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Religion in the Workplace? Here's What You Said
Compiled by the DiversityInc staff
March 04, 2008
Does religion have a place in the workplace? And if so, how does one balance his or her beliefs without alienating colleagues? In his recent Ask the White Guy column, Luke Visconti tackles these very questions and shows that, with specific and well-thought-out values, the workplace can be equitable regardless of one's religious beliefs. The controversial topic sparked a slew of readers' comments. This question is in response to a previous Ask The White Guy column titled: Christians Need Not Apply.
First, let me say that I truly appreciate the dialogue that you have created regarding Religion and LGBT rights in the workplace. I feel that it is this kind of conversation that will help us understand one another's view points and while we may not agree, we can at least hope to understand each other better.
I think it is important for Christians to understand that the average LGBT person in the workplace has no "agenda". They simply want the right to come to work and not feel that they are looked down upon. They want to be able to speak openly about the person they love without looks of disgust or the need to constantly change pronouns. They want what every Christian wants, the right to be the person they are with the belief system that is important to them. What's funny to me is that on many levels LGBT people and Christians are very similar. Both feel rejected for who they are. Both want others to hear their message (I'm not sure the message is as different as what we all think. It should come down to love and respect. After all, wasn't that the true message of Jesus?)
In the end, what we ALL want is to be loved, respected, and understood. On every human level that makes us the same! I feel blessed to work in a Christian environment where I can be an LGBT person. What I have learned is that if you want people to hear your message, show them love, not hate. You'll accomplish a higher goal in the end and the world will be better for it.
--Jennifer Fisher
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