IS IT OK

[jay-3d]

If a group of people in my office are having bible study after work in the office? (very large A&E firm)

[UrbScotty]

1. As long as it doesn't cost the company anything. (nt)

[cjbuchanan]

2. Private office?

Then yes.

If it was a public office, probably still yes, as long as it was not required for the job.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Ashcroft holds a pray meeting in his office

every morning before work.

Under the circumstances can't see why anyone else couldn't get away with this sort of coercive behavior.

Remember the Bible says you should pray in private.

[Outlaw420]

9. I am not trying to be smart only curious

Where does it say that in the bible? About Praying alone?

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Matthew 6.5

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=MATT+6&language=english&version=KJV&showfn=on&showxref=on

[Outlaw420]

13. I found it thanks anyway

Oh and thanks for the link here is the one i use

http://www.searchgodsword.org/

[SheilaT]

10. I know that and they're

absolutely wrong to be doing it. Of course, everyone who works in that particular office is going to be in accord with that, but it still doesn't make it right.

I'm restraining myself here so as not to make a blanket statement insulting to all persons of faith, because most of them instead deserve respect. And most understand the separation of Church and State. It's the ones who simply don't get it who are dangerous.

A friend of mine works for the IRS here in the Kansas City area and tells me she surrounded by fundamentalist Christians and actual posters promoting their beliefs. I tell her she needs to complain all the way up the line to get those things out of there. People are absolutely entitled to believe what they want, but they have no right to force their beliefs on anyone else.

Personally, I'd be very uncomfortable working in an office where fellow workers wanted to hold a Bible study after hours.

[LeftyChristian]

17. Frightened

The first portion of the First Amendment reads...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

Nowhere in the first amendment do the words "separation", "church" and "state" appear. The bible study and the posters are constitutional and your stance on this is PC run amok.

Replace "bible study" with "Kerry campaign meeting" and replace "fundie" posters with "Kerry '04" poster and see how that makes you feel if someone wanted it removed.

Not everyone who wears a Cross, Star of David, Crescent Moon, etc...is out to tell you how to live your life so don't tell them how to live theirs. Noone is forced to go to the bible study and noone is forced to put up religious posters in their office area. Until you are forced to do either you have nothing to gripe about.

Difference of opinion makes the world interesting. You may want to read up on the first amendment and the separation of church and state that Jefferson wrote about since it appears as if your view is very skewed and narcissistic.

[SheilaT]

18. It's the part about

respecting an establishment of religion that is the part that separates church from state. And putting up posters in the workplace that are fundamentalist religious posters in a common office area is not appropriate. Just as posters of naked women aren't appropriate. What I referred to wasn't someone herself being forced to put up posters, but having to work in an environment in which such posters had been put up by others. A particular religious creed was being promoted at work -- at a government workplace, and THAT clearly violates the first amendment.

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of my view. I'd never considered it skewed and narcissistic before, and you've certainly given me new insight into my way of looking at things. And in my skewed and narcissistic way, I do not force my religious views on others. Oh, I have them, but I (narcissist that I am) keep them to myself. I guess I'm really quite selfish in refusing to share them, but I guess that's the skewed part, isn't it?

[LeftyChristian]

22. Must have missed

that legislation that made it mandatory to go to after hours bible study and forcing you to look at fundamentalist Christian posters at work.

Congress did not pass any such legislation and the part before "respecting an establishment of religion" says "Congress shall make no law". You have to put the two together, there is no comma to break up that portion of the sentence. No cherry picking.

If Congress passes legislation that specifically says that bible studies and Christian fundamentalist posters are acceptable in the workplace I am completely with you. Noone should be forced to do anything except pay taxes and die.

I used to work in an office that was one third gay. Some of those employees had very racy pictures of half naked men. It was offensive to many and probably would have fallen under a sexual harrasment law, but I nor my co workers were forced to look at them. A birthday party for the owner, during company time, at the office had cross dressers as the entertainment doing a strip tease. Those who did not approve left. It wasn't hurting anyone and noone was being forced to become gay. There will always be someone who is offended by something in every office.

There was also a Jewish person at that office and they had a Star of David sticker near their PC. Oddly enough when I had to go to their office I didn't feel that I was being pressured to become Jewish.

Noone is forcing anyone to become Christian. It is PC run amok. Yes, your view of this is narcissistic. Reread your last paragraph, sarcasm taken into account...it can easily be interpretted as "this is how I do things, so everyone else must do as I do". Putting up a religious poster no more forces that religion on someone than putting up a sports schedule forces someone to be a fan of that particular sport or team.

[NuttyFluffers]

19. just do tit for tat.

get a big ol' statue of buddha and start the tibetan throat singing club.

[SheilaT]

3. Were it any kind of government office

the answer would need to be no.

I do hope that those involved in the Bible study are simply using the office purely because it's convenient, and do nothing whatsoever to pressure other employees to participate.

[SharonAnn]

7. Ummm, Ashcroft and his workers do it IN THE OFFICE!

so it must be OK. Right?

[WilliamPitt]

4. As long as you aren't required to participate

it is OK.

[bryant69]

5. If you work for a private company

and the private company approves, than why would it not be ok? I guess I don't know what you mean. Is attendence de facto mandetory? I mean is attending the bible study the only way to get a premotion? If so you might have a case against it.

Do all the managers attend? Have you been pressured to attend, even indirectly?

I mean the mere appearance of religion is not enough to make it a threat, you have to show how that religiousity hurt you. At least that's my opinion.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[jay-3d]

6. they do not pressure anyone...

you guys are right. did feel uncomfortable when they used to have a group payer before we had lunch. They don't do that much anymore.

[rinsd]

11. Sure.....

Why would it not be OK?

[BiggJawn]

14. Private company? After hours? Not mandatory?

Sure it's OK, if it's OK with Managment.

Even a Militant Atheist like me can't see anything wrong here. But if I was you, I wouldn't be working over much.

[Tosca]

15. Let us lord it over others...

It makes them feel more righteous when they do it in public.

Pure theatre.

[BeachBuckeye]

16. I'm curious as to why you would have to ask

N/T

[Hammie]

20. More to the point

Is it any of your business if a group of people are having bible study after work in the office?

If it is after work, why don't you go live your own damn life.

[Fear]

21. join them, it might be interesting.

And you'll learn some more about the bible / whether you are religious or not.