Your Employer forces praying…that ok?

[OddBeMe]

I was at a client office today and he was leading a prayer of his office staff.

Bombs away!

No that’s bad

Ehh, not a big deal

Yes! That’s great! Praise Jesus!

[Anonymous]

Forced implies you can't walk away from, or decline to participate in the prayer and/or may be fired for not joining in. I'm almost certain, unless it is a religious organization, that had you tried a or b, you probably could have just gone about your day instead of participate. I had a boss once who was super religious, who used to send out scripture every morning to us in texts. This did not bother my co-staffers because one had a father who was a pastor in a church and the other was religious. I confronted him about how I considered this inappropriate considering this was my personal cell phone and not work related at all, and he stopped. So ask, before you assume.

[Aerissa_Jade]

Is it part of the job description and they get paid for it? As it is often pointed out, freedom of religion is from the government not private citizens or employers.

It was more than likely a employer led one, how do you know it was forced and not voluntarily for those who wanted to join in?

[Sevenpointfive]

i don't think it's a wise thing to do. you can't enforce your beliefs on somebody and/or fire them if they reject them.

mission statements are supposed to encompass all people hired to support the company regardless of religious affiliations.

i had a fight with one company about one such grievance and i was in the right for my own beliefs

[Luopio27]

This picture and this post is epic comedy material, for Comedy Central.


I can already imagone an employer holding all company staff as hostage, and demanding the cops to send in a priest to pray for them, while cops can give in to any demand of any kind.


Iron Sky 2 had a steve jobs church scene. check it out.

[KrisPW]

Forced, no. Employer led and free to join, perfectly fine.

[OddBeMe]

I guess I don’t know what would constitute “forced”. It’s certainly dangerous. If someone was fired they could say it was because of they didn’t pray on demand.

[KrisPW]

I would think that if it is a condition of employment or promotion then it was forced. As long as a firing has a "cause" then I don't think others should be denied the freedom to pray as they wish.

[kyleelyn199723]

I’m sure if staff doesn’t want to be involved, they don’t include them. So you just basically assumed they were forced without any context or support that they were indeed forced

[msc545]

good point.

[OddBeMe]

Yeah, but then goes the obvious, did Steve get the promotion over me because he prays.

[kyleelyn199723]

@OddBeMe that is all based on assumption. Religion is a free choice. If that’s the case, there is such thing as court for a reason if someone feels discriminated against

[OddBeMe]

Ture

[Cherry234]

No that's wrong. Employers (and no one else) should be forcing their religious beliefs on people. A workplace is a professional environment, not a place of worship. However, volunteering is fine. Making it a requirement is unacceptable.

[Daniela1982]

Don't you mean "should not be"? Now, what if they were all members of a church and worked for the pastor of the church?

[Cherry234]

@Daniela1982 Oh whoops yeah that's what I meant.

[888theGreat]

@Daniela1982 now they have to hire atheists and can't complain about how they do their jobs. So what if donations are down

[awkward_author]

How do you know they were forced to pray? Maybe he offers it as an option, but they're not negatively impacted if they choose not to pray? It's wrong if there's any form of coercion. Otherwise, I don't see a problem with it, especially if it's a religiously owned establishment, and they were aware of this behavior beforehand.

[OddBeMe]

Whats the line of negatively impacted? What if someone who chooses not to participate gets passed over for a promotion?

[awkward_author]

If that’s the case, it’s completely wrong and shouldn’t happen. However, you don’t know anything about this situation. It’s possible they entered the job with the understanding this type of thing would occur. Negatively impacted means any form of coercion or pressure to participate.

[youngmix]

Depends, are they a religious organization? Also, if the entire staff shares the religion, then it's fine. Other than that, it would probably be a direct contrast to our constitutional freedom of religion.

[Stoner710]

It’s fine we do live in a Christian society, If you don’t want to join in just act like your joining in. Remember you live in Texas which is a pretty religious state

[Leonharted]

I mean, it really depends on the job. Most jobs can't force you to pray. But if you're a priest, I'd say that comes with the job, you know?

[Lyndsielee666]

How exactly were you forced? Did he strap you to a chair and pray over you?

[OddBeMe]

He says who gets promoted, doesn’t he?

[Lyndsielee666]

He wasn’t forcing you to do anything lmfao regardless he shouldn’t be making anyone pray

[Miristheiss]

It cannot be mandatory.
People volunteering to participate in that is fine.

[jshm2]

Yeah well. What did you expect walking into a church office? A disco party?

[OddBeMe]

I would not have a church as clients. They’re cheap assholes.

[genericname85]

that's not bad. it's straight up illegal on a human rights level. religious freedom is a human right. nobody is allowed to take that away from you by making you express their religious prefrence.

[Cubus]

Just because employer leads a prayer at work doesn't mean he forced anyone to take part in it. Why do you already assume it's "forcing"?

[OddBeMe]

True, but at work what would constitute forcing? One could say I keep getting passed over because I won’t pray….

[LordOfThePines]

That isn't ok. My former supervisor tried to do that two years ago, and only one person participated, the rest called the main office to complain. They said he had to be more inclusive, he refused and just stopped doing it altogether.

[BeeNee]

Actually legally he didn't have to be more inclusive. He can legally pray at work as long as he didn't literally force others to do it or threaten their jobs if they didn't pray.

[LordOfThePines]

@BeeNee He did try to force it, that is why almost everyone complained. But it's company policy that it is ok to do prayer meetings and such, long as other religions have the opportunity to do so as well.

[BeeNee]

in that case...

[Levin]

I suppose it's one of the prerequisites of working in America. Like a vaccine mandate.

[Tamera952]

OOOOOOOhhhh HELLLL NO. That's the creepiest shit I've ever heard.
I would politely decline.

[RolandCuthbert]

How is leading a prayer forcing a prayer?

You didn't participate did you?

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Forcing someone isn't cool. Work is for work. Prayer can be have at home or your religious temple.

[Not_Average]

Forcing? Absolutely not okay. If it's voluntary, then there's nothing wrong with that.

[DarkWinterNights]

As long as they aren’t forcing people to participate, it doesn’t really bother me.

[msc545]

Bad, and possibly actionable, but also not worth making a fuss about.

[OddBeMe]

I wasn’t. They’re a client. I just cash the checks baby.

[lucas262]

I wouldn't support a rule that forces people to believe like me.

It has to be a choice

[AndrésC64]

It's illegal and they should be reported to the EEOC immediately.

[BeeNee]

...oh you mean this EEOC which says "employees do have the right to pray at work...refusing to accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs or practices is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," and before you say but that's an employee not an employer....they also state that "Group prayer at work is acceptable only when it is voluntary. Title VII forbids employers from coercing employees to participate in religious activities."

So unless the boss or another employee literally said you have to pray with us of you're fired, they can pray and since the poster probably assumed he was forced to do it rather than just not do it or ask if he can abstain from their prayer, he cannot claim he was forced to do it.

[MrJMM]

If someone like that enforcers and I told them no. I am just gonna the employer.

[admles]

Wouldn't be allowed here lol

Which is a good thing.

[najekim]

The work environment is one of the last places for religious dogma!

[ChrisMaster69]

No totally wrong.

also reportable

[Anonymous]

If employees joined in because they wanted to , no biggie. It's done in sports and no one complains.

[Msputiton]

Leading a prayer doesn't mean it's forced.

[OddBeMe]

If it’s the guy who’s in charge of promotions?

[Msputiton]

Still not forcing.
If he said you had to that's one thing. Did he say that?
But if you willing did only because you felt afraid of losing a client, that became a choice you made.

[Dargil]

Forces, bad. Invites, OK.

[OddBeMe]

I’ll have all my invitees promoted over those who think I’m forcing them….

[strateguy632]

dont be so hate and anti

[slatyb]

That's illegal for most companies any size.

[ChefPapiChulo]

idc. they can do whatever the fuck they want.

[WowwGirl]

It's common here

[OddBeMe]

Amen

[WowwGirl]

Lmao

[Massageman]

No problem here.

[BestWoman]

Pray like Muslims?