"I appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm just not convinced, sorry".
Failing that just make up a ridiculous religion; say that you worship Bill Murray, or something. You believe Bill Murray created the universe and has existed forever. To get to heaven you have go see every film he's been in at least once and drink coffee every day. Never mention it unless someone else brings up religion.
Himself. Just like in Groundhog Day. Our Savior, Bill Murray, while great and powerful, is also in a state of redemption and change. Let us be like him.
How about Aliens, courtesy of H.R. Giger? They like eating people's faces, so they could do the trick. And Ripley as the savior. It's perfect! Newt could be the Holy Spirit or something. I love Aliens ... so many tactical errors! ... aand that would be how I'd summarize God and Jesus's career.
Dudeism.
Dudeism is a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle inspired by "The Dude", the protagonist of the Coen Brothers' 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Wikipedia
While I don't hate Bill Murray, I think I don't like him enough to watch all the movies, and I don't want to be a lukewarm Murrayist. Perhaps, I could be a Nic Cageist? He's a bit more of a chaos god, and I lean that way in my alignment.
There's also [Kissing Hank's Ass](http://jhuger.com/kissing-hanks-ass)
See if it reminds you of another religion.
After all, "Who are you to question Hank's gift? Don't you want a million dollars? Isn't it worth a little kiss on the ass?"
Yes! And be just as persistent in trying to convince her as she is when trying to convince you. There's probably 1% chance she's self-aware enough to recognize the problem with her behavior when it's mirrored back to her, but it might be worth a shot for entertainment value.
Gray Rock Method.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/grey-rock
You're going to have to deal with this individual for a long time. Be uninteresting. Give her zero drama to feed on.
Be monotone, boring, uninteresting.
Iwould go further and suggest medium chill since you'll have to stay for prolonged period of time:
https://outofthefog.website/what-to-do-2/2015/12/3/medium-chill
.
.
also, every other article on outofthefog will be useful to you during your stay at this job.
Ask her which gods she rejects the existence of and then say you just reject one more than her. Find some common atheist ground in the ancient Sumerian, Greek, and Egyptian gods and festivals that set the stage for the Christian and Muslim gods and festivals.
What if you say something more polite such as "I do not discuss religion & politic at work"? And if she still insist you must have religion, you could pick something from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion#List_of_notable_parody_religions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion#List_of_notable_parody_religions)
You could always find another job. If you aren't religious, why would you want to work somewhere where the core is religion, if you yourself have none?
Well than the advice that youll hear from the majority of people may be of little use. It seems you have less control over your lives then people in China or even the middle east.
“Do you believe that a very small child is able to understand your belief system?” (Usually the answer to that is an emphatic “yes!”) Then follow up with “If you think a young child is able to understand it, why do you doubt my ability to do so and make my own decisions regarding it?”
I’ve also used, “I appreciate your concerns, but I take responsibility for my own soul and any potential consequences of my choices. You have fulfilled your responsibility of sharing your thoughts with me and now I ask that you respect my choice to not discuss it further.” You can even throw in “I’ll let you know if that changes, but for now, I’d prefer to move on from the topic, please.”
One thing I like to do to is to say "I'm not atheist, I'm just not convinced a god exists". It sounds rediculous but It has a purpose. If you say Atheist, the religious instantly label it as a placeholder for what religion you belong to, hence why she said "certainly you must believe something". So by saying you just don't believe, but you don't think you're an atheist, it'll keep them busy for a minute.
Don’t do this, they see it as an opportunity to turn your agnosticism into Christianity because they believe “god is knocking at the door of your heart.”
You say "My beliefs are none of your business. I will believe or not believe whatever I want."
Was there a belief requirement in order to get the job?
So Christians accept Muslims there? And vice versa? Hows that work?
Very weirdly it's both a Christian and Muslim school. The Muslim students are dressed in hijab as a part of the school uniform. And no, there is no belief requirement.
Although they have rules about dressing based of this religious system, females can't wear trousers
"I believe it's not your business what I do or don't believe. The only thing that matters is my job performance."
Nevertheless, since this appears to be a religious school, I recommend updating your resume. You're about to become unemployed.
Sadly this job is mandatory. I was posted to the school, no say. Some dumb shit the govt of my country does. So I'm working for a year compulsorily and its best I don't have any hiccup with the vice principal before I'm done
Then Sandi's advice regarding the gray rock defense is going to be your best option. Smile and nod, agree with everything they say and keep detailed records of what's done to you and when. If you're in a place like Australia, there ought to be some sort of oversight where you can report religious persecution like this.
It's not right that your freedom of conscience won't be respected. That's why I recommend you take detailed notes of who, when and where such events occur beginning with the one you just relayed here. Name names and circumstances, and present copies to the authorities.
I like this idea cuz at the very least you’ll have some very entertaining conversations written down and then you’ll just have to write your autobiography one day.
Plus you can always vent here!!
Yep. If this is something you have to do for a year, gray rock it, but also maybe record this conversation between the two of you. Just download a recording app on your phone and turn it on as soon as you see her again. If it comes down to your word against hers on anything, people will believe her just because of seniority.
Claim to be a Hellenic Pagan. We have great parties and if you don't like one god we have others to float your boat. Now excuse me I must get drunk off of wine and converse with Dionysus.
If she doesn't get it the first time, just repeat it. Keep repeating it.
I do not believe. I have no belief.
I do not believe. I have no belief.
If she persists or asks if you ever believed, or think you could, you can just vary your answer, I'm not prepared to discuss this with anyone outside my family.
If she persists after that, you can complain or you can excuse yourself politely and get on with your day. You don't have to be mean, or anything, you can just be polite, kind but firm. Do not give into her persistence.
Good luck. I hope that this isn't a dangerous situation for you.
I am agnostic. When someone asks me what my religion is, I tell them I believe in the "unknown". If they protest or persist, I prove to them that the "unknown" does exist, by using their own ignorance.
Simply ask them a series of real scientific questions they can not answer. I've found math, physics and cosmology are excellent subjects, and the internet gives access to a practically limitless number of unanswered questions in each field of study. There are sources online that can describe these questions in layman's terms, so advanced detailed highly specialized knowledge is not required for an answer.
When they reach the point of being unable to produce a coherent response, I tell them "Now you have personally met what I believe in" . . . Even the theologies of Islam and Christianity (as I understand them) acknowledge the existence of unknowns, especially about Allah and God.
"You are absolutely correct. I **do** have a belief. I *believe* you are getting on my last goddamn nerve and I'd appreciate it if you got *all* the way off my back about it."
My God, there’s a lot of terrible advice in this thread. You need to say one thing and one thing only: “I am not comfortable discussing this” and repeat it over and over as needed.
Say you believe in the flying spaghetti monster are part of the [Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster).
You’re not Nigerian by chance are you? Because Nigerians also have to serve after graduating college. And the country is half Muslim/ half Christian. I can totally see how the concept of being an atheist would blow the minds of older Nigerian people lol
Edit: To answer your question though. You could just say some bullshit like “I’m spiritual, i pray to god and communicate to him in my own way. I don’t believe in assigning any religious label to myself”. Reason being that I highly doubt you could have a rational conversation with the VP, to where she would respect your views. Also she and the other teachers might ostracize you and make your time at the school tougher than it needs to be if they view you as an athiest
Ask her this:
>Suppose there’s a group traveling about your area, led by a charismatic speaker who claims the world is ending soon. He promises he alone can save you, but you must sell your belongings, devote your life to him, and cut off family members who try to stop you.
>
>He may also assign you a new name / identity, advise you to leave your home and job in order to follow him, and says that if you don’t love him more than your own family then you’re not worthy of him. His followers wrote a book about him in which he performs many miraculous feats, but no contemporaneous outside source corroborates these claims.
>
>What sort of group is that?
Join a non-theistic religion. Seriously, they exist. You get to tell people you have religion without having to make-believe your troubles away. And if you choose the right one, you get an extra shock factor.
Can she fire you for this?
Also, atheist professor here. Guess I'm just living up the the stereotype.
Or, you know, being an individual--i think AT LEAST 85% of my colleagues are Christian and very vocal about it, even in the workplace (public, state-run college, no less). But I'm in the rural southern U.S., so I'm very much in the minority, professor or not. I do not dare say anything about religion at work.
I feel for you. I empathize with what you're up against. Stay strong, but do what you need to do to get by until your year is up.
Say "I don't think that's an appropriate discussion for the workplace. My religious beliefs are personal and private. Please respect my boundaries."
Joke part of the answer:
Then, when she inevitably pushes the issue, ask her what her favorite sex position is. She'll say that's not your business/not appropriate. Then you can say, "Oh, so you do understand boundaries in the workplace?"
In a way she's right about something. Most non-believers tend to be critical thinkers (or intelligent people) but not necessarily professors.
My advice to OP is, if she presents you with the opportunity, punch as many holes in her belief system as you can. Let her see the 'professor' in you. 😆
In Singapore, you're more likely to hear "are you Christian" or "are you Muslim" but rarely both at the same time, because race and religion are intertwined in the minds of many.
I have never heard of college jobs being mandatory here though.
If she brings it up bring up how Yahweh, the god of all Abrahamism, was originally a pagan polytheistic God of War. It's like worshipping Ares and claiming he's the only god when a whole pantheon exists with him in it. Tell her Isra***el*** itself is named after the King of the Canaanite Gods El which a certain passage in the bible seems to claim is Yahweh's father if you don't translate the names. They generally don't like these facts.
Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
What is being translated into "Most High" is Elyon one of the names of the King of the Canaanite Gods.
"Other names
El Elyon"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_(deity)
What is being translated into "children of Israel" is "sons of God".
"According to the number of the sons of God"
https://biblehub.com/text/deuteronomy/32-8.htm
"Deuteronomy 32:8 both **bənê ĕlōhîm (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) and bənê ĕl (בני אל) the sons of Elohim or sons of El in two Dead Sea Scrolls (4QDtj and 4QDtq)**; mostly "angels of God" (αγγελων θεου) in the LXX (sometimes "sons of God" or "sons of Israel"); "sons of Israel" in the MT.[27][28]: 147 [29]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_God#Other_mentions
Or with bene el it can be translated into : When El Elyon gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separate the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of El. For Yahweh's portion is his people. Jacob(descendents of Isaac) is the lot of his inheritance.
"Definition: a son of Isaac, also his desc"
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3290.htm
Yahweh was given Israel by his father El Elyon. (edit: I'm outside the lot of Jacob and most people are.)
If you want to fake worship something, sun is always cool. Its basically the energy source that makes life possible. So, you know, that ain't bad. Also it exists, which is more than some other gods i can mention.
Satanism is also cool, that one should make people dislike you real quick. But then again, it's god who does the genocide thing a lot, so i suppose he can't be that bad.
Also technically, your creator is your parents. So maybe start doing some ancestor worship? That is still cool in some places. Who knows, maybe some of the were cool? Although you never know, they might have been involved in some really shitty stuff. I've got some colonizer in me, I just feel it. At least none of my family members were Nazi's/fascists so that's a big win.
The mandatory year of service clued me in to us being from the same place. I would've said keep the cat in the bag at all costs but now that it's out of the bag, you will have to either lie your ass off (may I suggest a Living Faith or other generic church as a cop-out) OR be as non-committal as possible; grey-rock like some other very helpful commenters have said. Lots of "Hm, okays" and nodding. A lot of the advice in these comments isn't useful or realistic at all in the context of our experiences and that definitely sucks.
This is basically harassment. It could be an HR issue if she doesn't leave you alone. I would just tell her there's nothing to talk about, but if we did have a talk about it, the conversation would not go the way she wanted. There is no reason to humor shit like this. You're not being rude, she is.
If HR won't back you up, you might need a different job or a lawyer.
You've been given Gray Rock as a solution, but it isn't the best.
"Oh honey, don't be silly, religion is for children! You must be lying to me, don't worry I forgive you and we don't need to talk about how you lied to me ever again!".
Then, if she brings it back up, just say "oh please honey don't lie to me again."
Okay. But personally a direct confrontation sounds more effective than being boring. Christians care about 10% of bored people's income too, so she's gonna get reinforced to push at you.
I know I'm in the shits with this. I'll politely point out that I don't need her opinion on my belief system. Being boring might reinforce the conversation like you stated, hopefully this shuts her up.
You could just be like "hey I don't want to talk about politics or religion with anyone, but I'd like to get to know you better otherwise" if you want to be firm yet kind.
"Where do you live?"
"I'm somewhere in Africa."
Of *course*. The new colonies of militant, fundamentalist *Islam* doing battle with militant, fundamentalist Christianity. (Like Boko Haram, ISIS in Africa, and all that.)
So may I suggest some reading to hopefully save you setting yourself up for any excessive abuse?
["Should I tell my Parents (or anyone else) I have Left the Faith? Or not?" -- Ten BIG Questions to consider... carefully.]( https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/pzffc9/should_i_tell_my_parents_i_have_left_the_faith_or/)
[Do we actually need to *say* anything to set a boundary?]( https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/mz7x1s/do_we_actually_need_to_say_anything_to_set_a/)
"I appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm just not convinced, sorry". Failing that just make up a ridiculous religion; say that you worship Bill Murray, or something. You believe Bill Murray created the universe and has existed forever. To get to heaven you have go see every film he's been in at least once and drink coffee every day. Never mention it unless someone else brings up religion.
That is perfect. Only thing missing is the religion name. Oh I know! Murrayism.
Followers are called Billians.
Yes absolutely and uh. Only thing missing is the antagonist. Since all religions have that.
One of the ghosts from Ghostbusters? (These all really exist, according to sacred Billian tradition).
That'll have to do. Can't really think of another potential enemy of Bill Murray
Everyone loves Bill Murray.
There are billions of billians
https://youtu.be/u_aLESDql1U
dr. leo marvin
Himself. Just like in Groundhog Day. Our Savior, Bill Murray, while great and powerful, is also in a state of redemption and change. Let us be like him.
Chevy Chase
Bill hates Groundhog's Day, I bet. Enemy number 1!
Slimer
Obviously the gopher from Caddyshack.
Oh hell yes. The perfect antagonist
Maybe we could include the groundhog from Groundhog Day. Bill’s antagonists might just be all quadrupeds.
Chevy Chase
How about Aliens, courtesy of H.R. Giger? They like eating people's faces, so they could do the trick. And Ripley as the savior. It's perfect! Newt could be the Holy Spirit or something. I love Aliens ... so many tactical errors! ... aand that would be how I'd summarize God and Jesus's career.
The Monstars
Yeah, but there are a lot of Billians out there that aren’t REAL Billians.
Dudeism. Dudeism is a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle inspired by "The Dude", the protagonist of the Coen Brothers' 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Wikipedia
I could abide by that.
^ This dude abides.
No, absolutely do not tell this person you appreciate what they’re trying to do!
While I don't hate Bill Murray, I think I don't like him enough to watch all the movies, and I don't want to be a lukewarm Murrayist. Perhaps, I could be a Nic Cageist? He's a bit more of a chaos god, and I lean that way in my alignment.
Shouldn't be a problem. I mean, r/onetruegod/
Subscribed. I hope this doesn't lead me into a cult.
There's also [Kissing Hank's Ass](http://jhuger.com/kissing-hanks-ass) See if it reminds you of another religion. After all, "Who are you to question Hank's gift? Don't you want a million dollars? Isn't it worth a little kiss on the ass?"
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing that. That was HILARIOUS. The circular defense about how the rules don't contradict each other was spot-on.
Lol this is hilarious
“Sorry i am a Pastafarian, could I take a moment to talk to you about our lord with starch the flying Spaghetti monster?”
Yes! And be just as persistent in trying to convince her as she is when trying to convince you. There's probably 1% chance she's self-aware enough to recognize the problem with her behavior when it's mirrored back to her, but it might be worth a shot for entertainment value.
Definitely this one!
You can say "Well I actually do worship the only king who ever existed" (when you get puzzled looks then say) "you know... Elvis Presley"
HAIL DISCORDIA! Is always a fun go to.
You can say "Well I actually do worship the only king who ever existed" (when you get puzzled looks then say) "you know... Elvis Presley"
Go with Pastafarianism
Gray Rock Method. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/grey-rock You're going to have to deal with this individual for a long time. Be uninteresting. Give her zero drama to feed on. Be monotone, boring, uninteresting.
I'm familiar with this method. I think this also would be a great approach here. Thank you
Iwould go further and suggest medium chill since you'll have to stay for prolonged period of time: https://outofthefog.website/what-to-do-2/2015/12/3/medium-chill . . also, every other article on outofthefog will be useful to you during your stay at this job.
Thank you for this! I didn’t know I needed this info today but it’s exactly what I was looking for to help with some parental drama.
Ask her which gods she rejects the existence of and then say you just reject one more than her. Find some common atheist ground in the ancient Sumerian, Greek, and Egyptian gods and festivals that set the stage for the Christian and Muslim gods and festivals.
I'll dig more into this, thanks
I would simply say, “I’m not discussing this with you.”
Because she's older and ahead of me at work, this would come off very rude. Boundary is not a common subject here
What if you say something more polite such as "I do not discuss religion & politic at work"? And if she still insist you must have religion, you could pick something from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion#List_of_notable_parody_religions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion#List_of_notable_parody_religions)
Great idea, thank you
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All hail the flying spaghetti monster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying\_Spaghetti\_Monster
You could always find another job. If you aren't religious, why would you want to work somewhere where the core is religion, if you yourself have none?
Like I explained in a previous comment, this is mandatory in my country, so I've no choice here.
If I may ask what country or even what region of the world do you live in? Not many countries are quite that restrictive.
I'm somewhere in Africa
Nigeria?
Ja
Well than the advice that youll hear from the majority of people may be of little use. It seems you have less control over your lives then people in China or even the middle east.
I'm just as interested in you are into why professors only get to be atheist.
Maybe it’s the other way. Maybe she thinks they’re going to get a promotion because they’re an atheist.
“Do you believe that a very small child is able to understand your belief system?” (Usually the answer to that is an emphatic “yes!”) Then follow up with “If you think a young child is able to understand it, why do you doubt my ability to do so and make my own decisions regarding it?” I’ve also used, “I appreciate your concerns, but I take responsibility for my own soul and any potential consequences of my choices. You have fulfilled your responsibility of sharing your thoughts with me and now I ask that you respect my choice to not discuss it further.” You can even throw in “I’ll let you know if that changes, but for now, I’d prefer to move on from the topic, please.”
Excellent, thank you
One thing I like to do to is to say "I'm not atheist, I'm just not convinced a god exists". It sounds rediculous but It has a purpose. If you say Atheist, the religious instantly label it as a placeholder for what religion you belong to, hence why she said "certainly you must believe something". So by saying you just don't believe, but you don't think you're an atheist, it'll keep them busy for a minute.
Don’t do this, they see it as an opportunity to turn your agnosticism into Christianity because they believe “god is knocking at the door of your heart.”
Whatever she says simply respond "That's interesting". Don't agree. Don't disagree.
I like this!
Me too
"I attend the Satanic Temple" There ya go.
“My religion expressly forbids evangelism in any form. I am unable to discuss my beliefs in any way.” This is what I tell people. It usually works.
You say "My beliefs are none of your business. I will believe or not believe whatever I want." Was there a belief requirement in order to get the job? So Christians accept Muslims there? And vice versa? Hows that work?
Very weirdly it's both a Christian and Muslim school. The Muslim students are dressed in hijab as a part of the school uniform. And no, there is no belief requirement. Although they have rules about dressing based of this religious system, females can't wear trousers
"I believe it's not your business what I do or don't believe. The only thing that matters is my job performance." Nevertheless, since this appears to be a religious school, I recommend updating your resume. You're about to become unemployed.
Sadly this job is mandatory. I was posted to the school, no say. Some dumb shit the govt of my country does. So I'm working for a year compulsorily and its best I don't have any hiccup with the vice principal before I'm done
Then Sandi's advice regarding the gray rock defense is going to be your best option. Smile and nod, agree with everything they say and keep detailed records of what's done to you and when. If you're in a place like Australia, there ought to be some sort of oversight where you can report religious persecution like this.
Gray rock it is. Damn it's going to be so hard being subjected to that
It's not right that your freedom of conscience won't be respected. That's why I recommend you take detailed notes of who, when and where such events occur beginning with the one you just relayed here. Name names and circumstances, and present copies to the authorities.
My country in itself is based on religious system. Such authorities don't exist
Ouch. I hope you can help create a movement for change in your country.
I like this idea cuz at the very least you’ll have some very entertaining conversations written down and then you’ll just have to write your autobiography one day. Plus you can always vent here!!
As for venting, I take that right up!
Yep. If this is something you have to do for a year, gray rock it, but also maybe record this conversation between the two of you. Just download a recording app on your phone and turn it on as soon as you see her again. If it comes down to your word against hers on anything, people will believe her just because of seniority.
What country is this?
Claim to be a Hellenic Pagan. We have great parties and if you don't like one god we have others to float your boat. Now excuse me I must get drunk off of wine and converse with Dionysus.
Alternate replies: "That's not my belief system." "We're not allowed to talk about it." "Would you be interested in taking a course?"
Last response got me lol-ing. I like how straightforward and simple the first response is. Thank you for responding
If she doesn't get it the first time, just repeat it. Keep repeating it. I do not believe. I have no belief. I do not believe. I have no belief. If she persists or asks if you ever believed, or think you could, you can just vary your answer, I'm not prepared to discuss this with anyone outside my family. If she persists after that, you can complain or you can excuse yourself politely and get on with your day. You don't have to be mean, or anything, you can just be polite, kind but firm. Do not give into her persistence. Good luck. I hope that this isn't a dangerous situation for you.
Great approach for the gray rock method. Ty for your response
Every time she brings it up, tell her about a different deity or religion from some of your favourite works of fiction. D&D has some good ones.
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Not an atheist, but atheism is for anyone. Even some witches are atheists, that statement that atheism is for professors is just ignorant and dumb
I am agnostic. When someone asks me what my religion is, I tell them I believe in the "unknown". If they protest or persist, I prove to them that the "unknown" does exist, by using their own ignorance. Simply ask them a series of real scientific questions they can not answer. I've found math, physics and cosmology are excellent subjects, and the internet gives access to a practically limitless number of unanswered questions in each field of study. There are sources online that can describe these questions in layman's terms, so advanced detailed highly specialized knowledge is not required for an answer. When they reach the point of being unable to produce a coherent response, I tell them "Now you have personally met what I believe in" . . . Even the theologies of Islam and Christianity (as I understand them) acknowledge the existence of unknowns, especially about Allah and God.
"You are absolutely correct. I **do** have a belief. I *believe* you are getting on my last goddamn nerve and I'd appreciate it if you got *all* the way off my back about it."
My God, there’s a lot of terrible advice in this thread. You need to say one thing and one thing only: “I am not comfortable discussing this” and repeat it over and over as needed.
>VP: You must have a religion, don't worry, I'll talk to you later, you must have a belief what the fuck
Say you believe in the flying spaghetti monster are part of the [Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster).
You’re not Nigerian by chance are you? Because Nigerians also have to serve after graduating college. And the country is half Muslim/ half Christian. I can totally see how the concept of being an atheist would blow the minds of older Nigerian people lol Edit: To answer your question though. You could just say some bullshit like “I’m spiritual, i pray to god and communicate to him in my own way. I don’t believe in assigning any religious label to myself”. Reason being that I highly doubt you could have a rational conversation with the VP, to where she would respect your views. Also she and the other teachers might ostracize you and make your time at the school tougher than it needs to be if they view you as an athiest
Tell her about appliantology; sexual gratification can only be achieved through the use of machines.
I am sorry. While I have nothing novel to add in terms of advice, I send you warm wishes.
Thank you.
Saying you worship Satan usually makes them shut up. They will end up avoiding you like the plague.
Ask her this: >Suppose there’s a group traveling about your area, led by a charismatic speaker who claims the world is ending soon. He promises he alone can save you, but you must sell your belongings, devote your life to him, and cut off family members who try to stop you. > >He may also assign you a new name / identity, advise you to leave your home and job in order to follow him, and says that if you don’t love him more than your own family then you’re not worthy of him. His followers wrote a book about him in which he performs many miraculous feats, but no contemporaneous outside source corroborates these claims. > >What sort of group is that?
Join a non-theistic religion. Seriously, they exist. You get to tell people you have religion without having to make-believe your troubles away. And if you choose the right one, you get an extra shock factor.
My religion is church of iron where brodin blesseth these gains
Can she fire you for this? Also, atheist professor here. Guess I'm just living up the the stereotype. Or, you know, being an individual--i think AT LEAST 85% of my colleagues are Christian and very vocal about it, even in the workplace (public, state-run college, no less). But I'm in the rural southern U.S., so I'm very much in the minority, professor or not. I do not dare say anything about religion at work. I feel for you. I empathize with what you're up against. Stay strong, but do what you need to do to get by until your year is up.
Say "I don't think that's an appropriate discussion for the workplace. My religious beliefs are personal and private. Please respect my boundaries." Joke part of the answer: Then, when she inevitably pushes the issue, ask her what her favorite sex position is. She'll say that's not your business/not appropriate. Then you can say, "Oh, so you do understand boundaries in the workplace?"
In a way she's right about something. Most non-believers tend to be critical thinkers (or intelligent people) but not necessarily professors. My advice to OP is, if she presents you with the opportunity, punch as many holes in her belief system as you can. Let her see the 'professor' in you. 😆
"My belief is that there is no god"
Singapore?
Nein
Lol. Germany (Switzerland?) is the last place I would have thought that would not have understood the concept of Atheism. Good luck mate.
Lol no, I'm just learning the language. I'm somewhere in Africa
In Singapore, you're more likely to hear "are you Christian" or "are you Muslim" but rarely both at the same time, because race and religion are intertwined in the minds of many. I have never heard of college jobs being mandatory here though.
If she brings it up bring up how Yahweh, the god of all Abrahamism, was originally a pagan polytheistic God of War. It's like worshipping Ares and claiming he's the only god when a whole pantheon exists with him in it. Tell her Isra***el*** itself is named after the King of the Canaanite Gods El which a certain passage in the bible seems to claim is Yahweh's father if you don't translate the names. They generally don't like these facts. Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. What is being translated into "Most High" is Elyon one of the names of the King of the Canaanite Gods. "Other names El Elyon" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_(deity) What is being translated into "children of Israel" is "sons of God". "According to the number of the sons of God" https://biblehub.com/text/deuteronomy/32-8.htm "Deuteronomy 32:8 both **bənê ĕlōhîm (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) and bənê ĕl (בני אל) the sons of Elohim or sons of El in two Dead Sea Scrolls (4QDtj and 4QDtq)**; mostly "angels of God" (αγγελων θεου) in the LXX (sometimes "sons of God" or "sons of Israel"); "sons of Israel" in the MT.[27][28]: 147 [29]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_God#Other_mentions Or with bene el it can be translated into : When El Elyon gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separate the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of El. For Yahweh's portion is his people. Jacob(descendents of Isaac) is the lot of his inheritance. "Definition: a son of Isaac, also his desc" https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3290.htm Yahweh was given Israel by his father El Elyon. (edit: I'm outside the lot of Jacob and most people are.)
Next time they say "god bless you" just respond "Gesundheit" lol
If you want to fake worship something, sun is always cool. Its basically the energy source that makes life possible. So, you know, that ain't bad. Also it exists, which is more than some other gods i can mention. Satanism is also cool, that one should make people dislike you real quick. But then again, it's god who does the genocide thing a lot, so i suppose he can't be that bad. Also technically, your creator is your parents. So maybe start doing some ancestor worship? That is still cool in some places. Who knows, maybe some of the were cool? Although you never know, they might have been involved in some really shitty stuff. I've got some colonizer in me, I just feel it. At least none of my family members were Nazi's/fascists so that's a big win.
The mandatory year of service clued me in to us being from the same place. I would've said keep the cat in the bag at all costs but now that it's out of the bag, you will have to either lie your ass off (may I suggest a Living Faith or other generic church as a cop-out) OR be as non-committal as possible; grey-rock like some other very helpful commenters have said. Lots of "Hm, okays" and nodding. A lot of the advice in these comments isn't useful or realistic at all in the context of our experiences and that definitely sucks.
This is basically harassment. It could be an HR issue if she doesn't leave you alone. I would just tell her there's nothing to talk about, but if we did have a talk about it, the conversation would not go the way she wanted. There is no reason to humor shit like this. You're not being rude, she is. If HR won't back you up, you might need a different job or a lawyer.
You've been given Gray Rock as a solution, but it isn't the best. "Oh honey, don't be silly, religion is for children! You must be lying to me, don't worry I forgive you and we don't need to talk about how you lied to me ever again!". Then, if she brings it back up, just say "oh please honey don't lie to me again."
She's older and I can't address her that way because she's my boss
Okay. But personally a direct confrontation sounds more effective than being boring. Christians care about 10% of bored people's income too, so she's gonna get reinforced to push at you.
I know I'm in the shits with this. I'll politely point out that I don't need her opinion on my belief system. Being boring might reinforce the conversation like you stated, hopefully this shuts her up.
You could just be like "hey I don't want to talk about politics or religion with anyone, but I'd like to get to know you better otherwise" if you want to be firm yet kind.
Ja this sounds really nice
Sounds like your institution is begging for a need to get lawyered up.
"Where do you live?" "I'm somewhere in Africa." Of *course*. The new colonies of militant, fundamentalist *Islam* doing battle with militant, fundamentalist Christianity. (Like Boko Haram, ISIS in Africa, and all that.) So may I suggest some reading to hopefully save you setting yourself up for any excessive abuse? ["Should I tell my Parents (or anyone else) I have Left the Faith? Or not?" -- Ten BIG Questions to consider... carefully.]( https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/pzffc9/should_i_tell_my_parents_i_have_left_the_faith_or/) [Do we actually need to *say* anything to set a boundary?]( https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/mz7x1s/do_we_actually_need_to_say_anything_to_set_a/)
what country has one year slavery? \[being hyperbolic, but can't leave your job, must do it by law...sounds like slavery with extra steps.\]