Give that man a cigar.

I was fired for wearing a pagan symbol-a Brighid’s Cross. Of course, that’s wasn’t the stated reason. It was fine that Xtian posters etc were all over the workplace, but my crooked sunwheel was just too much.

Never forget Bill Moore marching from Alabama to Jackson Mississippi 1963 carrying the sign : Atheists For Civil Rights ....then murdered by xians before he got there

@CarolinaGirl60 What area of the country did you work in at the time? I'm curious.
Also that's LOUSY!

I have to admit the worst I've experienced in New England was a presumption of "sameness" - which is somewhat annoying.

It's also similar to what those who are LGBTQ+ experience - "oh you aren't one us".
It's a casual harassment that comes unexpectedly.

Death by a thousand paper cuts if you're around predominantly religious folk.

@RavenCT NC, not far from Charlotte. I usually kept the necklace under my scrubs but it fell out and a patient noticed it. I just called it an ‘Irish Cross’ since that’s how Catholics describe it(Patrick converted the goddess Brighid to St. Bride, same symbols). I was confronted by director of nursing and I stated the equality policy, backed up by administration.
A few weeks later, late at night, the director of nursing cooked up a HIPPA violation. I tried to fight it, and finally she said: just go quietly and we’ll give you a good reference.
I gave up at that point. It sucked big time.

@RavenCT
I ordered this one...from a nunnery in Ireland. Lol.

@CarolinaGirl60 Makes me want to dope slap them for you. That's just awful.

@RavenCT Thank you! Weasels are probably dried up; that was 25 years ago. A gal can hope, anyway!

That does not justify American barbarity - it simply explains why, like the Muslims, many of you want to convert the rest of world into your religious and economic slaves.

Thank you Brian for telling the truth how Democrats have betrayed unions in 27 states now with the official falsehood RIGHT TO WORK really means steal from your union representation without paying dues....Rethuglicans have long since Eisenhower ended lip Service to job security....of course it was Ike who put IN gawd WE TRUST on all our money 1955

I didn’t think it was a problem in Canada. I am only aware that it is a general culture in Bible Belt USA. Is this wrong?

@Geoffrey51 Not like the US, but there are places who frown on reality. I have not, however, heard of lives being endangered because of it, just the snooty looking down their noses at non believers, or ostracising people.

@Lilac-Jade okay. Snooty is as snooty does. They can easily be put to one side. Thanks, didn’t think the rest of the world’s Christians were as paranoid as them good’ole boys down south!

@Geoffrey51 They're worse by everything I've heard, but I don't assiciate with any here if I can help it. I live in a small city, & its not an issue here.

@Lilac-Jade That’s good news

@Geoffrey51 Most places are good, its just the little pockets here & there.....quite different from what I hear/see of the US.

@Lilac-Jade I'm in rural Alberta and even here religion/belief or lack thereof is not a big deal. I'm a little surprised reading many cases here where agnostics/atheists in the US need to hide their non-belief.

@graceylou Yes its quite different here compared to the US south where sometimes your life is at risk. I don't know of any place here in Canada where that extreme is an issue. Ostracizing, or ignoring happens but that's about all as far as I've heard. Parents can get carried away with religious punishments, but that is not the norm here.

@Lilac-Jade Exactly. I’m more likely to be crucified for being vegan in beef country. Blasphemous!!!!

@graceylou I'm continually flabergasted when people cannot, or will not mind their own business.

Therein lies a path to neurosis and psychosis when thought police dictate the limits of free speech.

I think you're right. Here in Brazil, depending of the place, people wil throw a tantrum if you say you don't believe in any god

I have been told horror stories of atheists and LGBT folks living in the buybull belt south - they can get fired from jobs if they are outed - and of course the bosses make up something about their work not being good enough. I have read of LGBT folks who are heavily closeted to avoid physical or mental harm - even to the point of pretending to have a partner of the opposite gender, just lying all the time and living in fear of getting found out. It sounds dreadful.

Sadly my experience living amongst proclaimed godbotherers was that I did not need to proclaim that I was not a godbotherer. Being a stranger was enough to set their antagonistic xenophobia off.

@FrayedBear That is like living in a village for 20 or more years and still be seen as the newcomer.

@Jolanta Exactly my situation only I have been in the village ten years and the country for 5 or six years longer than the average age according to the latest statistics. I have recently been told by a fellow member that in his opinion even the Federal Court discriminated against me. I know the local police (perjury) and magistrates making judgement based on perjured evidence did only several years ago.

@FrayedBear So where are you from?

@Jolanta I am resident in Australia.

@FrayedBear I know, so am I but I am from somewhere else, so where are you from?

@Jolanta NW Lancashire.

@FrayedBear Ok, oh my little Pommy. Why did you ran away? Was the weather too bad for you?

@Jolanta Messaged you.

You are possibly fortunate to also be female.

@FrayedBear I work with predominantly women (95%). I also work with predominantly African-Americans in a municipal/govt position. Why would my gender be an advantage? (Legit question, no sarcasm intended.)

Because African Americans and women have suffered most in racist USA jobs, they are less likely to target Atheists as do white xian boy bosses

@SallyInStitches In today's environment you are unlikely to be listened to or taken seriously if a man. The fact that you state that 95% of your workmates does tend to readily identify the discrimination occurring against men.

@FrayedBear I work for a government run public utility in the escalation area of front facing customer service (deals with a lot of issues such as bankruptcy, elderly customers who require additional assistance, social services cases. escalated customer complaints lodged w/city council or the mayors office, etc)

As I am sure you are aware, customer service positions of this nature tend to be predominantly staffed by women. It's not a day at work unless I am dealing with a crying or an emotionally overwrought customer.

Our standard, level 1 customer service group is pretty close to 50/50 men & women, depending on turnover/promotion.
Our techs who go out turning services off/on, doing repairs, etc are predominantly men.

Neither of these are cases of discrimination. It's an issue of long standing definitions if gender roles in this type of workplace. One could also make an argument that there is ageism in my workplace as 80% of the employees, including all the men are over the age of 45 yrs. That argument would be just as flawed & fallacious.

You may be lulled into thinking men are being ignored based on media focus of (rightly) women's issues of assault being brought to the fore. But that is a hyper focused spotlight on a single issue.

I'm not going into a long, & worn, dissertation on traditional male/female roles in industry, how they have changed. & how in many cases antiquated opinions of "the volatile/hormonal emotional states" of women or "the weaker vessel" syndrome negatively impact women as, from your ststements it appears you are not open to such considerations. If you were open to these considerations, you'd have already done your homework & I am not willing to lead/drag anyone down the path of enlightenment in this day & age of knowledge at your fingertips.

@SallyInStitches Interestingly or not I used to be in a service industry that had strict deadlines set by government. People would rush in demanding that there work that was now one week, two wweks etc. Overdue be immediately attended to. I would simply point to the lile of files in my intray and simply say "this is a first in best dressed service". These people had the foresight to book their work in months ago. Why should they be penalised because you are disorganised and have not properly scheduled your affairs?"
That is not being unsympathetic it is being fair.
Are you being fair in your statements that this and this are respectively a man or a woman's role? Or are you simply playing the me me, I'm indispensible card and now with me" I know better than you do" card? I know many men who have put women to shame in the so called traditional women's roles that they have undertaken just as I have known a few women who have spectacularly fulfilled men's roles.

@FrayedBear lovely strawman arguement, deflecting & projecting to sexism when the original issue is nonreligious discrimination in the workplace. This is my last comment on this topic as I know better than to beat a dead horse with someone who refuses to adhere to the off subject topic they started. I have neither the inclination, time, crayons or sock puppets to continue this fruitless debate. Have a good sunday.

@SallyInStitches It is Monday arvo now and a beautiful sunny one it is too. Thank you.

But the Faithfools seem to think and believe that IT IS their sole right to be in the faces of others when and wherever they see fit, SO, why shouldn't 'turn about be fair game?'
After all, is not said that, "What is sauce for the Goose IS also sauce for the Gander?"

@Triphid I have never allowed anyone to get in my face with their religious beliefs without countering in some way, however, whilst saying that I have enough common sense to know when it may not be appropriate to be too vocal. The workplace should be a non-acrimonious, neutral environment, where religion and ethnicity are not turned into divisive issues. If you live and work in an area where most people are overtly religious and forthright in their views, it would not seem wise to raise the issue of your non-belief with them, unless absolutely necessary, especially if there was a risk of losing your job. I live in the UK, but the religious part...Northern Ireland, so I live and have worked with religious people most of my life, and know it is not a wise thing to discuss your religious beliefs or lack of them at work.

@Marionville Yes, I too have worked in such environs and have endured their religiosities time and time again and always found them so tediously repetitious.
When I worked on the railways we had a very devout Catholic who DEMANDED that everyone should join him in prayer before and after lunch break and Morning Tea ( Smoko) plus listen while he read out bible passages to everyone. IF anyone left the room or failed to pray he would send letters of complaint to the railway hierarchy.
We ended up nicknaming him "pigeon" ( short for Stool Pigeon) until, finally the Area Manager sent an order that NO Religious Services/Preaching/Prayers, etc, will be permitted in or around the Meal Room or the Workplace ever again. " Pigeon" immediately resigned from the job and we all ended up being able to eat and work in peace at last.

@Triphid I bet you were relieved.

@Marionville Relieved is an understatement.

Sounds like the dislike and hatred some have of FrayedBears!

I’ve lived in the south my whole life. Was Christian for 30 years and I never tell people I’ve left the faith. My younger brother has always been an atheist and I remember my mom whooping his ass when he said the Bible was bullshit. Better to remain silent than to kick the hornets nest. But I can see how ignorant the environmental I was raised in was.