when your co-workers ask your religion or, ask why you do not drink,smoke,goto bars and so on what


bcguy
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Ever work in a enviroment where whery fifth or eighth letter is a four letter word? or if they invite you to a bar after work? I am a new hire at a company and stated I do not drink so left it at that. Eventually people will find out but at least canadians are nice and dont get into politics of religion that much ;)

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Yup, I've experienced this. When I worked in nursing, everyone had a smoke break, even me. This was when I was inactive but go figure, we're in health care and the entire medical staff is out back smoking like chimneys! The language was pretty poor too, especially "behind the scenes", some of the comments staff would make.. Very un-Christ like, and un-compassionate. At this point in my life, I have no problem telling people that I'm LDS, and that I follow the WOW. I really don't care what anyone else thinks -- I feel much healthier and more assertive since following the WOW.

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I work at a law firm. Swearing is pretty commonplace here. As for drinking...there are bottles in attorney's desk drawers, and occasionally there is beer in the frig. From time to time, there is a "meeting in the downstairs conference room" aka brewery. No one has ever commented on the fact that I don't drink.

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I haven't heard the kind of constant foul language I hear in my current workplace since high school*. And my workplace has six different kind of beers on tap, 24/7. (No kidding.)

Yet it's the best place I have ever worked. Go figure.

*Though to be fair, it's not like people are constantly cursing or using foul language. I can sometimes go all day long without hearing significant swearing. Other days, not so much...

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My workmates are coffee-holics. It's like they own stocks at Starbucks or something. I go with them but order the non-coffee drinks. They know I'm LDS. I even took them on a tour of temple grounds on our way to dinner once.

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anatess, wow thats amazing. What ever brought up the idea of taking your coworkers on a tour of the temple grounds? To bad it was not new and was open to the public.

It was close to where we were having dinner. So I asked them if they want to tour the grounds, they said yes, and that was that. We spent quite a bit of time walking around the building. The temple is so breathtaking (even for non-LDS folks) at night when the lights are on and you see it like a "surprise" when you crest that hill... They all said... Whoa...

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Most of my co-workers are LDS and the few who aren't know enough about Mormons to never ask such a question (none of the non-LDS smoke, one is a social drinker, a few drink coffee, and that's it).

My husband has an ex-Mormon buddy who does on occassion invite him to bars for lunch. My husband suspects his buddy is trying to test him, maybe get him to drink, but the army and geology field work and his little brother's wild high school days has taught my husband that while drunk people can be hilarious, he doesn't want to participate himself.

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*Though to be fair, it's not like people are constantly cursing or using foul language. I can sometimes go all day long without hearing significant swearing. Other days, not so much...

We're generally a curse-free work place, but it happens.

Amazingly enough, it's the bishops I work with who usually utter a foul word. :rolleyes:

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When I worked at the local grocery store after I reactivated into the Church, some of my co-workers were off put.

One of the box boys would put sexually explicit papers on my locker door, and would make remarks to me in passing while he bagged groceries for me.

I had separated from my husband, was living alone, and had made it crystal clear to not only my co-workers but also my ex's drinking chums that I was not interested in dating. The box boy not only chose me to harass, he did so to two other single female cashiers, all old enough to be his mother. I was the only one who went the legal route to put a stop to it though. First I told my employers husband, then after a week when it did not cease, I went to a lawyer.

After that, my faith was always called into question by the owner. I never drank with them, either alcohol, coffee or tea. According to her I was acting Better Than Them. I sat with my co-workers during lunch and breaks, drank soda's , water, juice. I never preached at or to them. I answered their questions the best that I could, mostly I had to table the reply until I found the answer.

When the owners father died, and I opted to stay and work during the funeral (as did 4 other co-workers), the boss made my LDS faith the issue. Before ever re-activating my feelings about funerals has always been: If it isn't the funeral/memorial of blood kin, I am not going to it. They are just too depressing for me.

I was later fired- the claim was that I was insolent and rude to the customers. The real reason was the boss was threatened because I believed in God and in Jesus Christ. Being LDS/Mormon was not really the issue, she didn't believe in any God based faith.

Unfortunately I had no recourse. Karma came back and bit her hard in the pocket book. Six years later she and her siblings sold the store, only to have the buyers strip the place and leave them hanging in the wind within a year of the purchase. They lost the land, building and business. The other local grocery store got it at auction for back taxes!

After moving to Arizona, my co-workers there knew more about the LDS faith, though they were not members. Not drinking coffee/tea or alcohol with them was not a problem. They easily accommodated me with soda, water or juice at the Christmas luncheon, and at Staff Luncheons. Only had one male working there and he would no more utter a curse word than the females I worked with.

There was also a dress code. Tops must be modest, with cap sleeves as the shortest the sleeves could be. It was casual wear most of the time, though if you wanted to wear a Sunday-Go-To-Meeting dress that was fine, as long as your shoulders were covered and the neckline didn't plunge to the navel.

One of my co-workers was rather inquisitive about LDS Doctrines etc., I gave her a Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price and D&C that I got from the Missionaries. Don't know how far she took it. Where she lived she would be attending at the Stake Center, I was attending in a Meeting House a mile away. I do know that she quit attending the church she had been going to. I was downsized, and she and her hubby retired and moved to Ohio.

I have always been open regarding my faith. If I don't have the answers, I will get them. If they aren't patient enough to wait, then I don't sweat it. If they have a problem with me not "socializing" with them, that is their problem, not mine. If there is too much cursing, then when I leave, I tell them why I am leaving: Will not be around the profanity.

In Arizona there was only one employee who cursed. Young female in her mid twenties. She worked part time with us and full time at a local sports bar. She had a Tavern mouth and mentality. I never had to say a word, the owner (female) made it well known that she could talk that way while she was working in the Tavern, but when she stepped into the office, the language was to be cleaned up and the clothing appropriate.

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Your comment,

"Unfortunately I had no recourse. Karma came back and bit her hard in the pocket book. Six years later she and her siblings sold the store, only to have the buyers strip the place and leave them hanging in the wind within a year of the purchase. They lost the land, building and business. The other local grocery store got it at auction for back taxes!"

Are there verses in the bible that states when a owner,manager,person in public service is so focused in bringing some one down, that they loose focus of there position and fail?

I remember in basic training, a black airman was constantly calling me gay because "i assume" I did not talk about sex. I gave him a dirty look and said, sorry bud, you are wrong. He did not stop calling me gay. A week later, we were getting ready to have a dorm inspection by the base commander. What is ironic, he said no one told him that the commander was coming for a base inspection. Instead of putting his cloths, neatly folded into his locker, he stuffed them into his dirty cloths bag that hangs on the end of the bed.

Base commander and some chief master Sargent came in for the inspection and airman Edwards was called into the bay. They asked him why he had all his fresh cloths in his dirty laundry bag. Some where, he lied to them why they were in the bag and was caught in a lie. The master Sargent yelled at him accusing of lying to a senior commander. He was then discharged or washed back to the flight behind our graduating class. Two months later, at my new military base, I saw him get off the bus that after completing basic training. He had the dirtiest look on his face when he saw me :)

Edited by bcguy
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Ever work in a enviroment where whery fifth or eighth letter is a four letter word?

Yes. One woman, in particular, was a particularly foul-mouthed woman from New York City. Even all of the vulgar men in the shop would look at each other, grossed-out, over some of the things she would say. :eek:

Anyway, I always moved on to other jobs, there's just no reason for me to stay in those situations long-term. After moving from job to job for nearly ten years, I found a place that I absolutely love, and have stayed there since.

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I'm military. I'm around people who swear and stuff all the time (especially the guys in the Navy detachment I work with). Its easy to get desensitized to it. It doesn't even phase me when I'm around it anymore, and I rarely notice until my coworkers are around my wife and I. Plus, they've all figured out that instead of swearing, I just slip into Portuguese rants. Perks of being bilingual.

@bcguy, ah, good ol' BMT. Never had anyone calling me gay, but then again, I always talk about how awesome my wife is, so they figured it out.

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When I am asked, I simply say 'I don't drink. I never have." If they press further I then explain "I'm a Mormon. I don't drink." Usually that's sufficient. I don't get snotty about it. I simply state it as though I were saying "I'm left handed." (which I am).

It's no big deal to me, the fact that others drink and I don't. So I don't act like it is. There's no need for it to be a big deal, nor for it to become a big deal. As long as I keep it played down, 90% of the time that's the end of the discussion, and everyone's fine.

(for the 10% that doesn't go well, I keep calm and let the other guy/gal bury themselves in their own intolerance)

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Discussing religion is usually a no-no at work, but some of us have discussion of general beliefs. I work in healthcare, some of the night shift people cuss a lot, the day shift not so much. Some of the girls on night shift feel like they have to share their sex lives with others. It gets annoying. I swear one lady has the mind of a 13 year old boy, she can turn anything into a sexual reference.

If someone asks me why I don't drink coffee I just say I don't like the taste, which is the truth. I think most of them know I am LDS. Sometimes a group of them will go have a drink after work. One light one of the ladies asked me in a whispered voice if I drank, and if I ever wanted to hang out with them after work. I was under the impression that she thought I didn't want anyone else knowing I didn't drink. I told her I don't drink and I wouldn't mind hanging out after work, but I usually have to get home to let my dogs out.

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I did work for someone once that put something in my food. As you may or may not know, I have heart issues and have been medicated for quite some time. Well, my employer at the time was selling some 'diet' product that supposedly gave one energy. They were some kind of pill or powders. Well most of my coworkers were buying the stuff and I politely refused thinking that would be the end of it. Unfortunately the stuff had some success at first with my employers and coworkers, and they continued to attempt to push it on me, saying it would give me so much energy and supposedly had cured many heart problems for those who had given testimonials on the stuff. I continued to refuse it, it was just not a good idea...a stimulant no thanks. So they put it in my lunch and waited for a result, I was like, "why is everyone standing around grinning at me?". Hardy har har, all was fun and games until things went south pretty fast. My bp dropped immediately, heart rate skyrocketed, I was sweating and could not stay vertifcal. Thought I was gonna die. I figured out what happened, and asked someone to get me some ipecac. Still had to go to the ER. It took a few days to get my rate back to normal. People suck.

When I got back to work, my employer gravely informed me that there must be something wrong with me since everyone they knew could take it with no problems at all.

Gee, ya think?

Oh, if I could have a nickel for every time someone told me that I didn't need any medicine, I just needed some coffee to start me up, I would be sitting pretty I can tell ya.

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Weirdo....how can you not eat sushi? :P

I love me some rice. :)

Actually I can understand how people can have a "Eew! Gross!" reaction to sushi containing raw fish, but not all sushi contains raw fish. Someone refusing to try something like a cucumber avocado roll leaves me looking at them askance*, but I can understand why someone might prefer to spend their dining dollar on something else, when one is looking at a $10 roll (or more expensive) I can see how someone can think, "I'd rather have Red Robin for the money."

*Assuming they don't detest those fillings. If there is no conceivable sushi you'd be willing to eat for free then you either don't like the rice (which is technically what sushi is), if applicable the seaweed, or you're reacting to the word sushi.

Edited by Dravin
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California Roll - rice with sweet vinegar, nori (seaweed), imitation crab meat, cucumber, avocado, sesame seed, salt, mayonaise - optional, soy sauce to dip in.

That is so "western fusion" that besides the rice and seaweed (which doesn't really taste anything but salty), you can make the same thing at your local Subway.

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I like the small rectangular bed of rice with a piece of fish on top, I'm not sure what it's called. I have to be in the mood for Sushi. I don't care for the rolls because I don't like the taste of Nori.

Still called sushi. Nigiri sushi to be precise, as opposed to the maki sushi which is the "rolled" kind.

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I'm sad. I can't have nearly as much sushi anymore. And I'm a purist. I like my raw fish and rice.

Don't go against your OB's instruction but it's crazy how here in the USA we have so many Dos and Donts when it comes to pregnancy. I remember this being a big issue on my birthclub forums -- it was an international community. Interesting how most western cultures frown upon pregnant women consuming sushi and other sea food, and yet, Asian pregnant women have been eating these very foods for hundreds of years.

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Don't go against your OB's instruction but it's crazy how here in the USA we have so many Dos and Donts when it comes to pregnancy. I remember this being a big issue on my birthclub forums -- it was an international community. Interesting how most western cultures frown upon pregnant women consuming sushi and other sea food, and yet, Asian pregnant women have been eating these very foods for hundreds of years.

I'm actually going with the opinion of everything in moderation. So I am still eating sushi (we go once a week, on average) but I'm just not eating nearly as much as the really fishy stuff.

I"m actually giving more credit to the pregnancy books that ARE NOT trying to scare me with everything. The ones I trust are reasonable and even-tempered, stated the risk of eating raw fish, and gave the personal advice of just cutting back and avoiding certain species.

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