Working Atheist

At my job I don't usually but, sometimes, I will work directly with our clients. I work for a private vocational rehabilitation company. I do their vocational testing. It's not the main part of my job but I'm the main tester for the company. I enjoy it. It gives me a chance to talk directly with our clients. Plus it makes my day go faster. (And I slack off a bit)

Everyone in our small company knows that I am an atheist. It's not a secret. I have a Darwin Fish emblem on my car. I talk openly about all the secular groups I'm involved with. If I'm asked what I'm going to be doing for the weekend and I just happen to be going to an atheist social I tell them.  I don't shove it in anyone's face. I just don't hide it. I'm lucky that most of my coworkers are secular as well. This would not be the case down south, I'm sure.

Sometimes I happen to have a religious client. And that's okay. People have their means with which to get through life and injuries. The problem comes when the religious client wants to have a religious discussion with me. I'm usually pretty good at avoiding the subject. Sometimes they don't let me talk myself out of it.

I once had a client corner me. He had noticed my car emblem and asked me about it. I tried to dance around that one like Michael Flatley- it didn't work. He started to tell me that when I'm older I'll become more spiritual. He told me how I was such a smart girl and that one day I'll be able to see that evolution was wrong. I'll see the light.

My client today was very religious. He told me about some of his workers who were atheists. He called them criminals and gangsters. "They only care about themselves!" He then proceeded to  tell me that America should once again adopt 'Blue Laws'. No businesses should be open on Sunday. "That is church and family day. We didn't have crime back then. Everyone was with their family."

I'm usually able to handle myself in situations like this in any other setting. Catch me at a secular event, sure. Question me in a park- no problem.  Quiz me at work......what the hell, dude?? I can't fire back at a client about religion. That would be a disaster. I'm not going to suck up to them either. I mostly just smile and nod.

I hear a lot of religious people say that they are persecuted in their work place. They are in so much fear that they only wear their smaller cross around their neck, they only read their bibles during their lunch break, they may only invite you to church once or twice a month and they only put a short proverb on their e-mail signatures. They are so repressed.

Do it with me, everyone,...SMILE AND NOD...