This morning, we had an agency-wide managers’ meeting, offsite. The ED decided to start the meeting with prayer as usual (even though we are classified as a governmental entity, it’s the East Texas Bible Belt). As always, I tried to be respectful, lowered my head slightly but didn’t close my eyes, looking around occasionally for someone else who might “be like” me.

Following the meeting, my boss asked me if I wanted to join him and his boss for lunch. Having recently applied for a promotion, I figured not to turn down an opportunity that may be beneficial to me. At the restaurant, my boss’s boss said, “Shall we bless the food?” and proceeded to pray, thanking god for the food and the “good Christian men and women in our organization.” Lunch continued with little else religious mentioned.

Does anyone else run in to situations like this? I played along with the prayer, of course; but never acknowledged my lack of belief or their religiosity.

Do you think I’m being disingenuous? Or just trying to “survive” in this culture by playing their game?