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Originally Posted by Kineticity
True, but religious conversations are really sticky, tricky territory due to the tendency of some religions (and some of their adherents) to take the position that anyone who doesn't follow that particular religion is doomed or damned or a bad person or whatever. So there is an enormous responsibility to avoid even the appearance of implying this in the course of the conversation, if you're having it in the presence or earshot of people who may belong to a variety of faiths or none at all.
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Not really. If I do not share the same beliefs that I am "damned" if I don't think like you do, then there's nothing for me to get bothered about. While I don't particularly enjoy any conversation in the office that is opinionated and doesn't agree with my personal opinions, it happens, and a conversation about religion shouldn't have to live up to any higher standard than one about football, one about politics, or one about anything else. If I don't enjoy overhearing conversations, I have the option to put my headphones in and not listen, but I do not have the right to dictate what others are allowed to discuss, as long as it does not break laws.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kineticity
Doesn't mean you can't ever say, "Hey, we just started working on a really neat piece of music in my church choir last week," but you probably shouldn't be discussing doctrinal matters with or around anyone you don't know is a member of your own faith. And it's rarely safe to assume...
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But again, I don't see this as different than any other conversation that may or may not be of interest to others. I do not enjoy every conversation that my coworkers have over lunch. The ones that I enjoy, I participate in. The ones I don't, I chew my food, or if it's long and rambling, I might take the opportunity for a bathroom break, or just go back to my desk to read.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kineticity
other than in jest, how often have you ever run into a situation where it's implied that rooting for a different football team will result in your eternal damnation / make you an unfit parent / means you must secretly be a terrorist / etc.? (And I say this as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who's spent 13 years living in greater Cleveland... *twitch*  ) That's why religion is on a different level from things you may or may not have "an interest" in. Religion often involves matters of judgment. Football doesn't. |
I think you're missing my point that if you don't believe these things, they simply don't matter. Now, if they are creating a hostile work environment by saying, "Kitkatbar,
you are going to hell," that's inappropriate and should be stopped by the boss, but a generalized discussion of religion, or doctrinal matters, IMHO, should not be forbidden just because some people don't like partaking in it, any more than the subject of books, tv shows, or sports should be. For every person who finds a topic interesting and desirable, there's one who finds it to be inappropriate for whatever reason. You and I might enjoy discussing a PG rated movie. I knew a girl in college (we were in a study group together) who considered anything with a stronger rating than "G" to be inappropriate, and refused to watch it. She might consider our conversation about a movie we both enjoyed to be offensive.
In short, there are rules already that employees cannot create a hostile environment. They cannot make sexually harassing comments that make others uncomfortable. But if we start limiting conversation beyond reasonable norms, I think we go overboard. There IS the option just not to listen.
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