# Prayer before group meal at the office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890 "2009-12-19T21:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/41 "2009-12-20T18:38:44Z")
I worked in a Catholic Hospital once in the PBX department and they were always praying for everything. In their defense, before I was hired they told me they did say prayers and that I didn’t hve to join in but was expected to respect the prayer and not in anyway mock it or disrespect the ritual. In other words, just bow your head and keep quiet 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/42 "2009-12-20T19:45:27Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > It is also a document giving guidelines for the Federal Workplace and specifically states: > > So I wouldn’t use it as much of a yardstick as to what is permissible in the general workplace. Yeah. I think some are a little confused about what defense contractor means. It is a private company that has the DoD as a customer. While many defense contractors are large companies, they don’t have to be. The company size in question here is the company that employs **Typo Knig**. It seems likely that the DoD employee was acting inappropriately in terms of his federal employment role, but that is a separate question from whether **Typo Knig** ’s employer can legally have group prayers. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/43 "2009-12-20T20:03:21Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I worked in a Catholic Hospital once in the PBX department and they were always praying for everything. In their defense, before I was hired they told me they did say prayers and that I didn’t hve to join in but was expected to respect the prayer and not in anyway mock it or disrespect the ritual. In other words, just bow your head and keep quiet 🙂 Despite my strong feelings expressed in my previous post, if I were employed by a religious entity, I would just sit quietly and not leave the room. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/44 "2009-12-20T20:56:01Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > My wife’s company is like this. They were genuinely surprised and dismayed when she refused to lead the group in prayer before a meeting. I leave the room because I’m out as an atheist to my employer. Credit where it’s due, they’ve never hassled me about it, and once in a while, they’ll do a moment of silence instead. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/45 "2009-12-20T22:00:12Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Do you all realize that **Washoe** ’s poem is probably not his original creation? Google it, and you’ll see it’s been around since at least 2006. He/she’s right—I wish I could take credit for it, but I can’t. I always seem to get a laugh when I recite it though, as it seems that most people haven’t heard it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/46 "2009-12-21T04:39:19Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I leave the room because I’m out as an atheist to my employer. Funny – I thought you were a Druid. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890/47 "2009-12-21T05:36:19Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Funny – I thought you were a Druid. 😕 Semi-druidic atheist. Also known to tilt at windmills and remain loyal to historically bad football teams. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prayer-before-group-meal-at-the-office/521890.md?page=2)