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Have you ever been asked, "What Church do you go too?' by your boss?

Living in the Bible belt has prepared me for this, and I have some useful tricks for getting around this question, that seems to work well.

I started a new job today, and I'm summoned to sit down with my new boss, and his third or fourth question to me was "What Church do you go to?" It's unlike me to dodge that question but being that it's my first day and it's my boss asking I don't want to start off my Job on the wrong foot. So, I used a rehearsed and honest response as a way to avoid answering the question. I said, "oh churches can be a lot of fun, but just like Jesus said, "Many shall come in my name and deceive many." So I don't go to Church to be taught what to believe. I investigate and research and ask questions on my own, and I think I know the Bible better than most people who do go to church. My boss just nodded his head and went on to business. However, be prepared for a common follow up question, What's your favorite quote from the Bible? (This is commonly asked as a test question to see if you are a good Christian), The best response to this is, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." That usually shuts them down, because what the Bible is saying is don't show off your righteousness.

I didn't come up with that right then and there of course. I have that in my mental arsenal for anytime I need to dodge the question using honesty. If you noticed I never lied, I just manipulated a little.

paul1967 8 Mar 22
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47 comments (26 - 47)

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1

I have never has such tremendous sympathy for Americans. Anyone is free to believe whatever they want, but such pressure to conform is unacceptable.

1

I wouldn't be wanting to know from my boss how that is relevant to my job.

GwenC Level 7 Mar 22, 2018

I can tell you the answer he/she would give. He/she would say it has nothing to do with your job, just making small talk that's all.

1

In New Zealand we are not to ask it is personal ,

Ellen Level 4 Mar 22, 2018
1

One of my favorite blogs is AskAManager.org. She has worked HR forever, and has great insight and experience. So I searched her site for "religion"and found this: [askamanager.org] It might shed some light. Seriously, it is a great blog for everything related to employment.

1

Never from a boss but I had a potential sales client meeting that started with a prayer. Incredibly awkard as the two people in the room prayed for guidance in how they were going to spend corporate america's money. This was in central Florida, a very bible part of the great state.

1

I would not work for a boss like that. That is totally unacceptable. Bible belt America is so backward.

1

In Tulsa oklahoma most people that how they start first conversation with you and they add : if you don't mind me asking??

0

Sure have!! When I told them I was a member of The Sponge Bob Square Pants Temple Church of Deliverance, they STFU.

0

If they do, you have a valid HR complaint.

0

No, but I did get memo on my desk at my first job at an architecture firm in a work study program while at Texas A & M. The message said that "from this Friday and every Friday forward there wil be a mandaory meeting on the role of Jesus Christ in Architecture". I swivelled my office chair around (I was an indoctrinated Jew back then) at the same time that Mohammed swivelled his chair around and we both exclaimed what the fuck in unison. Unforgettable! I typed up an anonymous reply and left it on the desk of both partners, informing them that what they did was illegal and it was never spoken of again. The firms principals and the admin staff all meet at church and just figured they could have some fun. Lol... we had to go into one of the engineers ofices and close the door if we had a dirty joke worth telling!!!

0

I just say, "I work over the weekend." I once had a kiddo ask me, "Do you read your bible on your days off?" I told her "Nope, I never read tbe bible."

0
0

30 years ago in the Deep South the bank manager asked me "what my local was?" I had just moved from the U.K. and that sentence translated to "which pub do you drink at?" So I scratched my head trying to remember the name of any of the bars I had frequented, fortunately for me I couldn't. I then said "I'm sorry but I can't remember any names" at which point he invited me to join him and his family at their church....? I had the biggest smile on my face, I bet he thought he'd made my day.

0

No, my boss hasn't asked me what church I go to. If she does I will tell I'm a atheist. I wish I had the nerve to burn some bibles.

0

I have not.

0

That is surprising that it is still happening in 2018. Back in the 70s and 80s it was almost a given that some do-gooder would want to know what church you attended in an effort to gather another lamb to their flock. And if you were self assured (or stupid!) enough to say you didn't attend church, you had better be ready for a non-ending full on frontal attack in an attempt to get you converted (to their religion and church) and save your soul. The only way to end the attack was to either lie or become rude and verbally insulting, which would make you a pariah at work. And even affect your existing friendship with others that had just never inquired to your sanctity.

Gladly that behavior has seemed to all but stop over the past ten years. However now that I am much older, a little wiser and could care less what others think of me and always ready for a good debate, in a perverted way I sort of miss that old form of religious abuse.

0

I, too, live in the bible belt. Since I moved here, I have been asked numerous times about which church I belong to, not by my Boss,as I am disabled and retired. Unfortunately, for me, I have not come up with a decent response as you. Even though I have been churched all of my life, I now renounce religion all together. We moved here some 6 years ago, and as soon as I left the church I belonged to when I moved I’ve been an atheist. Thank you for your insight.

0

You got off easy!! I had a job where the boss/owner (super Christian nutcase) would ask all his potential employees if they masturbate and if they watch porn. In retrospect, that should of been a major red flag for me.

Yeah, I think I might have left, that's a boss too much in my personal business. If he's asking people, "do you masturbate?" then all he's really asking is for people to lie to him.

0

I used to live in a small town in the north Georgia mountains. When I was an older teenager, I was constantly asked by neighbors what church I went to. I responded honestly and said I didn't go to church, but that was a big no-no for them. I tried going to a Baptist church with a neighbor just to appease them. Very unpleasant. I had to lie and say I was "saved" several times just to have them get off my back so I could go home. The next week, one of the members knocked on my door and waited with his car outside my house until it was time for them to go to church. He continued to do this every Sunday for weeks. I wanted to open the door and scream, "I'M AGNOSTIC! FUCK OFF!" I even thought about calling the cops before he gave up and stopped.

OH I don't mean to laugh and I'm not laughing at you but that feeling is daily with me and the way you said that just made me bust out laughing "I'M AGNOSTIC FUCK OFF!"

@paul1967 Haha, thanks. I like it when I make people laugh. 🙂

0

My daughter was recently asked, "Do you know the lord?" by a customer at her new job. She's not particularly tactful, and just said she's not religious, which was apparently offensive to him. He proceeded to show everyone else a [photoshopped] image of clouds that appeared in the shape of a horse, asking, "How do you explain that? ... God."

I explain it with photoshop and even if it wasn't how do you get from a cloud shaped like a horse to a God? Walk me through that logical argument if you can.

0

Hi we in NewZealand ,would never ask as it is deemed personal ,

Ellen Level 4 Mar 22, 2018

All I can say is I wish I lived in New Zealand for more reasons than that. I've never in my life been to any place more amazing than New Zealand. It's so jaw-droppingly beautiful and dare I say almost magical. (figuratively of course)

@paul1967 it is the best ,,I have a great lifestyle,

0

I live in NJ. It's never happened to me from my boss, but I have shared info to my co-workers.

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