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I wouldn't worry about how she interacts with others. That's between her and them.
If she brings up her religious beliefs to you, just tell her that you are at work, and you're glad she's happy, but you really don't have the time to listen to all the details. If she keeps rattling on, just tune out, turn your back, and shuffle some papers.
If she's like other people I've known who just can't keep their private lives to themselves, she'll be irked and maybe even offended. So what? You haven't said anything that anyone could rationally object to.
What she most wants is an audience, and she just can't imagine why you wouldn't want to provide her with one. There's no point in reasoning/arguing with someone that oblivious, so don't bother trying. Just do what you have to do to not be the one caught in the verbal flood.
All of this. You are not the appointed company representative who must save everyone from the preacher. You're uninterested, you're busy, you have work to do. Just squelch it. If she starts harping about saving your soul, step it up and tell her very simply and firmly to back off.
I work with people all day that use the F word more than any other word.
Sex , and every other profanity out there.
This is all against what I believe . If they try to ask me about my wife's body I simply clearly end the conversation .
This is the other side of the coin . If you can't stand it then quit.
Don't make a big deal out of it .
Reading through all of the advice offered in this thread, I don't see that any of it will work. The problem isn't so much religion as it is religion in an aggressive personality. If it was new age mystical fluff rather than Jesus being presented, but with the same level of public enthusiasm, your problem would remain.
So, I think there is no remedy for you short of having her "removed."
Now, if you aren't an atheist, just a visitor to the forum, I'll require you to stop reading here because I'm going to be discussing some top secret stuff for atheists only. Okay?
They all gone?
Good.
Now, you need to get in touch with our hyper secret "A-Team" who can make your problem go away permanently provided there are no questions asked. Be discrete, the theists have long suspected that we conducted these sorts of clandestine operations, but so far we've managed to keep the lid on it. Anyway, the fee for the service is 10 thousand dollars, please remit to :
Greyhound Bus Station, Tijuana, Mexico
Second Set of Lockers From the Entrance
Top row, third locker from the left.
Now, you need to get in touch with our hyper secret "A-Team" who can make your problem go away permanently provided there are no questions asked. Be discrete, the theists have long suspected that we conducted these sorts of clandestine operations, but so far we've managed to keep the lid on it. Anyway, the fee for the service is 10 thousand dollars, please remit to :
Greyhound Bus Station, Tijuana, Mexico
Second Set of Lockers From the Entrance
Top row, third locker from the left.
Satisfaction guaranteed.
That's an outrageous and inexcusable suggestion to make, and I am appalled.
What I love about living in Canada, one of the most religious statements ever made by a co-worker was that he had to go and stack chairs at his church after work. Or perhaps it was the time one of my co-workers said as she was decorating the lunch room for Christmas that she loved Christmas but did not believe in any of the other stuff. In another building one worker has his office decorated as a shrine to the Habs but another shows more faith than reality has his shrine dedicated to the Leafs. I am sure that many of my co-workers and friends are religious and many are athesist and I could maybe guest which is which and not knowing is a good thing.
If it was me in the OP position I might buy a small digital frame and then everytime the coworker brought up religion I would pull out the frame and show off my dogs and cats with hundreds of photos of the sweet darlings.
I would tell her flat out: "I don't believe in discussing religion at work."
If she persisted, I would say: "Look, I believe religion is personal. I do not want to hear about your religious beliefs anymore than I want to hear about your sex life."
If she still persisted, I would take a page out of Shades of Gray and proceed to tell her about "my" sex life, in VIVID detail.
I work with people all day that use the F word more than any other word.
Sex , and every other profanity out there.
This is all against what I believe . If they try to ask me about my wife's body I simply clearly end the conversation .
This is the other side of the coin . If you can't stand it then quit.
Don't make a big deal out of it .
This is very true, I hold profanity and religious talk to be on the same level. It's much worse when it becomes religious sextalk at the work place. People think they are just allowed to drag their personal lives and preferences all over other people's face at work... Get back to Work, Get back to being on Break. Go home and be yourself, express yourself and your personal beliefs, there.
This is very true, I hold profanity and religious talk to be on the same level. It's much worse when it becomes religious sextalk at the work place. People think they are just allowed to drag their personal lives and preferences all over other people's face at work... Get back to Work, Get back to being on Break. Go home and be yourself, express yourself and your personal beliefs, there.
Some fundamentalist Christian sects that lean toward the "shepherding" concept of "accountability" to the group and the group leadership, are used to having very porous or non-existent personal boundaries in group settings where they "spill their guts" at the drop of a hat, and get group hugs and prayer and sympathy (and sometimes, accolades for enduring some trial or other). Sometimes, doubtless, this spills over into other social situations, the most similar of which is the workplace. They simply have to be taught that there is a different set of rules in the workplace. Problems like that the OP describes only happen when company leadership is to disengaged or incompetent to set boundaries and standards and enforce them. Anyone talking about their sex life at work for instance should be shut down instantly on the basis that it is a harassment lawsuit-in-the-making ... you just need one person to take it personally or suggestively or to simply be uncomfortable.
Similarly, employees have some ability to set their own boundaries, they are just afraid of being seen as rude or unfriendly, particularly in the midwest ... or they are very young / inexperienced and don't know how much pushback is "allowed".
I can tell you that no one like the woman described by the OP would prattle on at me for very long in the workplace, whether or not management cared about it. But I have been around the block quite a few times, and I'm old and don't give a s__t what anyone thinks -- including management. Your mileage will vary accordingly.
I work with people all day that use the F word more than any other word.
Sex , and every other profanity out there.
This is all against what I believe . If they try to ask me about my wife's body I simply clearly end the conversation .
This is the other side of the coin . If you can't stand it then quit.
Don't make a big deal out of it .
Where do you work that this kind of thing goes on? They are creating a hostile work environment especially if they are asking about your wife's body.
Is there an HR department?
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