I am in Real Estate and before our board meetings they would recite a christian prayer.Am I right to ban it?

Question

We have realtor board meetings once a week and before we start the board would start a christian prayer which offended many people and realtors at the meetings.

10 Realtors and I decided to take it to court for them to ban prayer because it infringes on other peoples rights and beliefs. our Lawyer has assured us he will get them to stop , I just hope Im not hated for it later which i dont care because fair is fair and reciting christian prayers is just plain sickening and wrong and did I mention immoral.

Answer 1

I am a Christian and I agree with you. The person who has decided to do this is obviously not a Christian and heres why. One he would not be expecting non Christians to pray with him and he would know that those prayers are unheard. Secondly he also has intertwined money and spirituality yet the Bible tells us that we cannot serve God and money (mammon).

Answer 2

To be hated is a kind of consequence you may have to prepare yourself for. As long as the ban is for the interest of the majority, then you have nothing to worry about it.
One of the consequences I can see is the walk outs of those who are so close to their faith believing they benefit from doing it.. If the Board of realtors are the ones who established the prayers before the meeting they better weigh things before they do something against you. You can weigh now the cost of revenue you may lose in case it happens that you are a member of the boards who established that.
Whether you win the case or not, I am sure such division may start the cause of a downfall. There are other real estate who don't do that so, think if its worth the action or be somewhere else that you can be useful without praying.
To find it immoral is something I wish not agree with you, I do not see anything wrong either except it offend those who do not believe and such matter can brought open to a peaceful agreement and court litigations may just hamper the good relationships between people.

Answer 3

I hope you are a very rich man. What you are about to embark on is self-defeating.

With the division you see now, the lawsuit you bring will definitely alienate and divide. If that is your goal, congratulations.
History is full of recorded issues such as yours. It has division and yes death has occurred due to the infringement of somebody's rights.
I am in no way saying they have the last word, however your post has the disdain that creates and flourishes hate.

You did not state how many and or if the people running it were Christian or are they doing it because it has always been done?

I say, to each his own. First step is to ask them just for a moment of silent prayer. Silence can not surely offend you. You did not state if you were Muslim, Atheist or of any belief.

If you really hate it as you have stated I feel sorry for you.
Hatred of the other will only reciprocate and grow.

Immoral? Hardly.

Use your money to sanction your own board. That way all of "your" kind can happily hate the prayers that others enjoy.

Answer 4

If the company you are working with is private, ie, not working for the government, then they can start their board meetings with jumping jacks for all the court cares. The state cannot impose a ban on religious activities instigated by a private employer, and joined freely by other company employees. If you don't like to listen to people pray, tough. Stand there and be quiet for 30 seconds, and twiddle your thumbs. It's called "patience". The American constitution does not protect you from things you don't "like" appearing in everyday life.

The owner of the company decides many things for his/her employees that may "infringe" on their personal beliefs, such as a dress code (it may be too stuffy), company decorations, appropriate language for at work, no drinking alcohol on the job, etc. Some things cannot be compulsory, however. While they may insist you wear a suit, they cannot force you to wear a cross as a tie-tac, or a crucifix as a necklace. They cannot hire only white people over minoritys, and cannot make a person's religious beliefs (or lack therof) a condition of their employment.

Nobody can FORCE you to pray, you only have a case if you can show someone is trying to FORCE you to convert, as part of your job (IE PRAY OR ELSE YOU'RE FIRED).

Answer 5

Then how about some sect followers who impose their religious behaviors and conducts upon some great institutions. For example, Muslim students in some universities had certain rooms cut out for praying. Some universities stopped work during the time of their prayers. By the way, these universities are State (government) universities. Or the principle promotes separation between the state and the church not the state and the mosque. Wake up America!!!!!!

Answer 6

If attendance is not a mandatory condition of employment, a private organization is entitled to do as they please. They have a first amendment right to pray. Under Title VII, (codified at 42 U.S.C §§ 2000e et seq.) employers can hold regular devotional meetings for employees so long as attendance is not required.

Moreover, active participation of management in these meetings does not make them discriminatory. To ensure that employees understand that devotional meetings are voluntary, notice of the meetings should state that they are not mandatory and it is wise to hold these meetings before the work day begins, during breaks, or after work.

Employers can even use training programs that are based on the Bible. For instance, requiring an employee to attend a management seminar put on by the Institute of Basic Life Principles which used scriptural passages to support the lessons it sought to promote did not violate a Massachusetts civil rights law.

Employees cannot, however, be required to undergo religious training, participate in religious services, or engage in behavior that would violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. Again, as long as the particpation is voluntary, they can be as religious as they like.

Answer 7

"Christian voters" have not got the "suited" to have the school board (a governmental physique) make any regulation (something they % to do falls under that umbrella) concerning faith - which includes exclaiming a prayer. So precisely which "rights" are they status up for? (Their freedom to coach their faith does not contain a central authority physique - the school board - working in direction of faith.) no remember if having somebody arrested is the Christian element to do isn't the subject. the two the prayer is an element of the assembly, wherein case the board is violating the form, or this is not, wherein case Kieffer would be unable to be hectic the assembly. If he close up as quickly as she banged the gavel, there replace into no violation. Is Tallabama leaking south? PLUG THE LEAK!

Answer 8

Right on! You are absolutely 100% correct to challenge them. My sympathies for the battle that is about to come. It amazes me that the religious nuts go on and on about how you are taking away their right to pray, and that we are not forced to participate.

However, anyone that has ever stood in a room, quietly waiting while a prayer is uttered by other members to a god that the individual does not honor knows how humiliating it is.

I don't want to take away another person's right to pray. But, it should not in any way, shape, or form, cause me to have to change my actions. By asking me to stand quiet for a moment while someone prays in and of itself is FORCING me to pay homage to their god and their prayer. Keep religion out of other people's lives.

I love the fact that christians pray to love one another, and accept others, but are the first to jump on the band wagon the instant we don't want their prayers forced down our throats.

Freedom from religion. Every man should be free. Don't conform to society.

Answer 9

No. People have every right to pray. If it offends you, you don't have to participate, but it is against the law to try and stop another person from exercising their religious freedom. If you think it is immoral, why not go to work at another real estate office.

Answer 10

i totally agree, imposing someones belief on another is immoral, especially in a job where the proffesion comes first and religion has nothing to do with it unless u are a priest. Furthermore, the people who do the christian prayer should do it on their own leisure time and not at a board meeting where business is crucial. good luck with the trial, and dont worry about being hated u did the right thing.

Answer 11

No, I think they have a right to pray. They just can't force anyone to participate. You should just get your group of 10 and ask them to stop. If they will not, they don't have to.

If they are forcing participation, it is wrong and immoral. There is no compulsion in religion.