Who discusses religion at work? It seems like a good way to lose your job.

I just use the old maxim, "I never talk sex, politics or religion in polite company"

I’ve worked with Mormons and Evangelicals and I was always interested to hear about their religious beliefs though I made no secret about my own lack of religion. It always amazed me that these really bright guys, working in high tech industry, bought into a bunch of religious nonsense and would happily spend their weekends knocking on doors, proselytizing, and picketing Planned Parenthood centers.

We don't really discuss religion or politics or anything personal at work...I like it that way...they are my co-workers and employees, not my friends.

I just assumed that most would not care and I often hear people talk about what happened at church or some church activity they attended over the weekend.

However, at one of our casual company lunches, the subject of church and state came up. While most agreed that they should remain separate, one person that really hates trump said something like...I don't care what religion people are as long as they are not atheists. Atheists have no morals because they don't believe in god so they do whatever they want with no thought to consequences...

My jaw nearly dropped...I replied that I disagreed...that because they believe that, they make the best of the time on earth and want to leave others in a better place and are probably more moral than most...complete silence...so ...

Yeah...I am back to not discussing anything personal at work..

I facilitated a caucus session for people who question religion/spirituality at a national conference in the US a couple of years back. A LOT more attendees than I anticipated, many from “Bible Belt” states. Most of them said that they felt unsafe being open as nonbelievers or skeptics at work (and elsewhere) and a situation in which they could safely talk about this was rare for them. Especially in small towns, there aren’t many firewalls between work and the rest of your life. Even in the more urban and diverse environments I usually work in, however, often religious people are in the majority, and they tend to assume that everybody is like them. I try not to “go there” unless cornered, and often simply say that I’m “not interested” in religion. If pushed further, THEN I’ll tell them that I think the god of the Bible is a psychopath and that Jesus was a really bad carpenter.

In the late 80's I taught at a Catholic school. At the time I went to the Unitarian Society. Two of my kids call themselves Unitarian, non Christian, thinkers and one, my math Prof goes with atheist. Anyway, while there I had little trouble until my last year when they replaced the priest principal with a lay principal. The priest couldn't give a shit about any one's faith as long as they taught well. Now, I wouldn't go near a Catholic school as things are turning more to shit and evangelical. That's an irony. Other irony, in 87 my insurance from there paid for my vasectomy.

i had many, many workplaces in my life. only once did i ever have to hide who i was, and it wasn't that i was an atheist. (at that job there was no coworker to talk to about any topic at all much less religion; i had a lonely reception/phone job.) i had just moved to l.a. and had been beating the street for a week, about five interviews a day, trying to get a job. finally, on friday, i was hired by a photographer's studio to book appointments for the photographer and greet anyone who miraculously turned up off the street. monday i reported for work and the boss took me into his office and mentioned my surame, adding, "that's an overtly jewish name, isn't it?" i admitted it was. "have you ever thought of changing it?" i confessed i never had. "WOULD you change it?" and i had a different surname for the long, torturous month i worked there, calling mostly jewish doctors to ask if they'd like to be in a yearbook, for free (the photographer would then try to sell them copies of the yearbook pictures). the boss, too, was jewish. he would introduce himself by his real name to anyone with dark hair, and to blondes he introduced himself with a less jewish-sounding name. self-hatred is the worst kind of hatred. it made me physically ill to work there (and that's not even taking into account his bitch of a wife who was abusive to the undocumented workers they underpaid because they could get away with it). if anyone had asked me if i was jewish, or an atheist, or anything else, i'd have been honest about it, but nobody ever asked.

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I know what you mean. Living in Thailand was a relief from the negativity and bigotry of Christianity.

Religion should NEVER be discussed at work or amongst coworkers (unless the job has something to do with religion). I used to go as far as to ban religious jewelry from the workplace when I was in charge.

I've been a teacher for 15 years. The closest I've come to outing myself is simply saying I'm not religious. I know one teacher at my school (high school) who was open about his atheism, but he had been teaching 30 years and just didn't care who knew. Whenever I teach religious symbolism in literature, some kids assume I must be religious or why would I teach that (even though you can't understand the literature without it).
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When "Passion of the Christ" came out, I was only in my first or second year of teaching. I remember a student excitedly asking me if I thought the movie was great. I lied and said yes. I hadn't even seen it. Still haven't. (I remember my grandmother, who as very Catholic, said she didn't want to see a movie with "people being mean to Jesus." I guess I pretty much felt the same way.)
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Other students pretty much figured out I was an atheist, or at least not as religious as they wanted me to be. Years ago a little freshman kid would come to my class at lunch with a weird smile, and have little talks with me ending with "May god bless you" or something. He would never come right out and say "you need Jesus" or something, but it always felt like he was selling something and I wasn't quite sure what it was. (I do remember he loved George Bush because he flew jets! Wow! Ugh.)

Keep quiet. Seems to be the safest way to keep your job.