Long story short, we have a strict anti-solicitation policy at work,
and these people are breaking it. I plan to take it up with the HR
director next week. She's a Christian, but she's also very
intelligent and understands the importance of tolerating diversity in
the work place.

Anyway, thanks for listening. The old biddy that I first spoke about
is probably going to continue applying some pressure, as she's a
senior nurse there and therefore doesn't have to obey the rules as
much as those lower on the food chain (She has no legal right to do
this, but you know how it goes - functional rights are every bit as
useful as _real_ rights when it comes to crap like that).

Oh... Then there's our "mission statement" - the company that I work
for has as part of its mission statement that we are dedicated to
"community service and service to God". We receive government money
for our participation in the state's medicaid program (TennCare) and
medicare. Would there be any legal grounds for forcing them to remove
this from their official mission statement?

Long story short, we have a strict anti-solicitation policy at work,
and these people are breaking it. I plan to take it up with the HR
director next week.

Oh... Then there's our "mission statement" - the company that I work
for has as part of its mission statement that we are dedicated to
"community service and service to God". We receive government money
for our participation in the state's medicaid program (TennCare) and
medicare. Would there be any legal grounds for forcing them to remove
this from their official mission statement?

"I'm just not," I said. Rather than take the hint that I didn't
particularly want to talk about it, she pressed further. "Fine. I'm
not a Christian. Is that better?"

Yesterday before leaving work, one of the nurses with whom I have to
speak frequently as part of my job asked me if I was doing anything
special for Christmas. Not wanting to get into it, I simply said,
"No."

Well, you would have thought I said, "Die, *****, die!" for the gasp
of shock which then ensued. "Well... how could you not be doing
something for Christmas?" she cooed in that patronizingly "sweet" way
of which only smarmy fundamentalists are capable.

"I'm just not," I said. Rather than take the hint that I didn't
particularly want to talk about it, she pressed further. "Fine. I'm
not a Christian. Is that better?"

I don't think the poor nosey little ***** has ever had anyone say that
to her before. She left me know in no uncertain terms that it was her
duty as a Christian to try to save me, to at least pray for me, and
what a wonderful thing "salvation" was and yadda yadda yadda yadda...
At first, I tried to be patient and civil - unlike her - and said,
"Thanks for the concern, go ahead and pray for me if you really want
to."

She must have gone on for at least ten minutes. By the time it was
over, I reiterated, in a less friendly manner, "Fine, pray for me if
you must, it's certainly better than you actually doing any sort of
'work' or other trivial little things like that. I really don't care
either way if you pray for me or not and I don't really want to talk
religion with you."

She was going to persist, but I left while she was momentarily
distracted by my cubicle neighbor.

There's a little background, here. One of our local politicians has
retired from public life and now resides as a big shot where I work.
He's also a preacher. And he holds weekly Bible studies that people
can go to over lunch. At first, it was no problem. But as word
seemed to spread that I'm not a Christian, I've been finding myself
more and more inundated with people condescendingly informing me that
I really _should_ go to some of those Bible studies, that it's for my
own good, and yadda yadda yadda...

Long story short, we have a strict anti-solicitation policy at work,
and these people are breaking it. I plan to take it up with the HR
director next week. She's a Christian, but she's also very
intelligent and understands the importance of tolerating diversity in
the work place. I'm going to ask that she send an e-mail out that
clarifies the fact that religious solicitation is included with all
the other kinds of solicitation the company doesn't permit on company
grounds during company time. She probably will, she's very good about
doing stuff like that - both in the interest of fairness, and in the
interest of keeping her and the rest of the company out of court.

I may even have to mention something about the good reverend's
incredibly annoying habit of laying Christian propaganda tracts all
through the bathrooms. They're not even up to the level of Chick
tracts, so it's not like they even have any entertainment value. Then
again, the little bonfires I make of them are kinda' "fun" in some
perverse way. Knowing that he's wasted his money and/or time on them
so I could enjoy a few seconds of flaming amusement is somewhat
gratifying. I might have to just let that one slide...

Anyway, thanks for listening. The old biddy that I first spoke about
is probably going to continue applying some pressure, as she's a
senior nurse there and therefore doesn't have to obey the rules as
much as those lower on the food chain (She has no legal right to do
this, but you know how it goes - functional rights are every bit as
useful as _real_ rights when it comes to crap like that).

Oh... Then there's our "mission statement" - the company that I work
for has as part of its mission statement that we are dedicated to
"community service and service to God". We receive government money
for our participation in the state's medicaid program (TennCare) and
medicare. Would there be any legal grounds for forcing them to remove
this from their official mission statement?

--
L8r,
Bill
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
The quest is never fruitless -
even when all you walk away with
are memories of the search.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

Yesterday before leaving work, one of the nurses with whom I have to
speak frequently as part of my job asked me if I was doing anything
special for Christmas. Not wanting to get into it, I simply said,
"No."

Well, you would have thought I said, "Die, *****, die!" for the gasp
of shock which then ensued. "Well... how could you not be doing
something for Christmas?" she cooed in that patronizingly "sweet" way
of which only smarmy fundamentalists are capable.

"I'm just not," I said. Rather than take the hint that I didn't
particularly want to talk about it, she pressed further. "Fine. I'm
not a Christian. Is that better?"

I don't think the poor nosey little ***** has ever had anyone say that
to her before. She left me know in no uncertain terms that it was her
duty as a Christian to try to save me, to at least pray for me, and
what a wonderful thing "salvation" was and yadda yadda yadda yadda...
At first, I tried to be patient and civil - unlike her - and said,
"Thanks for the concern, go ahead and pray for me if you really want
to."

She must have gone on for at least ten minutes. By the time it was
over, I reiterated, in a less friendly manner, "Fine, pray for me if
you must, it's certainly better than you actually doing any sort of
'work' or other trivial little things like that. I really don't care
either way if you pray for me or not and I don't really want to talk
religion with you."

She was going to persist, but I left while she was momentarily
distracted by my cubicle neighbor.

There's a little background, here. One of our local politicians has
retired from public life and now resides as a big shot where I work.
He's also a preacher. And he holds weekly Bible studies that people
can go to over lunch. At first, it was no problem. But as word
seemed to spread that I'm not a Christian, I've been finding myself
more and more inundated with people condescendingly informing me that
I really _should_ go to some of those Bible studies, that it's for my
own good, and yadda yadda yadda...

Long story short, we have a strict anti-solicitation policy at work,
and these people are breaking it. I plan to take it up with the HR
director next week. She's a Christian, but she's also very
intelligent and understands the importance of tolerating diversity in
the work place. I'm going to ask that she send an e-mail out that
clarifies the fact that religious solicitation is included with all
the other kinds of solicitation the company doesn't permit on company
grounds during company time. She probably will, she's very good about
doing stuff like that - both in the interest of fairness, and in the
interest of keeping her and the rest of the company out of court.

I may even have to mention something about the good reverend's
incredibly annoying habit of laying Christian propaganda tracts all
through the bathrooms. They're not even up to the level of Chick
tracts, so it's not like they even have any entertainment value. Then
again, the little bonfires I make of them are kinda' "fun" in some
perverse way. Knowing that he's wasted his money and/or time on them
so I could enjoy a few seconds of flaming amusement is somewhat
gratifying. I might have to just let that one slide...

Anyway, thanks for listening. The old biddy that I first spoke about
is probably going to continue applying some pressure, as she's a
senior nurse there and therefore doesn't have to obey the rules as
much as those lower on the food chain (She has no legal right to do
this, but you know how it goes - functional rights are every bit as
useful as _real_ rights when it comes to crap like that).

Oh... Then there's our "mission statement" - the company that I work
for has as part of its mission statement that we are dedicated to
"community service and service to God". We receive government money
for our participation in the state's medicaid program (TennCare) and
medicare. Would there be any legal grounds for forcing them to remove
this from their official mission statement?

Yesterday before leaving work, one of the nurses with whom I have to
speak frequently as part of my job asked me if I was doing anything
special for Christmas. Not wanting to get into it, I simply said,
"No."

Well, you would have thought I said, "Die, *****, die!" for the gasp
of shock which then ensued. "Well... how could you not be doing
something for Christmas?" she cooed in that patronizingly "sweet" way
of which only smarmy fundamentalists are capable.

"I'm just not," I said. Rather than take the hint that I didn't
particularly want to talk about it, she pressed further. "Fine. I'm
not a Christian. Is that better?"

I don't think the poor nosey little ***** has ever had anyone say that
to her before. She left me know in no uncertain terms that it was her
duty as a Christian to try to save me, to at least pray for me, and
what a wonderful thing "salvation" was and yadda yadda yadda yadda...
At first, I tried to be patient and civil - unlike her - and said,
"Thanks for the concern, go ahead and pray for me if you really want
to."

She must have gone on for at least ten minutes. By the time it was
over, I reiterated, in a less friendly manner, "Fine, pray for me if
you must, it's certainly better than you actually doing any sort of
'work' or other trivial little things like that. I really don't care
either way if you pray for me or not and I don't really want to talk
religion with you."

She was going to persist, but I left while she was momentarily
distracted by my cubicle neighbor.

There's a little background, here. One of our local politicians has
retired from public life and now resides as a big shot where I work.
He's also a preacher. And he holds weekly Bible studies that people
can go to over lunch. At first, it was no problem. But as word
seemed to spread that I'm not a Christian, I've been finding myself
more and more inundated with people condescendingly informing me that
I really _should_ go to some of those Bible studies, that it's for my
own good, and yadda yadda yadda...

Long story short, we have a strict anti-solicitation policy at work,
and these people are breaking it. I plan to take it up with the HR
director next week. She's a Christian, but she's also very
intelligent and understands the importance of tolerating diversity in
the work place. I'm going to ask that she send an e-mail out that
clarifies the fact that religious solicitation is included with all
the other kinds of solicitation the company doesn't permit on company
grounds during company time. She probably will, she's very good about
doing stuff like that - both in the interest of fairness, and in the
interest of keeping her and the rest of the company out of court.

I may even have to mention something about the good reverend's
incredibly annoying habit of laying Christian propaganda tracts all
through the bathrooms. They're not even up to the level of Chick
tracts, so it's not like they even have any entertainment value. Then
again, the little bonfires I make of them are kinda' "fun" in some
perverse way. Knowing that he's wasted his money and/or time on them
so I could enjoy a few seconds of flaming amusement is somewhat
gratifying. I might have to just let that one slide...

Anyway, thanks for listening. The old biddy that I first spoke about
is probably going to continue applying some pressure, as she's a
senior nurse there and therefore doesn't have to obey the rules as
much as those lower on the food chain (She has no legal right to do
this, but you know how it goes - functional rights are every bit as
useful as _real_ rights when it comes to crap like that).

Oh... Then there's our "mission statement" - the company that I work
for has as part of its mission statement that we are dedicated to
"community service and service to God". We receive government money
for our participation in the state's medicaid program (TennCare) and
medicare. Would there be any legal grounds for forcing them to remove
this from their official mission statement?