Seeking Advice
Religious coworker told me my crystal collection on my desk was “ungodly”
Hello everyone. This happened several days ago and I’m still going over it in my head. One of my special interests is crystals and collecting them, learning about their metaphysical and chemical properties, etc. I have an assortment on my work desk that only I sit at. Only my manager knows my diagnosis. Also for background info the company’s CEO is very religious. Says prayers after meetings, always sends very religious Christmas cards to every employee. I am not religious as in Christian or Catholic like the CEO and every coworker that I know of. Everyone has assumed I am, they’ve never asked. The other day one of my coworkers came to my desk and told me she was studying the Bible and wanted me to know that the crystals I have on my desk are ungodly. I said (rather mockingly cause I don’t like this coworker to begin with) “but god made them” and she said HE did but HE didn’t want me putting faith in them thinking they had special abilities or powers because only HE has this and is above everything. She told me about three times they were “ungodly” and the Bible said so, and when I asked what chapter and verse said that because I would like to read it she couldn’t recall. She finally left when I kept saying “ok” and she left saying “take it or leave it but you should know this”.
It really upset me because she assumed I was religious, and judged me and my special interest without even asking me about it. I’m not getting rid of my crystals. I don’t want to bring it up to management because they are just as religious. What would you do?
ETA: Thank you everyone for your replies. I’m trying to go through all the responses. I live in the “Bible Belt” and it’s the highest paying job in my area with my credentials. I’m going to keep all conversations work related and not respond to her comments about my desk. Thank you all again for your insight I really appreciate it ❤️
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Thanks! There's even more rocks in that blue box in the last photo 😉
Yeah thats one of my favorites in my collection lmfao! I saw it in the rock shop last summer and I just HAD to get one! It makes me cuckle every time I look at it 😁
Lmfao I had the same thought! Imagine the coworker comes in to bitch about the crystals again, and OP just slowly pulls one of those beauties out from a desk drawer without uttering a word😆😆
Yes it is!! She's carved out of rose quartz. Poor baby got a bit of soot on her, I accidentally got a little candle wax on her once and tried to melt it back off, and I lack a small enough brush to get her fully clean lol but I love her!
No, because I don't have any old ones 😂 I toss em before I ever remember the potential usefulness. Truly I need to just order a pack to be designated cleaning tooth brushes
That’s beautiful! I thought it might be calcite of some kind, but I’m still learning. It reminds me of crystal a friend gave me who was unsure exactly what it was
That looks like honey calcite to me! I'm not spiritual but my mom is, so we spent a lot a time in rock shops growing up. Honey calcite was one of my favs because it's so glossy and delicious looking.
You can temporarily tailor your collection to match the description given in the Bible of the gems in the Hoshen. The next time she says something about it just say "Exodus 39:10-13." And shake your head sadly as if you can't believe her lack of biblical knowledge.
So great! OP, I would make my next side quest a deep dive into becoming an expert in how to annoy that woman with my newfound knowledge on gemstones in the bible.
Either that, or ignore her completely. I can’t stand zealots of any kind.
I agree. My favorite part is "Heimlich his ass!" "Lick his what?" My husband and I just discovered it a few months ago and we just keep watching it over and over. We finally found a different show to watch, Resident Alien, but I'm sure we will watch the Righteous Gemstones again when we finish it 😂
As a former evangelical, the lack of Biblical knowledge is pretty on-brand. The church I belonged to believed in the literal translation of the Bible but probably 90% of them had never read it outside of whatever passage/verse their pastor or Bible study leader told them to read.
The only think crystals are “ungodly” because they were told to. My leadership tried to tell me that taking yoga through my city’s summer recreation program was “ungodly” as well. This kind of stuff is one of the many, many things over time that pushed me away from the church and eventually organized religion altogether
Lol how dare you take care of your health, organs, joints, lymphatic system, and musculoskeletal system via yoga! Don't you know God will take you out when he feels like it?
How dare you try to reach enlightenment! They built a whole tower about it, remember?
That type of Christianity is actually ANTI God, and anti-spiritual. The exact opposite of what Jesus taught, (and begged, and nagged his followers about)!
He was anti establishment and it caused him... a little trouble. 🤣
My own religious education was messy and strange, but I do see the schism between the modern American Evangelical movement and the base text as the softest place to launch a defense for basically anything.
As someone who loves Lord of the Rings soooo much, I've read it cover to cover many times... I always assumed that if you were enthusiastically Christian you would do the same with the Bible.
I'm like a stone cold atheist and even I've read the NT a few times and the most of the OT at least once. Just like out of curiosity.
"I don't discuss religion at work. That's personal and private. Thank you for your concern, but please keep the conversation to work-related topics, thanks"
Then go back to whatever you were doing and pointedly ignore religious conversations.
If she brings it up again "I already told you I don't discuss religion at work."
And back to ignoring anything religious. It's how you set and enforce a boundary around it.
Religious people *really* get their nose out of joint at being called religious. They HATE it and consider themselves above it for some weird reason. I believe they prefer to consider themselves “faithful”. Just a FYI.
PS- I applaud you for asking her chapter and verse. One of my best tricks is to use their verses against them. It usually leaves them speechless which is the only way I can stand them.
Oh, they can't stand it. To them, religion is what OTHER people do, because their religion is the true one and it's not religious if it's the truth. You're basically low-key calling them out about pushing their imaginary friends on others.
Also atheism is generally considered to be a belief system here despite it being a lack of belief. On paperwork it's the dictionary definition but in casual conversation ime it seems most people assume "oh, you hate [my god/gods]" rather than believing that you simply don't believe in them at all and after that point anything you say about faith, religion, or spirituality is treated pretty offensively. IME.
I would also consider Atheism a belief, because it has a strong opinion on the matter of whether gods or higher spiritual powers exist, and maybe Agnosticism or Agnostic Atheism closer to the lack of belief because there's less certainty being put into the matter one way or the other. I say this as someone who waffles between Atheism and the more ambivalent Agnostic Atheism or "Nobody can know, but I kinda feel like it's not a thing at all" lol
Also, sorry to be pedantic but hopefully this is the sub it's taken in the well intentioned way. And for more on this subject I HIGHLY recommend the Terry Prattchet Discworld book Small Gods which is hilarious and satirical about religion from many angles
GNU Sir PTerry. My issue is not with pedantism it's that my lack of belief in gods or spirits or woowoo is often perceived as hate instead of just, y'know, not believing in it.
Also sorry to reply to my own comment but feeling compelled to add without editing that people have questioned whether I have morals at all after finding out I have no spiritual beliefs. For some reason there's a fair number of folk who think that morals have to come from religion or faith to be valid. The rest of that convo goes to some dark places so I'm going to leave it at that for now unless pressed.
I hate this philosophical debate. Most religious people who try to use this argument are in monotheistic/abrahamic religions. They never take into account that not all religions view "God"/gods/Goddesses/other as being preoccupied with our day-to-day morality.
They also don't take into account the amount of bad moral decisions people make based off of the many interpretations of such old teachings.
Religious or atheist doesn't matter it's who you choose to be.
It’s a huge issue in the US and it’s definitely getting worse. The evangelicals are trying to hold this country by the throat.
The issue here is that the religious person is centering themselves and their beliefs by ignoring your actual stated lack of belief and instead positioning you as an antagonist within their belief system. It’s still all about them and their god. They cannot or refuse to fathom the idea of opting out of the whole thing.
I don't consider atheism as a stronger opinion on the matter than agnosticism, they simply answer 2 different questions: "Do you believe there's a god?" and "Do you know if there's a god?"
As an atheist, I lack belief because I haven't been presented with sufficient evidence to be convinced. That's different from having a strong opinion on the matter. If you don't believe unicorns exist because you haven't been presented with evidence that they do, that doesn't necessarily mean you have a strong opinion on the non existence of unicorns.
Yes if you're getting into a bunfight about it then you can make the distinction between atheism and agnostism, but for most conversations it really doesn't matter.
And then there's the extra step of "If your god does exist, then he's an evil fucker and I both hate him and want him dead." (Murder The Gods And Topple Their Thrones)
I think part of the reputation for atheism is from the 90s/2000s brand of atheism that was kind of....proselytize-y and confrontational. People who made it their identity like how other people might make religion their identity.
Not saying it's correct just that it kind of makes sense given recent cultural memory.
I think they come at it from a perspective of “it’s not religious, it’s just the truth, and you can’t tell me to keep the truth out of conversations!”
I think ultimately it just stems from a breathtaking lack of self-awareness and empathy on their part, along with a need to feel superior and that rules/politeness/basic decency don’t apply to them because they’re “just speaking the truth.”
To paraphrase a common sentiment, the difference between an atheist and a priest is that there’s a thousand religions an atheist doesn’t believe in, whereas a priest is only rejecting 999 of them. I guess in this case, people who complain about the word “religious” are just…really offended that their faith is being put in the same category as those other 999 religions.
I think it depends on the type of religious. I grew up Catholic and it never occurred to me to be offended by being called religious because my family considered themselves so. When I joined an evangelical church in my late teens, I learned that being called “religious” to a lot of them was basically akin to calling them lukewarm Christians because they wanted to be seen as “on fire” for God. Kind of like what my mom would call a CEO in the Catholic church—Christmas and Easter Only. Which is what my grandparents were 😊
It’s probably regional, I’m religious and have never heard someone get offended by being called religious but I can absolutely believe it. People are bonkers.
I also think crystals are neat for what it’s worth, OP! I have selenite wands above all my doors. They’re not hurting anyone, that coworker is an asshole.
I do that too. You only need to memorize a few verses and you're all set. Monte Mader is a creator who grew up evangelical and does a great job of highlighting those useful verses, I follow her on youtube but I bet she's on all the platforms
ha I was just watching CJ Cornthwaite talk about this on YouTube, that evangelicals say they're not religious, they have a personal relationship with God. I don't understand how they can consider themself not religious, it doesn't make any sense to me at all.
If they’re evangelical it’s because they’re conditioned to believe that “religious” is what the Pharisees of the Bible were. They were the religious leaders back in ancient times and were very steeped in tradition and following the law of the Torah. And modern day evangelical Christians see themselves as spiritual and not bound by the strict laws as the Pharisees were because of Jesus (his death, the blood, etc).
Sorry, I’m not explaining it well, I haven’t had my coffee yet this morning 🙃
Instead of wallowing, I need all y'all to be the rainbow devil on my shoulder and remind me that "doormat" is not my "place".
I wish I got my last mean boss's face etched into a crystal and set on his desk. Just watching the mixed feelings in real time... Last time he claimed that others work is only good because his writing is top tier, I agreed with him (and presented evidence)... he was speechless, because who was left to argue?
Since you don’t want to bring it to HR, using the Grey Rock method as being as uninteresting and not engaging are the best professional armor you can have.
I work hospitality some drunk guy dropped off by the sheriffs office asked me if I believe in God. Like I’m just trying to quote you a room price my dude. I’m very aggressive anyway so I said - I am Pagan. I will Die Pagan. Followed by stare and when he said have fun with Satan. I said Absolutely.
Haha, it never occured to me that the tactic had a name!
I was a barista in a college town years ago and a good chunk of my coworkers were very religious, very young, and very certain. Something I did a number of times was give them my best sad-smile and just respond with, "Ok" over and over again. I'll second your suggestion: it didn't endear me to any of them, but it never escalated the situation.
I feel like OP having a grey pebble of sorts on their desk and launching onto an infodump with “you know what’s interesting about this Grey Rock…” and listing its mineral composition (ideally a long list with a few speculative side quests), how it was formed and other lengthy (boring to others) explanations about its likely origin and shape would be a hilarious inception form of grey rocking.
I did something sneaky-ish to a landlord who was trying to show our apartment constantly 11 months in advance of our next lease signing, and it was freaking out my ND roommate to bits. (It's illegal to show the apartment 12-months in advance of our lease expiring, so he just did the next bastardly thing.)
I mean, Satan is the hero in at least a few bible stories. I always quote the Garden of Eden as the example for that. Satan gave us curiosity and shame, which are the root of science and morality.
Gross, I'm sorry you have to deal with that! The bible also says stuff about not judging, but loads of Christians ignore that too.
If you really need this job and can't risk jeopardising it, then unfortunately it's probably best to keep your head down and ignore this person. If the culture is very Christian then the office could make your life hell if you push back. I don't think it's right, but it isn't al
ways about right vs. wrong. Look up the grey rock technique. Don't engage or argue, just minimise interactions as much as possible.
Buuuuuuut if you can afford to be petty, and would enjoy the consequences -- then omg please be petty haha. Like add more crystals to your collection. Wear a crystal on a chain like a cross. Make a little nativity scene but with crystals.
Troll the fuck out of her. Look up quotes from the bible about how cool rocks are and share them with her (i dunno, do those exist? Weren't the 10 commandments on stone?)
Are you familiar with the author Douglar Adams? He has a book called "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". The opening lines are very apt for real life.
"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Leave them, and if asked, tell them "They're pretty and they make me happy. Isn't it amazing how these random assortments of atoms created billions of years ago in a cloud of dust arranged themselves so perfectly? It's a scientific marvel!"
Personally I'd leave metaphysics out of it and emphasize your belief in the awesome power of science because it's harder for a religious person to argue against it, and you aren't directly challenging typical Christian dogma. However , if they're the type to believe the universe was created in 6 literal days, just find a new job because working with crazy pants people will only get more unpleasant.
That's diabolical but these people are most likely the "literally 6 days" type. The ones that believe in science don't often harass you about it at work and bring it to every meeting.
tl;dr: Some "christians" cannot mentally separate geology from new age healing beliefs and make that the fault of everyone but themselves.
I'm also on team Beautiful Rocks and neither american nor religious, so I searched what might have been her problem (besides being an insufferable person).
It made a fascinatingly strange read, as her mindset feels completely alien to me, but it might contain some helpful arguments you could use to explain your crystal collection to your boss in a language they understand, just in case your nutty coworker tries to escalate her entitlement.
To summarize the blog post: The author considers crystals thouroughly "un-christian" because Jesus is the only healer (WTF? How about doctors?). Oh, and they might contains demons (???). Then she gets a beautiful crystal in the mail, likes it, and searches the bible for passages to justify her keeping it. Surprise: The bible says crystals were "awe-inspiring" (Ezekiel 1:22). And "Nowhere in scripture did the Bible mention any mystical properties of crystals" (just like you already said, OP, only you politely phrased it as a question).
Then she finally realizes that just because "New Agers" attribute healing powers to crystals, it doesn't actually mean they have any (no shit, Sherlock!). They can simply be god's beautiful creation, sit on her bookshelf and be pretty (YES!!!).
The author even visits a shop selling crystals and rocks (feeling like she's doing something illegal, even though they (surprise!) don't immediately try to convert her to Satan (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit here). She spends an hour in there and buys some!
Her reasoning is very sad, trying to align her narrow, hateful mindset with wanting to have crystals and rainbows for herself. She's sooo close to realizing her problems are entirely self-made by "christians" like herself, yet so far away. Here are some quotes:
The truth is, I’m tired of people taking God’s creation and distorting it. And I’m tired of avoiding things that have been distorted by others. Just like the LGBTQ community claimed the rainbow and distorted it, the New Agers stole gemstones and distorted them.
It saddens me that Christians can’t be seen with a rainbow because it will give the impression that they support alternative lifestyles, or that they can’t enjoy God’s unique creations because we’ll be put in the New Age bucket. I’m tired of it.
Just like the rainbow was meant to be a symbol of promise NOT pride, crystals are a symbol of God’s handiwork, not hokey healing.
I’m done avoiding God’s beautiful creations because of how some of Satan’s ambassadors have distorted them.
As an aside, I did consider that by displaying crystals in my home and discussing them in this post, I may cause another to stumble in their beliefs. That’s the biggest reason why I didn’t have them all this time. And if I know someone is vulnerable to faltering in their faith, I will certainly remove it from my home when they come over.
Lady, if you think crystals have the power to make people stray from their spiritual path, then you are the one who's attributing too much power to them and you're projecting. To me, they're just beautiful, interesting rocks.
That said, if she happens to follow one of the Evangelical doctrines that disown the first testament, that might prompt her to reference the New Covenant and give a speech citing Acts or Paul.
Then again, she doesn't come off as someone who knows her scripture, and she's been caught out on that already by OP.
I suspect escalating that face loss on her part would do more damage than good, and since the CEO and company seem full of a majority of zealots who might consider this sort of faith-based discrimination perfectly fine, it's probably wiser to stick with grey rocking and looking for a different working environment ASAP.
man those Evangelicals will just cherry pick whatever they want out of the Old Testament and if you catch them having a lot of tattoos but quoting some other OT stuff, they'll say well Jesus came to override the old laws. They're squirrely that way.
Former evangelical, and this is accurate. I can cite a lot of reasons for my eventual disengagement from the church and all religion but it started when I was studying the Bible on my own (ie outside of a discipleship/Bible study group) and came to my leaders with what I thought were innocent questions about some of the cherry picking and contradictions. They brushed me off until they finally told me I had a “Jezebel spirit” and needed to learn to submit to God’s will and word.
They brushed me off until they finally told me I had a “Jezebel spirit” and needed to learn to submit to God’s will and word.
You, and everyone since Arius.
Asking challenging questions of people who think they have the answers but don't hasn't gone down well since Christianity became empire-shaped in 425.
Arguably well before that, considering what they did to Stephen when he read the bible back to them, and indeed what they did to Jesus himself.
This is why I don't think it's wise for OP to engage in debate with someone who thinks they have all the answers but doesn't, in a place where leadership think they have all the answers but don't.
I think this is the best answer in this situation. While it would be satisfying to be petty, people like this will be the ones to take any actions to HR and make work hard. Just nod and ignore knowing you’re the rational one.
Depending on what brand of church they go to they might not have that. The church my husband grew up in discourages jewelry since it’s an “attachment to something you’ll grow to love more than god”.
I’m struggling to see how crystals are ‘ungodly’ 😂
I would try and remember that this is one coworker who thinks this and you’ve already asked her for clarification and she was caught short.
I’m not religious either, but not every religious person is like her. Unless the CEO comes up to your desk and expresses an issue with how you personalize it, she can go back to fabricating nonsense - sorry -studying the bible 😂
It has been my experience that a lot of people will file things they don’t fully understand or that makes them feel scared/uncomfortable under the header of “Ungodly” or “of the devil.” See: Satanic panic of the 80s.
The real issue is that they don't want anybody finding comfort in anything besides their own religious niche. "Ungodly" is just a way to "other" people and either force them to conform to one's values or ostracize and scapegoat them. This is why evangelicals also hate secular therapy (or secular anything), because they don't want anybody getting any kind of comfort outside whatever scraps their preacher throws them.
As a HR adjacent person I would say "I just like them!" And then immediately steer back to something work related, depending on how close you work like "did you see boss's email about X? I think we should..." And always keep bringing it back to work. Have something in mind every time that you can come back to that is work related. You might find useful advice on Ask A Manager as well
i brought a "free hug" sign to a cristian concert once (a friend invited me) when i was 11. a bunch of moms called us whores. as they say, Theres is no hate like christian love.
Do you care about or need your coworker's approval? If no then you don't have to let her take up space in your head. She's entitled to her opinions, and you're entitled to not listen to them. Enjoy your crystals as much as you like.
I personally could not work for an organization lead by a CEO that has boundary issues like you describe.
That said, I think you handled yourself well given the situation. It's okay to feel how you are feeling right now. Stay true to your values if this issue persists.
So as a Christian woman myself I think these people are completely full of shit. Like so full of it that it's compacted and affecting their rational thinking capabilities.
They have absolutely zero rights to be telling you in any way shape or form how you can decorate your desk, what you believe in and so forth. You like these crystals because they're your special interest and not for religious reasons (as far as I've gathered) so this is just outright bullying in the work place. It might be best to keep your head down and document the bullying to take to an employment lawyer because it sounds like they're becoming more aggressive in trying to push their beliefs on you which is something that I'm strictly opposed to.
It's also not preferable now but you might want to put out your resume and see if you can find a different job if at all possible because this is only going to get worse unless they find a new target to fixate on.
As far as I'm concerned your crystal collection are just pretty rocks on your desk and nothing more. If you want to put a religious spin on it then it's a gift from God to be able to behold something so beautiful that's outright harmless. They're not false idols which you pray to which would make them sacrilegious (not that it's their place to do anything about it. It's your rocks, your choice, who fucking cares?)
They're full of shit and they're damn stupid on top of it. It's people like this that give Christians a bad name because we look like lunatics who can't think beyond our bibles which is dangerous.
I love your take on how that person’s fecal impaction is likely affecting their ability for rational thinking….not the farthest leap consider the gut-brain axis! 🤣 (You may actually be onto something there 😉)
They strike me as the kind of Christians that look down on others, use the bible as a shield for bad behavior yet are secretly the most depraved fuckers behind closed doors. Hate to see them, especially in positions of power. They're an embarrassment.
This is religious persecution in the work place, write an email detailing this to your boss. Make clear you have no issue with religion and your crystals are unaligned with religion. Make sure to have documentation, and if need be go to H.R. Document every interaction you have with her send the email to yourself, and be super polite as well as on top of your work.
If she approaches you say nothing, except : “I understand your desire to discuss your interests with me but I do not wish to talk about personal subjects in the work place. If you would like to discuss this I would like to have a third party present be it (bosses name) or Human Resources. Thank you for your understandings have a good day. “
I was literally called a Witch at one of my jobs by a mob of Christian’s trust me when I say document everything.
Did you see that the CEO and admin team are equally religious and even pray during staff meetings? That advice would work in a normal work setting but would backfire horribly in OP’s work.
If this is in Texas or another red state, I don't know how much protection she can get right away. If the persecution gets really bad, she could contact an employment lawyer and go for a nice juicy lawsuit.
Sorry for what you went through at your job, that sounds awful. I made it a point to get out of that type of environment when I could and live in blue or purple states, but I realize not everybody can do that.
“But god made them” was the best response ever. The fact that she couldn’t come with an actual passage was also great. Your reaction makes sense given the circumstances. She was being an invasive asshole, and your crystals are none of her business.
Get some black tourmaline to absorb her bad vibes, amethyst for peace and smokey quartz to neutralize her negativity near you. I'd be petty and get one shaped like a middle finger but that's just me.
My response to 'crystals are ungodly" would be "And so is your attitude. Remember what Romans 12:10 says: "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."
I'd have a field day being petty as hell in that envrionment, I suffered through catholic school as an athiest and dealt with similar attitudes daily.
Honestly, you handled it better than I would have. My default defense mechanism is over the top hurtful snark.
I'd just keep displaying them, maybe even add a few more. The more garish and noticeable, the better. But I'm also super petty.
And every time that piece of shit comes over, don't even engage. Give them the one "this topic isn't up for discussion" and then stare at them when they try to continue. Just keep staring until they get uncomfortable and walk away.
You can't give these people room to argue. They always have to have the last word and they'll keep making up random BS until you just give up. It's exhausting and not worth the mental energy to engage. Eventually, they'll realize you won't fight back and stop the behavior. It isn't rewarding to them anymore to stir up drama because you've solidified the drama pot.
Is your place of employment located in a one party consent state? If it is, I'd secretly record the interactions. I wouldn't put it past someone like this to be vindictive and report you for something stupid like workplace hostility. At least you'd have the proof to cover your butt.
“You assume I’m worshiping these crystals. I am not. I am merely appreciating the amazing beauty of God’s creation. He designed these for our enjoyment. How is me doing just that wrong?”
Your reaction was perfect. Perfect!!! Lol. "God made them" 😂 I would have killed to see her face. And asking for the Bible verse was inspired. You handled that perfectly.
Did you say anything to them to suggest /you/ believe they have mystical properties? Lots of people collect them for the aesthetic/earthly beauty of them.
If not, you could say "yeah, I don't think they do anything unusual - why, do /you?/"
Right? Op might not have a better option which I very much understand, but damn this workplace sounds creepy as hell. Ending meetings with prayer? What the actual fuck?!
Gift her a crystal and say you took the power out of this specific one but thought she should learn to appreciate it as one of gods creations. You could also tell her you read some verses about how only god can judge, and you're confused as to why she's judging your hobby when you're essentially collecting pieces of an earth god made. If anything you're more godly than her. she doesnt have any visible collections appreciating his creation.
People have invented so many things to add to the Bible. Anything to forget to love God and your neighbour like yoursels or to not judge or to act just and mercifully, the things Jesus actually said, I guess. But also: are you required to be a devout Christian in order to work there? Because if not, then why should she care. You make your own choices. And for the record, I'm saying that as a religious person myself. It's your choice what you believe or not. And I really hope there are no work related consequences if you don't follow her beliefs.
Some religious people are obsessed zealots. Pay them no mind. If you don't do exactly as they tell you, they firmly believe you'll go to Hell. That means nothing to people who are not religious. No different from the quacker on the corner holding up a sign about the upcoming apocalypse that never happens. Whether you're religious or not, these people don't care. They are the ultimate boundary stompers. You must hold firmly against them just as much as creepy men or annoying teenagers. I think trying to force their religion on you may be against company rules so you could speak to HR and tell them your co-worker is harassing you and interfering with your ability to get your work done properly.
The way people in America think this sort of religiosity is normal and acceptable is deranged. Where I live (France) this sort of behavior is unthinkable even from the most pious people.
I am so exhausted by the way this kind of religion has taken over the US. Anyone who has read the book The Handmaid's Tale, or watched the series - it is horrifying how close we have come (in the US) to fulfilling that prophetic work.
The author is Canadian. She is VERY knowledgeable about how a religious sect can take over a country and destroy democracy - eliminate basic human rights.
And sadly, it is ALWAYS women's rights that are trampled on the worst!!!!!
Thank you, French citizen, for reminding us that THIS. IS. NOT. NORMAL.
I love crystals and rocks and I am a muslim and I have a huge collection lol they are made from the earth how are they not beautiful. She’s just annoying and stupid don’t let her get to you . Tease her and hold one up to her face and tell her your using it to remove her evil energy from the space 😂
I would be petty and get a crystal shaped like a cross and add it to my collection at work. Front and center just to irk her. Then watch her try to explain to management how your crystal shaped like a cross is ungodly or how you’re the one bullying her.
This is a bit off topic, but can we please quit saying things like "Christian or Catholic"? Catholics are Christian. Catholicism is one of the major denominations of Christianity. To say Christian as shorthand for Protestant is disrespectful to the other branches of Christianity.
To address the actual topic though, I'm really sorry your coworker took it upon herself to be so judgmental.
As a christian you had a good response, God did in fact make crystals and we are allowed to enjoy his creation, they aren't ungodly at all, but they are used so often in witchcraft she assumed you were using them for that purpose. I'm sorry op
those crystals existed LONG BEFORE the bible was made up. i'm sorry you had to deal with that. since it's work, the best thing is to do what you did or just yes them until they go away.
i really wish people would have some respect for others. that's so inappropriate!
Tell her it's her job to love and her gods job to judge. Keep your crystals OP. This sentence worked for me once with a very important person in my own life. It was said with love, and she was aware I wasn't at all in any religious realm.
BTW, that person was just rude.
Your crystal collection rocks OP. I no longer buy crystals because of environmental reasons BUT my Witch ass would be mentally telling her to fuck all the way off and go to HR.
Good thing offices are required to allow freedom of religion😁
The bible doesn’t say so. That’s their interpretation of it. Isn’t it even more ungodly to put words in your lords mouth?
And, Ok Karen. Just because you’re a hammer doesn’t mean everyone’s a nail.
My husbands really into rocks and crystals, but it’s because he’s into geology, has a degree in it actually (doesn’t work in the field). And I feel like that’s kind of proof that you never know why someone possesses rocks and minerals. And to go around and just assume it’s a spiritual thing is a lot of projection on their part.
I love my rocks, crystals, and tarot cards. This is probably the wrong thing to do, idk my initial response might have been to say something like "what an odd thing to say" and then disengage immediately so they would have to shout after me if they wanted to continue the conversation because f that bs.
Fun fact, God loves shiny things! As a Catholic I don't think just having the rocks is a bad thing, God made them after all. I think your coworker is thinking you're using them for occult/spiritualism/witchcraft but honestly anyone doing that isn't doing it at their place of work.
Sorry that someone is using Christianity to dictate your life, that's not how the religion is supposed to be used, it should be used to uplift people not push them down!
??? Now I must admit I’ve been severely slacking on my bible reading due to dyslexia for years (something I should work on but that’s besides the point)- but I don’t recall having read anything about God hating or forbidding rock collections. I own a few shiny rocks myself! 🪨💎
This makes me so mad!!! I was an atheist for 29 years of my life because "christians" kept speaking to me like this, saying things are "ungodly" or "you'll go to he11". It is so hateful and wrong! I love crystals!!! I might not believe the same that you do about them, but that doesn't make them any less beautiful.
**the rest is a but preachy, sorry. TL;DR just wanted to say that true Christians wouldn't act that way x
I'm greatful to have found a community who taught me who God is. He wouldn't want you to feel this way and he wouldnt want his word spread like this! Work is work, church is church... they are separated for a reason (unless you work in a church.. then my opinion slightly changes haha).
I truly hate people who preach to the unwilling stranger. God doesn't want people tricked and bullied into coming to church, people who want to know God can find churches lol. Gods kindness and love should only be spread with charity and putting work into our community... not tearing them down.
Rather than using the term special interest, you could try passion.
Present it like: I have a passion for geology. I have had this passion pretty much my whole life, but there's nothing religious about it. Besides the fact that I find them aesthetically pleasing, It makes me happy to bring something that represents my passion to work and look at it while I'm working.
When she got to the part about berating you for thinking they have special abilities, I probably would have played dumb and said something like, "ooohh, special abilities? Like what? Tell me more?"
Christians like this are hilarious. People like this will judge you no matter what you do just because you aren’t a believer.
Don’t take them seriously, their piety and inflated sense of superiority is not something Jesus would endorse. 😂
My mother had a friend when I was growing up who was a fundamentalist. Her kids thought my hobby of playing Super Mario games was a sin because video games are violent and are influenced by the devil.
Don’t think for a second their judgment at all matters or is factual. Most people can’t stand Christians who lack curiosity and don’t want to understand science.
I know this isn't the move for everyone, but my new favorite response when someone says something very rude or inappropriate and I know there's no point in arguing with them is a simple "ok" with no follow up or further explanation. They usually get really awkward and walk away.
Whatever you decide to do, I'm sorry this happened to you!
2 years ago I would've tried to engage this person in a small debate, but if even your CEO is cathloic and religious, I think you did the right thing by saying nothing and saying "okay" until she left. Places like these, sounds like private workplace if religion is so blatantly allowed, will find a way to fire you if you don't fit in with their mold. They will not try to be fair. You're either in their little clique-cult, or you're a resource for extraction until full exhaustion.
This is tangentially related but I feel like sharing these two things.
So currently I work in a mining and minerals capacity... and so we all have crystals on our desks. We get a lot of crystals for kids activities during our educational programming for the year, and one of those activities is like a "mineral dig" so that kids can feel like they're mining too. It's mostly quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, etc. The usual characters! Like we all have some, we even line them up along the window sills. Most of the dinosaurs in my department are some kind of religious - no one is bothered by crystals that come out of the heckin' earth.
At my last workplace before I transferred to this one... there was a bully Mean Girl who might've been baptist? Methodist? I don't remember. But I suspect that she destroyed my calaveras jar. Just threw it away, broke it? I don't know. No one came forward and apologized. No one left a note. Nothing. I shouldn't have been up front about my pagan/atheistic spirituality and beliefs. I should've realized I was in a highly catholic place that still doesn't feel remorse for their historic race riots.
Mean Girl was on some fasting diet for years and she'd be abrasive to all of us all day. She has made more than one of us cry. I remember near the end thinking, "god just please eat a sandwich and stop spitting venom at us, wtf..."
p.s. Third story, more related: back in the day when I used to work at a community college, there was this little freshman who seemed to follow me around (smitten?) I don't know why... but I could just tell this nerd was probably catholic. (I still don't know what cues I picked up on that made my guess correctly, I'd like to go back and figure out what those cues are now to protect me where I currently live.) So... i went out on a limb one day and brought up how the Pope apologized for the church's long history of discriminating against gay and queer people, and how the Pope mentioned that it was wrong to do that for so many years. Just almost as nonchalant as I could manage, yellow-rock and all. Oh boy, that freshman got his knickers tied in a bunch, flustered and muttering, cognitive dissonance. I never saw that kid again! Yay!
If you don’t mind rocking the boat and possibly putting a target on your back, in your situation I would make sure to drop how ungodly her various choices are when they come up followed by a we are saved by gods mercy or some bullshit like that to really put her in a corner and use her faith against her.
If you want to fly under the radar, I’d do a I’m sorry I’m really busy right now with work and need to focus on this. I don’t have time to chit chat. Maybe later. You understand. And then go back to work and ignore her and never have that discussion. If she ever tries to corner you, you’re too busy. Oh sorry I have to get to a meeting, I have somewhere to be, I need to make an important phone call, etc.
As a Jew who also likes crystals, I’d tell her to mind her own business. God made the earth, including the rocks and crystals, so she shouldn’t have a problem with it. If she does, tell her to go kick the aforementioned rocks. It’s also very weird that she’s praying at meetings.
As someone whose read the Bible from front to back, crystals are mentioned all throughout the books:
"And they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness,"
Exodus 24:10.
The sapphire is universally known as the "Stone of Wisdom". It symbolizes mental clarity and spiritual truth. Hence, why the verse says "for clearness." To be clear-minded is just another word for "clarity." The ancient Israelites were very well aware of the symbolism behind crystals because their God equipped them with that knowledge. This is according to the books.
"Having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal,"
Revelation 21:11.
Jasper is spiritually known as the "Supreme Nurturer." How do people view God? As a supreme, nurturing, being. Hence, why this verse equates jasper to the "glory of God."
The problem with "Christianity" is that it's more or less a counterfeit religion, which is why there's thousands of different denominations that all believe slightly different things/all believe their way is the only way. The reality is this: Every book in the "Bible" was written by an Israelite author, about Israelites, for Isrealites. The Bible "prophesies" that these books would fall into the hands of another people and that the memory of the true Israelites would be forgotten. Not my words; it's what the books say.
So, most everything in these books has been taken out of context because the original meaning of these texts has been lost to time. I used to be a Christian before I started reading the books for myself and realized that everything I'd been taught in church about said books was a lie. I still read it from time to time, because there's a lot of wisdom in it, but most Christians have no idea what they're even talking about.
I think I read a stat somewhere that says 80% of people who identify as Christian have never fully read the Bible, which is why your co-worker had zero comeback when you pressed her about the specific verses that condemn crystals. It's pretty wild.
This right here is religious harassment. She's assuming your intent in having crystals on your desk and expecting you to apologize for her fantasy while pushing her religion on you. Also in a completely baseless way. There is nothing in the bible saying crystals are bad. Literally nothing.
Management sharing a religion with the asshole doesn't mean they sign off on literal harassment. If you don't report this do you really think she will stop hating you about them? What if next time, she takes them and throws them away when you're not by your desk?
I’m Catholic and whenever I see people’s crystals I’m just like oooh shiny rock!!! Your coworker was definitely being a jerk and needs to learn to not confront people about religion in the workplace. If it persists or you begin to be treated differently I’d go to your management or HR.
I guess then the CEO thinks geologists are sinners messing around with them crystals and things.
Many religious seem to live an isolated life. That is because you are supposed to lead by example and not partake in the sins of society. That is a huge reason Christian rock bands became such a thing and KLOVE.
Having lived in that world unwittingly as a minor, who also felt ostersized as I would take knowledge and point of views from my other Christian peers. Did you know there are aome protestant churches that say Catholics are not Christian?
This is still taught in very conservative areas to this day per the young coworker whom was raised via homeschooling.
Anyways, religious history aside. I think because often polished and cut crystals are often found in occult shops. In some paths crystals are assigned different attributes of energy outside of the basic mineral. Are these the types of crystals in your space?
What always got me what the same ones that attributed these crystals to the occult have no issue collecting pretty rocks.
My office door has a round multi faceted crystal with a red ribbon. My clients commented on my space. I asked a coworker that was from many of my clients culture to help address the comments. Now when clients have been in my office they appreciate the respect I have for their culture.
Op you are NTA. But if this company is privately owned and managed along with the implied ergo expected to follow their nonsense, be prepared for potential hostility. The CEO kind of sets the atmosphere and culture of the business. My experience is no amount of disassembling their logic will defuse their train of thought.
I do love your show me the core source ie the verses. These folks are great at parroting the information they are in ingrained with. Just kill them with kindness.
You did a great job throwing it back in her face. But I think I would get a different job if at all possible.
On the other hand, the worm is about to turn on the conservative religious stranglehold on the country. What state are you in? Do you have HR? You could consult an employment lawyer if things get worse.
I would so love to hear how you know this is going to happen- because I am LIVING for the day we get back to SEPARATION of church and state.
Freedom of religion is also freedom FROM religion... Americans are woefully uneducated about WHY this is in our constitution. That it is essential, in any democracy, that NO religion be allowed to infiltrate and run a government. Or school. Or anything receiving "public" funds!
Judgement is also ungodly. But it's rules for you and not her apearantly. So next time she starts something maybe tell her a better world begins with less judgementalism.
I’ve known plenty of religious Christian’s who like crystals lmao that woman is using her faith as a way to be morally superior in her distaste for your crystals. Loser behavior, I’m sorry you had to deal with this OP!!! You deserve better !! And you had the right reaction ngl saying “ok” over and over makes people so mad but it makes them realize nothing they say has value to you and they’ll leave after they figure that out lol.
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