more than once after i steer away from it, it is inappropriate. how do i tell them *politely and professionally* that i dont want to hear it?

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:39 AM. Reason : ]

2/1/2006 9:38:00 AM

I've seen 'praise jesus' people start a mess of trouble in working places before, it is really hard to deal with the issue.

But honestly, your best course of action is to try to sit them or your boss down and say "look, I've been having a small work environment issue...", and basicly try to make it affect the workplace as little as possible and spend as little time as you can on it. Something like that can be delt with in a professional manner, and unless where you work sucks, it's reasonable to expect people will give it the time of day.

2/1/2006 9:53:52 AM

^^

Quote :

"Co-Workers May Not Be Trying to Hurt You In most cases, the people you work with are not really trying to hurt your feelings or make you angry. They probably just don't know any better. They may be trying to make a joke or convert you to their point of view. Many people are simply more comfortable around persons who share their value system. If you quietly and privately explain what they have said or done that offended you, and how it made you feel, they'll probably stop. You need to be discreet and speak to them alone, with no one else around."

2/1/2006 9:58:03 AM

Quote :

"how do i tell them *politely and professionally* that i dont want to hear it?"

bottom line - it's not going to happen. Now if you had a co-worker with bad breath or who was too noisy while eating at her desk, then you could do something about it. But people like who you work with have these behaviors ingrained into their personalities. You cannot tell someone politely that you don't like their personality, then much less expect them to do something about it.

2/1/2006 9:58:53 AM

^^

Quote :

"when its a 1 on 1 conversation, and the subject comes up more than once after i steer away from it, it is inappropriate. how do i tell them *politely and professionally* that i dont want to hear it?"

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 9:59 AM. Reason : ]

2/1/2006 9:59:26 AM

looks like 'hail satan' wins in a landslide.

2/1/2006 10:00:18 AM

I mean, I personally don't give a crap about the Red Sox or the Patriots, but the guys at my office (who are mostly from the North) have officially assigned the Red Sox as my "favorite" baseball team and they talk about Red Sox and Patriots in the Spring, the Summer, the Fall, and the Winter. So trust me, you'll be OK, you don't have to deal with grown men yelling and arguing about why this player is this way and why this team is that way.

I have since then just given in to the Pats and the Sox. They are now my official teams . I now have a Red Sox and Patriot newspaper articles all over my wall (It helps fend off the rabid Pats and Sox fans).

You'll be OK. That's atleast until they give you a biblical nickname like "Samson the Just", "Solomon the Wise", or "Paul the Righteous". Then they may assign you a day of the week to sit down and pray with/for them. Finally they'll make you put up a Jesus poster on your wall. Or maybe even buy you a plush Jesus toy.

"If you can't beat 'em, join em!"
- A Looney Toons Character (I think it was Wiley Coyote or Elmer Fudd)

Just put up pictures of a brunette white guy in a robe all over your office and get one of these on your desk... they won't bother you anymore.


[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 10:04 AM. Reason : ahhhhh... It's ok]

2/1/2006 10:01:34 AM

Quote :

"unjesuses"

2/1/2006 10:10:58 AM

It's their right to be "overly religous" in your eyes as it is your right to be "underly religious" in their eyes.

Get over it.

2/1/2006 10:36:45 AM

THE POINT IS THAT I AM NOT OUTWARDLY UNRELIGIOUS TO THEM. I DONT TELL THEM JESUS IS A MYTH OR ASK THEM WHERE IS THEIR GOD NOW AFTER THEY BREAK AN ANKLE.

Quote :

"how do i tell them *politely and professionally* that i dont want to hear it?"

was the question.

if you cant contribute anything or at least bring the funny then get your wannabe vet ass outta my thread.

2/1/2006 10:54:44 AM

freedom OF religion

not

freedom FROM religion

2/1/2006 11:02:10 AM

Quote :

"when its a 1 on 1 conversation, and the subject comes up more than once after i steer away from it, it is inappropriate. how do i tell them *politely and professionally* that i dont want to hear it?""

My immage:

them: PRAISE THE LORD!
you: Hey, i have something i would like to talk to you about in private.
them: PRAISE THE LORD!
you: Your praising of the lord has become slightly disruptive of my work. Could you please keep it toned down a bit?
them: And may God be with you.

2/1/2006 11:10:53 AM

thats pretty much it.

them: our receptionist being worthless is god testing me
me: or she sucks and you need to talk with her
them: im prayin for her and us and glory be jesus will get us through it
me: or you could do your job as hr person and discuss with her her shortcomings in performance
them: i juss need me sum jeesus today
me: shrugs and walks out (hail satan)

2/1/2006 11:24:02 AM

print out pictures of Ganesh, Shiva, and Vishnu

and post them all over your workspace

2/1/2006 11:53:21 AM

yeah...that's something you could actually take up with your manager...it sounds less like she's overly religious and more like she's a real dumbass.

2/1/2006 11:53:42 AM

Quote :

"What do I do if a coworker is making me uncomfortable by talking about religious matters? Your coworker has the legal right to discuss their own religious beliefs with you or other employees if he or she wishes to do so. However, your coworker cannot persist to the point of being hostile, intimidating, or offensive. Otherwise, you can claim that you have been subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of religion, and may have a valid legal claim against your employer if the employer does not make your coworker stop. When confronted by a coworker who wants to discuss religious matters, the first step is to let that person know that the discussion is making you uncomfortable and you do not want to continue discussing religion. That may resolve the problem, as your coworker might not have understood your objections or discomfort with the subject. If the problem continues, however, you may need to notify your supervisor or your company's human resources department. Your company should have a policy for dealing with harassment complaints, including complaints of religious harassment, and once your employer is aware of the problem, it must take steps to address it."

First, ask nicely in person.

If that doesn't work, then ask nicely again by writing a letter to each of the offenders and your boss/supervisor. Make sure to send it certified mail (so you can prove that you asked, should the matter go to court.)

If that still doesn't work, get a lawyer and sue the offenders to get a court order that they discontinue their offensive behavior, and sue your employer for not forcing the offenders to discontinue their offensive behavior.

If you win in court and get fired soon after, get another lawyer and sue again (whistle-blower protection) and force your (former) employer to keep paying your wages/salary while looking for work elsewhere--you could get a couple months of pay without working....

---------------------------------------------------

Don't get me wrong, I'm a strong supporter of free speech rights, but people can't cross the line and "hurt" someone with their speech whether it's slander, libel or in this case by creating a hostile work environment.

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 3:19 PM. Reason : Sorry, Jesus. ]

2/1/2006 3:10:26 PM

What a stupid fucking thread.

Be an adult.

2/1/2006 4:50:07 PM

we had harrassment training here at work and one of the things that was addressed was people having bible verses on their walls and computers, ect.

what if someone was jewish and didn't like everyone talking about jesus all the time? it's just better to leave that shit at home and/or church

2/1/2006 4:52:43 PM

ok, so lets switch roles here..

Grapehead doesn't wanna hear them talk about jesus and god and the lord

and people are saying, whatever let it go by.

What if Grapehead was saying "OHh jesus Christ, that secretary is being a bitch" or "God damn that secretary is a hot slut"

And the women in question made a thread saying "don't use the lords name in vain.... what does jesus have to do with the secretary"

Would the answers be the same? Because my thing is, if I had Jesus freaks at my place of employment I wouldn't want to hear them say that shit. But if I have to hear them talk about God and jesus all the time, I should be able to say God damn without getting any lip.

2/1/2006 5:20:54 PM

don't really see the big deal. if they aren't trying to convert you, who cares. guys here talk about hunting and crap i don't care about ALL the time. i just ignore it.

but if she is trying to convert you or if you really just can't stand hearing her say "jesus", "pray", etc.

"hi _____, i want to talk with you for a minute. i don't want you to be offended by what i am about to say. i have noticed that you bring your religion up in conversations alot..." give some examples. "well, this bothers me. i don't share your views on christianity. i don't want to have any sort of debate on the sbuject and i don't want to be converted. but i do want to let you know that when you say these things all the time, it makes me uncomfortable."

then, be prepared for her to say she feels sorry for you and that she will pray for you. honestly, if you say something, it will most probably get worse, at least from the description you gave... lemme guess.... independent charasmatic baptist or pentacostal holiness?

2/1/2006 5:37:38 PM

do muslim prayer a couple times through the workday right on the office floor

2/1/2006 5:42:44 PM

how bout you ignore them
or at the very least
stop eavesdropping on their conversations

they probably don't want to talk to your heathen ass anyways

2/1/2006 5:44:15 PM

If they are true christians, then their whole life revolves around church, the Bible, and faith in God. When your whole life revolves around something like that, it is not easy to turn that "off" because it is such a big part of their personality. For example, if someone you work with is a huge baseball fan, you can expect that during normal conversations with him/her, the topic of baseball will come up quite frequently. This is the same thing. I'm sure they are not purposefully trying to offend you. That being said, if it bothers you that much I would personally talk to them and see if they can tone it down. However, I think it is important to look at the big picture. Almost anything you can do will offend someone. Swearing offends the christians...no more swearing. Religion talk offends the non-christians...no more religion. Some would be fine with this tradeoff but where does it end. Am I not going to be allowed to eat a ham sandwich during my lunch break because it offends vegetarians...etc. The point is, do we really want a work environment where people aren't allowed to be themselves out of fear that they will offend someone. I know I don't.

sorry so long

2/1/2006 6:11:55 PM

This thread gets a 3/10.

-If its indirect (being overheard), get over it and/or start wearing headphones.
-If its direct, you say to them "I'm not comfortable discussing religion or politics in the office". That is polite and professional. I've said tons of times to people.

If its to the point where its severely inhibiting the amount of work you are doing, then you might want to approach your supervisor (or anonymously slip a note) informing them the work environment is causing less work to get done.

2/1/2006 6:41:34 PM

Quote :

"im gonna start yelling hail satan whenever i do anything good "

lmao

2/1/2006 6:59:10 PM

Quote :

"If it's a state/government job, then you have a valid complaint (separation of church and state). "

bull shit

2/1/2006 7:14:22 PM

Great, a real example of someone who wants to censor christians. Now I actually have to give a smidgen of credit to those wackos who think christianity is being undermined by secular hedonism. LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE

2/1/2006 7:28:20 PM

2/1/2006 7:29:55 PM

Quote :

"how do i professionally tell them to stfu and keep their cult shit out of the office "

Here's what you do; position yourself in accord with the following diagram:

This is "the fuck".
|
|
|
This is "it."

In other words, get the fuck over it.

Quote :

"If that still doesn't work, get a lawyer and sue the offenders to get a court order that they discontinue their offensive behavior, and sue your employer for not forcing the offenders to discontinue their offensive behavior."

LOL! On what grounds, F. Lee?

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 7:33 PM. Reason : add]

2/1/2006 7:30:50 PM

you don't have any real grounds to complain about them being Bible beaters, and by doing so, you're being "that guy" who overreacts and raises hell about stupid shit.

but you are also completely right in wanting them to do their jobs and not look the other way when shit happens, blaming it on "God testing them." that's stupid, and not at all what their religion is about, anyway.

2/1/2006 7:54:35 PM

theDuke866 for President

2/1/2006 8:03:37 PM

^thanks

that's actually the next thing on my list of things to do, whenever I'm done in the Marine Corps.

well, politics, anyway. We'll see about President.

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 8:10 PM. Reason : cool, so that's one vote already]

2/1/2006 8:09:27 PM