Maintaining That Modicum Of Workplace Religious Neutrality Makes No One An Unbeliever

"Let us say The Grace in unison" is an expression that appears to have traditionally become an end-of-meeting cliché in this part of the Country - the nature/agenda of such meetings notwithstanding. Meetings, be they ever so official, social, political, professional, etc, now seem inchoate without the recitation of that Christian creed. Whilst the religious liberty of every Nigerian citizen (perhaps with the exception of Cameroonian politicians from Adamawa State) to identify with any religion of choice enjoys constitutional approval, the erosion of the workplace with religious activities that could be prejudicial to corporate governance (if not checked) beats me hollow.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am a Christian and I am unrepentantly unapologetic about it. I am not ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but wait a minute, should my religious persuasion be a source of unease for the man next door? Does my right to freedom of religion not end where the religious rights of others begin? Should an official meeting with hetero-religious membership be an avenue for the advancement of religious ideologies? Does it not appear insensitive/overbearing to adopt a particular religion's praying pattern in an official meeting membered by people of other religious persuasions? Would Jesus do the same if He found Himself wearing our shoes? Has the biblical injunction "give to Caesar what is Caesar's" lost its applicability? 

What then is RELIGIOUS NEUTRALITY?

It is a form of secularism which preaches that religious beliefs should not influence public and governmental decisions. Concisely put, it is the separation of religious beliefs from official activities. It has been argued to be the most potent way to guarantee freedom of religion. If religious beliefs are made to feature prominently in official activities, it will not only hurt the sensibilities of other religious practitioners, it may also form the basis of subtle discrimination along religious lines.

To push the point further, I was privileged to serve as Secretary in a Committee where a UNICEF Specialist was in attendance. The young man, a Muslim from the North, obviously uneasy while the opening and closing prayers were ongoing in the Christian way, stood up and left the meeting only to return soon thereafter. One could tell the disapproval from the facial expressions of some of the members of that Committee who apparently must have wondered why the man had to excuse himself twice. I could easily understand and relate with the young man's plight. I have been there before. I had walked that path a few years ago when I worked as a young lawyer in a Law Firm predominantly staffed by colleagues from another faith. The level of uneasiness I felt during those conference meetings that looked like extensions of worship houses was thick. I simply cannot understand why an office (hetero-religious place) will be an extension of the Church/Mosque/Temple/Shrine/Coven. I feel offices are so-called for a reason the same way religious houses are so-called for a reason too. To therefore give such a setting religious colouration or vice versa without due deference to other people's sensibilities is to stand the risk of having in one's hand a marketplace for all manner of unethical conducts. 

Before the crux of this post is lost, the point is not to discourage praying wherever, whenever and howsoever; it is a call to be sensitive to other people's religious persuasions. It is a call to labour to maintain as much as possible religious neutrality in the workplace especially where there are colleagues/associates/members of other faiths. There are ways to pray to God in a corporate setting without appearing to be religiously biased. "May today's meeting be guided by Providence" and "May this meeting be productive" are two examples of official prayers with no religious bias. And if no prayer is said at all, will that make the resolutions/decisions reached at the meeting less valid or incompetent? Will that make anyone less devoted or faithful to God?

I think it is better to maintain religious neutrality in a workplace than to do otherwise and hurt other people's religious sensibilities. Remember other people's religious rights begin where yours end.

Do have a productive week.