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Religious Discrimination at Google

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51–60 of 320 posts

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#51
post #23

Quoting the most concrete example he gives: > If you start talking about your religious beliefs at a social event people treat you like you just farted in their face. They frequently will scrunch up their faces and might ask a question like “Do you REALLY believe all that stuff?” When you tell them that you do they might even go so far as to say “Sorry that’s just not the kind of thing I associate with someone as sma…

It’s quite baffling to me that people would start talking about religion at social events that are not related to religion in the first place.

To me, one of the basic rules of social etiquette is never talk about religion or politics unless you’re amongst people who share your views or it’s a specific religious or political gathering.

If I’m attending a social function, I certainly don’t want to hear about your religious views or political bent. Chances are slim that I would espouse compatible views and that would just make things very uncomfortable for either or both of us.

There are so many other interesting and less polarising topics of discussion with strangers.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#52
post #49
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you feel the same way about people who believe their deity is a soul that was a person?

The inconsistency gotchas in this thread are hilarious. “What if you replace religion with race or gender?” “What if you replace AI with god?” If your answers change then you have no principles.

it is easier to cast aside uncomfortable questions when you are able to group them into a monolith, relegating them to bad faith arguments and gotchas.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#53
Google is probably going to come out of this looking good. The fact that they were tolerant enough to welcome an openly religious ex-convict and are still supporting him even as he skewers them in public (since he's just on paid leave not fired). I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing this for years, and then things didn't get real until he started stirring up fear against technology. That's one thing that will actually trigger them.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#54
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

History will also show you that it is religion that has formed the moral and social framework for today's values to be opposed to oppression. You might think they, human rights, good morals, fundamental truths, are innate and fundamental but then look at geography and history together and you will see that it's religion that is the origin for these beliefs. The twentieth century featured many deaths caused by 2 diffe…

Most inmates are religious - that's why prisons have chapels and give out religious texts. It's estimated only around 1 in 1000 prisoners are atheist.

At the same time, the regime that killed absolutely most people last century were staunchly anti religious: the USSR.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#56
post #23

Quoting the most concrete example he gives: > If you start talking about your religious beliefs at a social event people treat you like you just farted in their face. They frequently will scrunch up their faces and might ask a question like “Do you REALLY believe all that stuff?” When you tell them that you do they might even go so far as to say “Sorry that’s just not the kind of thing I associate with someone as sma…

Okay, so how would you consider the alternative when someone is expressing their opinion on other topics like: “Do you really like dating people of the same sex? Sorry that’s the kind of thing I associate with someone who does not have any mental issues as yourself”. I am not advocating if any of them are good or bad (personally I avoid both), but we should really have the same standards when it comes to the famed “f…

All of these hypothetical conversations are great reasons why sex, politics, and religion should never be discussed in the workplace. Somebody's feelings are going to get hurt.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#58

Bruh. When are people going to stop expecting large public companies to cater to their every whim? It seems these days people are expecting every possible form of accommodation and bending backwards. People have forgotten in these companies you are there to give your time and get paid for said time given. Period. Companies will do things to help employees spend even more hours and be more loyal to their workplace in…

If other employees are mocking or harrasing you for you beliefs, then I think the company should step in. A hostile work environment should not be tolerated.

That being said: You leave your religious belief at home. Religion may guide you in life, but unless there’s a obvious reason religion is something you keep at home and in church/temple/whatever.

You can believe anything you want, but you keep it to yourself. If you somehow involve me, then you give me permission to have an opinion.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

History will also show you that it is religion that has formed the moral and social framework for today's values to be opposed to oppression. You might think they, human rights, good morals, fundamental truths, are innate and fundamental but then look at geography and history together and you will see that it's religion that is the origin for these beliefs. The twentieth century featured many deaths caused by 2 diffe…

Sorry, but this is ridiculous. Are you claiming that murder was totally accepted as normal before Moses got the Commandments? Religion, at best, codified moral values that were already in place in society.

> Are you claiming that murder was totally accepted as normal before Moses got the Commandments?

Pretty much: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanticide read the 4th paragraph.

Or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_war which also traces its roots to religion. Or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_law

I don't think you quite realize how much of modern morality traces itself to religious law. Maybe take a course in Philosophy.

Re: Religious Discrimination at Google

#60
post #23

Quoting the most concrete example he gives: > If you start talking about your religious beliefs at a social event people treat you like you just farted in their face. They frequently will scrunch up their faces and might ask a question like “Do you REALLY believe all that stuff?” When you tell them that you do they might even go so far as to say “Sorry that’s just not the kind of thing I associate with someone as sma…

The author is trying their best to be the odd one out. A few coversation topics will always be controversial when hanging out with your coworkers, religion being one of the leading examples. The question is why would you even want to bring it up unless you're looking for someone to argue with.
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