Ok I have a potentially sticky situation at work...........?

Question

At work the perspective teams have a bulletin board that is decorated monthly and since the holidays are coming up I have this problem.
A lady on our team is Jehovahs Witness and I do not want to do anything to disrespect her beliefs but at the same time I do not want to leave her out of anything. On the bulletin board we usually have like little ghosts or someother character with each perspective team memebrs name on them. Like I said I know the people who follow the Jehovah's witness faith do not celebrate holidays and I would not want to insult this person in any form what do I do?????

Answer 1

Dont worry. She will not be offended if you keep her out. We dont celebrate it so it doesnt bother us at all. You will be respecting her beliefs. You can talk to her and tell her. She will be just fine.

Answer 2

Generally I don't stop doing anything simply because some "group" may be offended. But your situation is definitely different. You're putting people's names on these things! That would absolutely be offensive to the Jehovahs and you might find several Christians offended as well. If you did it to me, yeah I'd be offended, slightly, But I would forgive it immediately and move on. But since you brought it up, ask around a little, Halloween is consider an evil pagan holiday by many more people than you would have guessed. Solution: How about using fruits of the harvest(pumpkins or gourds). And one final note: Why not take this opportunity to ask your co-workers what they really think about their names on ghosts and such?

Answer 3

This questioner is to be commended for her efforts to respect the religious sensibilities of her colleague. As the question mentions, Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in nationalistic or so-called "religious" holidays. Generally, they appreciate being personally asked how their consciences might affect a particular matter.

However, Halloween is uniquely offensive to many Christian faiths, not just Jehovah's Witnesses. Many devout Christians feel that glorifying the occult and Satanism is incompatible with their sincere Christian beliefs; labelling any ghoulish creature with the name of a Christian would likely seem highly disrespectful to him. The devout Christian would generally not object to anyone else's observance and participation, but would object to anything that might imply that he is involved himself.

The conscience of the non-participant might allow his name to be displayed in a plain unadorned box toward a corner of an otherwise-Halloween display, but he should speak for himself. The matter might be avoided if the Halloween theme were replaced with a non-religious autumn foliage theme, or perhaps a harvest motiff.

Again, the simplest way to handle this is to discuss the matter with the Witness personally. A Jehovah's Witness fully understands that he is a member of a religious minority, and so he will not insist that others work hard to accommodate him.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm
http://jw-media.org/beliefs/society.htm

Answer 4

If the policy at work is to use holiday themes I would go ahead and do so. If you are doing a Halloween theme, instead of a ghost for her, do a fall leaf. That is a harvest of fall thing that works with a Halloween theme but doesn't involve her directly. Or you could just ask her if she would prefer to follow what everyone else does and have a ghost. It is never wrong to ask "what would you prefer?" I assume she has been very open with her faith so she shouldn't be offended. If, however, you accidentally saw a book of hers or overheard something in the break room, pretend you don't know and treat her like everyone else.

Answer 5

I would just go to her and say, "SoNso, I have a personal question I would like to ask you." She'll probably say, ok. Then you could say, "It's time for me to plan the bulletin board presentation and we usually put our office members names on the ghost bodies for Halloween or on presents for Christmas. I do not want to put your name on the board if you do not want to be included, but at the same time, I also don't want you to feel left out." She'll let you know.

Answer 6

It's nice that you want to be sensitive. But just because she doesn't celebrate holidays doesn't mean that the entire team shouldn't be able to. That would be like forcing them all to "convert" for her sake, in a sense. Like someone else said, I'm sure she is used to seeing decorations for holidays that she doesn't celebrate. And if she isn't, well then frankly she'd better get used to it. It's not gonna go away anytime soon.

Answer 7

Just ask her - say "I was planning on decorating for the Halloween holiday...would bother you?"

Or better yet, just skip the holiday altogether - go with a harvest theme and decorate the bulliten board with fall leaves.

Answer 8

As a Jehovah's Witness, I can tell you that if you leave my name off a bulletin board that is decorated with "holiday" decorations, it is not an insult.

I am never offended when my workmates exclude me from their activities that I will not attend.

I feel hurt when people try or insist I join their functions.

I feel appreciated when people respect my beliefs, and exclude me.

Answer 9

Why don't you ask her? Just approach her and say "I understand you are a Johovahs Witness and I don't want to disrespect you so is it ok if I put your name on the board or do you prefer me to leave it off or maybe put it on another type of character". I'm sure she will not be offended.

Answer 10

Maybe consider asking HER in a private setting. My experience is to assume what may or may not offend sometimes is more offensive than the celebration. She may have a position that is untenable, she may not be a hard-core believer, or whatever. As a Christian, I do not get excited by Kwanzaa and Jewish acknowledgements of their holidays...frankly I don't even notice.

Answer 11

Explain your situation and ask her what she would like. Or change up your bulletin board. Use pumpkins instead of ghosts.