I have had many a customer interaction where I threw in a lot of 'uh huhing', 'oh really', 'oh' and 'I didn't know that' type responses but I always, always advise them that I am not religious right from the git go. I have really only had one that was close to insisting that I believe in her faith. I felt sorry for her because her belief was (or so it seemed) the glue that was holding her together in a really rough time. I didn't think it was my place to try and take that away from her.

I owned a used/new bookstore for 25 years. I think bookstores attract all types of folks who want to talk about their favorite book. Since some books are religious in nature, I would find folks bringing a book such as the 'Left Behind' series and want to start up a conversation about the rapture and 'what do you think', or just about anything else. I tried to be polite and nod my head as if I was agreeing with them. I once had a guy get upset that I had a book on the catholic church in the religion section (according to him, the catholics are not a religion....lol...I just had to smile and hope he did not get to riled up. So I saw a lot but lived to see another day.

I would just say thank you and then just smile and nod.

I would imagine it would be difficult working as a journalist, however, in most lines of business, I would recommend treating them as any other customers; in a professional, courteous manner, without reference or acknowledgment to their religious inclinations or association. If they were to get 'in-your-face' with it, I would suggest changing the subject, perhaps with a question as to how you could help them. I have found that if you repeat a redirecting question in different ways, they usually get the hint that you don't want to discuss the same thing they do, and move on.

I try to ignore anything religious done or said while I'm at work. I'm around quite a bit of it. I will leave the room at all possible if it gets to be too much.

There was this time at WalMart, when I still went to those hideous aisles of horror, where I encountered maybe the worst fundie freak ever.

She was on this scooter thing and was going around to people asking if they said Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or something else and keeping a tally on a clipboard.

She got t me and I said.
"I'm an Atheist. I say thank you to all holiday greetings. But the only thing I would greet someone with would be "Happy Solstice."

She got the anger eyes and started bumping me with her hov-around

"Say 'Merry Christmas to ME!' 'Say Merry Christmas to ME!'"

After the third bump I told her I would push her toad ass off her electric pony and I was sure there was camera footage to justify it.

She sped away at 1.5 miles per hour.

If a customer makes a religious comment, I normally ignore it and keep the conversation going. If they ever ask me about my religious beliefs, it really depends on my mood. Answers could be "I'm an atheist," "I was raised Baptist," or "I'm sorry. I don't talk about that at work."

There was one time when I mentioned I was an atheist to a customer. The customer was fine with it. When she went to checkout, she casually mentioned it to the checkout lady (I don't believe she had any ill-will mentioning it. I think she just enjoyed talking to me, and it just came up in conversation during checkout), but the checkout lady gave her a stern "Ma'am, you are not supposed to talk about that with him." I thought it was funny that she kind of got in trouble but not me. hahaha

I make it clear that I do not discuss religion, politics, or sex in the work place and would appreciate if they would be so kind as to adhere to a professional interaction. that usually gets me an odd look and, if they are brave enough, they ask my religion. I tell them I am wiccan... if they get that look again, I tell them I'm a witch. smile and ask them if there is anything else I can help them with today. Usually not. In this case, in a retail setting, I'd probably tell them I'm a witch and offer them another piece of clothing.

I would ignore them unless they were affecting my business.

Just be polite but firm with them and say you cannot discuss religious beliefs as you must maintain a neutrality because customers of all religions and none must feel welcome to shop in the store.

I read the linked article. So you wrote the article as well? You work at a jewelry counter in a larger retail outlet? If it were me, I would--as quickly and politely as possible--shut them down. You're at work and you can use that. Perhaps simply telling them you appreciate their concern, but you are a nonbeliever and you are also at work and expected to do your job; not to engage in this sort of conversation. I have never had to deal with that at work (I'm a government worker and that sort of thing is prohibited anyway). I get the occasional "have a blessed day" and ignore constant "bless yous" when someone in my office sneezes. When people come to my door pushing their religion, I politely decline, take their handout and promptly file it. Not sure how helpful this is, but there it is. =]

As a consultant I have the luxury of "firing" current or prospective clients I don't care to do business with. Did it just the other day, although it was not about them being religious, just about them running a death march environment and expecting me to work miracles to keep their doomed vintage mid 1990s business processes functioning. I'm too old for that shit ... but also for religious shit. I show 'em all the door. Nicely, for the most part.

Luckily for me, I don't recall a situation in nearly 35 years where obnoxious god-botherers caused me difficulty. Maybe it's something about information technology that intimidates them into silence; or they just assume up front I'm not kindly disposed to their ideology and need my expertise more than they care about my soul.

I have had every other conceivable form of delusional thinking though. Turned down work from a guy once who thought he was the first one to have the idea to have accounting software that keeps two sets of books -- the real ones, and the ones for the IRS. Stopped taking work from a business run by a married couple who used to fight tooth and nail with each other while I was sitting right there in their office trying to put one thought on top of another.

I guess the closest I ever came to some sort of religious dust-up was a seriously disturbing candle-lit and incense-laced mystical Hindu blessing ceremony that an client born in India was having performed on his business when I came in to do some work at his office. But that wasn't foisted on me, it just weirded me out but I took his money anyway. Nothing wrong with Hindu money.

Things got a lot better after about 2002 or so when the Internet was ubiquitous and fast enough that it greatly reduced the need to physically visit clients. My primary client today is run by a conservative Catholic CEO, with a fundamentalist Christian sales manager, but they are 2,300 miles away and I only have to breathe the same air once or twice a year. Since those are business meetings that they are paying me big bucks to travel to and attend they don't want to waste my time or their money, and religion usually stays in the background. Only cringeworthy instance was where the sales exec was introducing himself for the first time and described himself to one and all as a "man of God". I think that was unprofessional enough that the CEO must have spoken to him about it, because nothing like that ever happened again.

Also the fundamentalist is not impressing the CEO or anyone else. I'm thinking he may not be there long term. I'm not sure what it is with those people but they very often carry a high bullshit factor into the business world with them and are all smoke and mirrors, just like their deity.

To attract or to scare them away?