Today when I was opening the mail for my co-workers, I noticed a client had returned some forms they'd needed to sign with a pamphlet about God and salvation. Honestly, even though I'm a Christian, I kind of thought it was a little rude because the co-worker who this client's little "information packet" was addressed to practices another religion (I'm not too sure which one, but it certainly isn't Christianity; she does belong to a different religion, though).
Would you consider something like this rude? Or just a good samaritan spreading the word?
(Just wondering other people's thoughts =D)
2007-09-05 08:27:41 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
I think the client stepped over the line, violated a boundary which should not be crossed. In my opinion, the Separation of Church and State also translates to the workplace. Just don't go there.
People who have business relationships with each other often don't know each other well enough to exchange this type of information. The person providing the religious pamphlet to the business contact might think they're doing a good deed, but by doing this, they risk offending the person they're doing business with.
I would seriously question the judgment of someone who provided this information to me while working a business issue.
2007-09-05 08:46:29 · answer #1 · answered by TLH 3 · 5⤊ 2⤋
It may have been the result of a conversation that your co-worker had with that client. Maybe not. Some Christians feel the need to spread the word. I would not consider it rude but definitely inappropriate. It should not have been sent with business materials. The papers sent were probably harmless, unless the material somehow defamed this co-workers religion and beliefs. All in all they most likely ended up in the circular file.
2007-09-05 15:38:20 · answer #2 · answered by tetlitea 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, if your client is representing a business organization--then what they did was actually Workplace Discrimination as defined by the federal government. The United States protects workers' rights to freedom of race & religion..But if the client is represents himself; then what he did was tacky at best; however many Christaisn believe it is their duty to "spread the gospel"--but we hope they unnderstand there is a time & place for everything, however good their intentions may be. And sending a bible pamphlet in the mail to a business agent instead of the singed forms he was sopposed to send back was silly.
I'm Muslim, and I've been around long enough to know you should be gracious and just ingore it, and pretend it never happened.
2007-09-05 19:39:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am a Christian and I HATE tracks (that is what those little pamphlets are called). It is rude, and have you ever heard anyone say, "Yeah, one day I was in the mall and I found a pamphlet that talked about God and it saved my life."? No, because people don't make decisions based on that kind of stuff. If this person can't take the time out of their busy schedule to actually learn about this other person's beliefs and then earn the right to be able to talk about theirs through respect, then why would they expect someone else to give their beliefs the time of day!
Oh, and the worse is when people leave these for tips.... Christians are suppose to be generous!
2007-09-05 15:38:30 · answer #4 · answered by ms_quoted 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I don't think it is rude. Just that they think you might be open to other religions and not be closed or narrow minded not knowing about other religions out there. Freedom of choice is a person's greatest rights. Everyone should have a choice and the freedom to know about all religions, not only the ones they are born with ie the ones their parents hand down to them.
2007-09-05 21:02:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't think they meant it as a rude gesture. They were just being a good Christian. All the intended recipient has to do is throw the brochure away. You never know, the intended may have actually ASKED to be sent that brochure.
To correct ms quoted, they are called TRACTS not tracks. Sorry, I'm a bit obsessive about spelling!
And to PS - Nowhere in that question does the asker say anything about foreigners!
2007-09-05 15:38:37 · answer #6 · answered by startwinkle05 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes, it's rude.
But then, as rudenesses go, relatively mild as most offices are well supplied with recycle bins.
Unless the co-worker asked for info about the client's religion, their assumption that it's OK to foist it on someone they're doing business with is rude.
(You didn't ask, but I'm an atheist.)
One wonders what the client would think if someone sent them Muslim or Hindu propaganda. (Not that I'm suggesting this, except as a though experiment.)
Of course, nothing should be said to the client about it.
2007-09-05 17:03:12 · answer #7 · answered by tehabwa 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I think it's rude. I don't like when people thrust their religion on you. Why do they feel the need? Especially missionaries. Who are they to go to someone's country and try to convert them? It's like going into a restaurant and telling someone that they should really be eating the chicken, not the beef. Everyone has their own ideas and beliefs and they don't need others trying to tell them they are misguided for their different beliefs. Come on people! We all know there's no proof of higher powers so you believe in yours, I'll believe in mine, and when we die we'll probably all end up in the same place anyway!
2007-09-05 15:38:03 · answer #8 · answered by *~PiXiEdUsT~* 3 · 4⤊ 2⤋
I would suggest that this person did it with good intentions. It seems this world is heading in the wrong direction and there are many people who are encouraging us to return to the principles found in the bible. Simply spreading the good word.
2007-09-06 08:40:46 · answer #9 · answered by garry s 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I dont like this practice, but I genuinely think that the person doing it has nothing but good intentions.
2007-09-05 15:37:16 · answer #10 · answered by h_a 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋