Pro-life cause and workplace

[HailStarofSea]

Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?

 

[LemonAndLime]

Don’t say anything. Say you prefer not to discuss politics at work if you are pushed. You’re not gonna betray your opinions by recognising there is a time and a place to share them.

Is it really worth getting on your boss’ bad side by engaging with them on the topic of politics? The worst case scenario is you could end up in an argument and then lose your job. You might win the argument, but how are you going to pay the bills?

 

[JRKH]

If the subject comes up - speak the Truth.

Peace
James

 

[DaveBj]

I don’t have a “boss” where I work. I work for a security company, but I work at a factory, where I am the site supervisor for security, operating under the district manager. The district manager wouldn’t think of trying to insert politics into our relationship, and as for the people at the factory, if they thought I supported BHO, it would be they who would be trying to correct me.

 

[exoflare]

Don’t say anything. Say you prefer not to discuss politics at work if you are pushed.

That’s what I always do.

 

[Rence]

Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?

You keep your focus on your job and on the business at hand. The workplace is really no place to discuss politics or religion. I would certainly not correct my boss on matters that are personal and none of my (or her) business and that are not work related.

 

[bonvivantHermit]

I once was forced out of a job b/c I told a co-workers girlfriend not to have an abortion and provided alternatives/support.

She actually emailed me later asking for support after the abortion- I did not respond. Still makes me angry. I was able to find another job and I was not fired on the spot, but that is the reason I was forced out. But I had no choice. I am glad I said something.

That said- I have mastered the “blank stare” when politics come up. Unless it’s life or death-I do not mention politics or religion. I am so good at it, sadly, people have assumed I am socially liberal. I guess, because I do not look socially conservative.

 

[Mayita30]

I would avoid discussing religion and politics in the workplace especially if your workplace is a secuar one. Try to focus on your job and avoid such discussions.

 

[Usige]

Hmmm… maybe I’m just lucky (or maybe stupid ) I have a Crucifix w/ St Benedict medal hanging in my cube and a paper weight that says “Always choose life.” I make no apologies for my faith and few people really question where I stand.

 

[cmscms]

Well… first it depends where you work. Unless you work in the medical field where you potentially have a patient that needs medical attention due to an abortion, there is no need to engage in these discussions.

I have problems (not about abortion) due to my religion as well in the office and I often feel like a fraud for not speaking up, but I do use prudence and speak my truth quietly and I mean very quietly.

Examples

There is a group at lunch who talk about this girl who use to work there that I never met. They gossip about her relationship being on the rocks. That is when I look down at my food and just eat. I tuned them out.

One girl is a total Betty Boop fanatic and gives everyone suggestive pictures with Betty Boop on it. When she left one on my chair, I simply said, I do not like Betty Boop and gave it to someone else.

The profanity flies all over the office. Once when a guy used it at my office I put my fingers to my lips and said ‘shhhh’. He said ‘It is OK to use that language around here’ To which I responded ‘Not at my cubicle’

So does it bug me. Of course. But I just make sure it is not be me nor in my cubicle and leave it at that

CM

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?

No, I wouldn’t do that. Never a good idea to try and “correct” your boss, if you like your job, that is.

Pray for him and the rest of your co-workers.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Well… first it depends where you work. Unless you work in the medical field where you potentially have a patient that needs medical attention due to an abortion, there is no need to engage in these discussions.

I have problems (not about abortion) due to my religion as well in the office and I often feel like a fraud for not speaking up, but I do use prudence and speak my truth quietly and I mean very quietly.

Examples

There is a group at lunch who talk about this girl who use to work there that I never met. They gossip about her relationship being on the rocks. That is when I look down at my food and just eat. I tuned them out.

One girl is a total Betty Boop fanatic and gives everyone suggestive pictures with Betty Boop on it. When she left one on my chair, I simply said, I do not like Betty Boop and gave it to someone else.

The profanity flies all over the office. Once when a guy used it at my office I put my fingers to my lips and said ‘shhhh’. He said ‘It is OK to use that language around here’ To which I responded ‘Not at my cubicle’

So does it bug me. Of course. But I just make sure it is not be me nor in my cubicle and leave it at that

CM

I had to tell one guy I worked for, (not my boss though) - that I didn’t like dirty jokes. He would always come in with a dirty joke, the kind you laugh at but then feel bad about laughing…It took me a while to work up my courage but one day I just told him, “Hey, Rob, I really don’t like dirty jokes, so please skip me if it’s that kind of joke.” He never told me another joke again, I guess he only knew dirty ones.

 

[Gordon_Sims]

The only coworkers I discuss religious or political issues with anymore are the ones I know are devout Catholics. I had a nasty episode years ago where a very devout, Evangelical (I think) coworker decided she wanted to argue abortion with me. She knew she was right and she knew she was going to mop up the floor with me. I tried keeping it as civil as possible but when her surefire arguments fell flat she started getting personal. I finally asked her why she thought God would approve of someone killing one of His creations. She walked out and didn’t talk to me for several weeks. She did complain to our manager, even though she started the discussion and I’d told her I didn’t want to talk about it. It made things uneasy for a few months after that.

 

[Viki63]

I had a supervisor who swore a blue streak. One day she said something obscene using our Lord’s name, and I made the sign of the cross, not even looking at her. I figured if she could say something like that, I could do what I did.
She quit swearing around me after that.

 

[Dan_Daly]

Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?

Have people across the political spectrum at my work. Treat everybody with respect as a human being, but if the opportunity arises to show them that their positions are wrong, I try to do so with charity.

I’d question the insinuation in the original post that “pro-lifers” are the opposite of “Obama supporters”.

Obama is certainly pro-abortion, and I don’t see how a pro-life person could support his canidacy, but a great many people who are not supporting Obama, including his presumptive opponent, Mitt Romney, are also pro-abortion.

Confusing “pro-life” and “republican” as if they are two words for the same thing, is a very serious mistake…a mistake that has been made by too many people for a very long time, and ultimately killed pro-life effort as a political movement.

Pax

 

[HailStarofSea]

Thank you all very much for the comments. Extremely helpful to get other opinions.

Hmmm… maybe I’m just lucky (or maybe stupid ) I have a Crucifix w/ St Benedict medal hanging in my cube and a paper weight that says “Always choose life.” I make no apologies for my faith and few people really question where I stand.

Does anyone else here keep pro-life memorabilia on their desk?

If the subject comes up - speak the Truth.

Peace
James

 

[JRKH]

Originally Posted by JRKH
If the subject comes up - speak the Truth.

Sorry you were confused by my reply…
You had asked:
Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?
I simply said that - If your boss brings it up, and asks you a question about Obama - you need to respond with truth. To do otherwise is to lie. Which do you prefer…being on the boss’s “bad side” or being on Our Lord’s “bad side”?

That said, I agree with what a lot of the other posters have suggested. Try to avoid gossip at all times, and discussions of religion and politics while on the clock.

As to your question about keeping religious items in ones cubicle…
I believe that this is a good idea. It doesn’t have to be anything “over the top”. But something that says clearly that you are Catholic. If you have photos of your family on your desk, perhaps you could add a Sacred heart picture. After all, he is family too.
Likewise, if you make a point of praying (quietly) before meals complete with the sign of the cross, people will very quickly know that you are Christian and Catholic.

Bottom line is - try to do things that will let others know, gently and charitably, where you stand, and they will most likely avoid bringing these things up around you.

Does that help?

Peace
James

 

[_Jenn]

Do any pro-lifers work in a heavily secular environment where people are heavy Obama supporters? What do you do? Would you correct your boss if he assumed you supported Obama and risk getting on his bad side?

I have no idea who the majority of my co-workers support. Nor do I care to know.

As for what you do? Nothing. It’s not your job to change anyone’s political affiliation. Why do you think your boss assumes you support Obama? Is he actually trying to get into political discussions with his employees? If so, you have bigger fish to fry than who supports who - he has no business talking politics with his employees. But no, you shouldn’t correct him.

I have one co-worker who I occasionally talk politics/religion with, but only because she & I, through a random conversation one day, discovered that we are very much both on the same side of the moral compass. I also know, through some very obnoxious comments, who not to have those conversations with, though those same people know where I stand on things, and we just don’t have those conversations.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Thank you all very much for the comments. Extremely helpful to get other opinions.

Does anyone else here keep pro-life memorabilia on their desk?

Such as? 40 Days for Life placards? Fetal life models? March for Life signs?

I think you should leave those at home. You will certainly start discussions, but they might not be the kind you want to get into.

I would not display such things on my desk at work. It is provocative, and will not lead to a pleasant work environment.

 

[JRKH]

Such as? 40 Days for Life placards? Fetal life models? March for Life signs?

I think you should leave those at home. You will certainly start discussions, but they might not be the kind you want to get into.

I would not display such things on my desk at work. It is provocative, and will not lead to a pleasant work environment.

Agree with the above, however one can certainly have more general items that would show one’s faith and others can draw whatever conclusion they like about the person’s political views.

Peace
James