Have you ever been badgered by a client to speak about your personal spiritual beliefs while at work?

Question

I am a bit of a renaissance girl. I run a small design business out of my home studio, and I also work full time in management in the financial industry. Through both, I have a lot of contact with the public in a one on one, daily basis.

My spiritual beliefs have zero to do with my job or with my business. Zilch. I strive for professionalism, and make it a policy not to discuss it even with my colleagues that I am close with. The only exception is of course people that I know from my local Pagan community, but they are generally personal friends.

I've found that a number of my clients are rather pushy in their inquiries. "What church do you go to?" "What religion are you?". As a Pagan doing business in a rather conservative community, I have to be very careful about how I respond.

I don't think it's an appropriate question. I am kind, but very curt when the question comes us.

I know I'm not the only one that this has happened to. If it happened to you, how would you respond?

Answer 1

No thankfully i've never been in that situation, but asking what church i go to is not something that comes up in conversation in this country, i would just say "i'm not into religions or it isn't something that concerns me"

then move on.

If they continue i would tell them they were being inappropriate and that it isn't relative to the conversation.

Answer 2

I'd just say, "My spiritual life is private."

Jesus tells us to pray in the closet.

Answer 3

I usually just say "I worship Chaos." I live in a predominately Christian neighborhood, and I like to tweak their noses a little bit. Especially the nosy ones.

Answer 4

I'm in customer service and get the same questions from time to time.  I tell them I am not allowed to talk about religion or politics, and then get back to the issues at hand.

If you're in a job which allows you to talk about religion or politics, tell them it's not within your scope of your job description to give personal information out about yourself.

Either way, smile, thank them for their interest in your life and tell them to have a good day.

T

Answer 5

wow yeah that must be annoying. it sounds no different than when you get your hair done and they somehow think that's the time to interrogate you (they have you in a chair and holding sharp objects haha)

sounds like yeah the place you life is a loserville & it's good that you're smart enough to not inflame. you can try and deflect/parry a lot of it though by turning it around like, i haven't picked one yet where might you recommend. they'll start blathering like idiots but then you're off the hook and can just let them bore themselves till they stop.

Answer 6

It's never happened to me, but if it did, I would just tell them I'm an atheist and it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm a science graduate student, so most people I interact with at work are atheists, and the ones which aren't are used to being around atheists.

____

Answer 7

I remember I took a course on job seeking at a youth center, and they taught us what to do in the situation of an employer asking illegal questions like what your religion is.

I actually cannot remember what they recommended saying.

I think that if you said "I'm not comfortable discussing religion in the workplace" most people would realize what a personal, inappropriate question that is. If someone pressed the matter, I'd move on to comments such as "I don't feel it is anyone's business".  

Answer 8

yes,Derie.....when I'm @ work the offenders(prisoners) yap about Alleh........I tell 'em bust your feet on down the street(hallway)...that's that

Answer 9

No.

I run my own business - someone ever tried that, he would be an ex-client very quickly.

It's entirely out of line.

Answer 10

I tell them that I am Catholic. I get a strange look and it ends the conversation.  

Answer 11

I would say i'm sorry but this has nothing to do with you and shut the h**l up! lol ignore that last part.

I've had this done to before by a teacher and when i replied 'atheist' he laughed and called me a silly.

I wish i had said that has nothing to do with you.

Answer 12

I would simply say "I don't attend a church" and leave it at that. Although I'm sure there are some ******* who will pull their business if they think/know you aren't christian

Answer 13

A client should never ask that.  I  would politely say that I would rather not discuss personal business at work, I would like to keep our relationship professional.  Not only is it an invasion of your privacy, I would even suggest it is unethical.  

Answer 14

"Why do you care what my beliefs are? I do a good job, don't I? If you found out I was not of the same spiritual persuasion as you, would that change your opinion of my work?"

Honestly, I'd ask them why they cared. If they're going to judge you on it, call them out for it. Don't stand up for that. If people ask, I tell them I'm an atheist. I don't care who they are or how important they think they are. If they don't ask, I don't tell.

But if it's just going to cause problems, ask why they're stirring up trouble.

EDIT: And John, that pun was terrible and you should feel terrible. Just kidding.

Answer 15

Just say it's private.

Answer 16

Don't forget, people band together with religion. To run around town saying "it's my own business" you leave the rest of the community wondering what's going on. And you know they'll just assume the worst. Witch (ha! a pun!) is worse? Being known as a pagan or having their imaginations make you something else? Either way, good thoughts being sent your way.

Answer 17

How you respond depends on how badly you want to keep them as a client and how strong your desire to be honest about your beliefs is.

I once knew a woman who was a very successful real estate agent (the most successful real estate agent in the town I lived in). She was an atheist and when people asked her what church she went to she named on of the mega churches so if they went there too it would be reasonable that they had never encountered each other there. That's one option but that is obviously being pretty dishonest.

I once worked for a company that was run by a family of Southern Baptists and I also rented my house from the owner. I was repeatedly asked to attend their church and about my own beliefs. It was important to me not to just flat out tell them I was Wiccan because they would have fired me but I did not want to lie. I always just did as much avoiding of the question as possible. I would tell them that I had heard nice things about that church and isn't it nice to find a church you are so happy with. Then if pressed again about my own beliefs I would say that I was religious. In conservative areas almost everyone assumes that means Christian and they usually drop it. If they don't I would say I just wasn't comfortable discussing it. It is delicate and often took creativity but I just tried to push it back on them or change the subject. It usually worked. If you get one that is really pushing then you either have to lie, tell them flat out you won't talk about it, or answer them honestly. You can always try the Dear Abby line of "If you forgive me for not answering, I'll forgive you for asking." but I find that only really works for questions that people really truly know are completely out of line - like when people ask me how much I paid for my daughter (she's adopted).  

Answer 18

I would respond as I always do; my beliefs are my business and I don't talk about them.

Answer 19

Simple. "I'm not particularly religious." And that's the end of that. Moving on...

If you really want to play up the holier-than-thou "my beliefs are strictly my business" c**p that's being suggested by some answers, than you've very obviously got something to hide in the eyes of those pryers.

Answer 20

"I'm sorry, but I do not feel comfortable discussing religion or politics at work."