Short rant: I work for a public school system. Today we had a district “convocation” event to get all employees in one place and have a pep talk from the superintendent about starting the year off. There were 2 separate preachers who came to open and close with prayers and the event was held at a theater that is a meeting place for the local “modern-ish” church. You know the one. They use live bands to lure people in and are slightly more progressive so the younger Christians don’t have to choose between self righteousness and feeling guilty.
Ugh. The end, it was just a generally wasted experience for me. Anybody else have any workplace rituals that make them uncomfortable about religion?
Get on the planning board & steer them to secular venues/performances?
I live in Australia and we never have to put up with this kind of rubbish, although our right wing government has done something really stupid. They have put in religious people into schools as counsellors. What is needed are professional counsellors not some religious nutters.
It is just the beginning!
@patchoullijulie so it is, however we are going to the polls this year and all the pre polls suggest that they are going to loose, yay.
@Jolanta Phew....well that's good news coz Oz is on my re-location radar.
@patchoullijulie come on over
I feel ya!
If it's anything like my area, it's not surprising. I work as a journo, part of my job is covering certain public meetings. Law means there's the recitation of the pledge and a prayer. Technically, anyone can volunteer to come forward to say this prayer. In reality, I've never seen anyone other than a protestant church member or minister do so.
I don't have a problem saying the pledge, but I always omit the "under God" bit. It's awkward to be the only one not bowing and closing their eyes during the prayer. I always find myself trying to subtly scan the crowd to see if I'm the only one not participating. With one or two exceptions, I usually am. Those times, it was just awkward, quick eye contact before that person put their head back down.
It's all good. I've never been outed about it in public or anything, and the worst I've had to put up with is some biker dudes in the parking lot telling me to go fuck myself and my liberal agenda.