Religion within the daycare

[amandak]

I recently started working at a daycare in nj. i was not aware that is was a religiously affiliated facility until after i started, when i was told to do a morning prayer with the children. i am an atheist and was a bit startled by this task. i had no problem monitoring the childrens' praying and was not forced to pray, myself. the following day, i was approached by my boss and asked "if i knew god" and was told that by the end of my time at the daycare, i would be introduced to religion. i was extremely uncomfortable and made her aware that i was not okay with this. i'm worried about how to handle the situation if it gets brought up again. is it legal for her to, for lack of a better word, force religion on an employee? i love the job but would not be willing to stay if there was any legal way that i could be forced into a religious setting.

[michael]

This employer is obviously ignorant of state and federal law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations, as well as to the federal government. http://eeoc.gov/types/religion.html

Some examples of religious harassment:

Religious harassment involves unwelcome and religiously offensive conduct in the workplace. Religious harassment can include negative or offensive remarks or jokes about a person's religion or religious garments; religious slurs; or other verbal or physical conduct based on an individual's religion or religious beliefs. http://youth.eeoc.gov/religion2.html

You may wnat to make him aware of these laws. If you are terminated for any reason afterward you may to seek legal advice.

[Unregistered]

thanks so much. this makes me feel less awkward about speaking up on this issue.

[Unregistered]

If it is a private business, they can make this a part of their policy. they should have been up front. It sounds to me like you are just looking for something to go to court about and not really into your job at all. You should just straight up ask your boss if they want to accept you or not. Personally, I would not want your influence in my day care, but I also advertise that I am a Christian day care. Maybe you just failed to recognise this, or you went into this job knowing, and just looking to try to change someone elses business because you don't like it being christian. I wouldn't want to come against God's anointed if I were you. You better be careful how you handle this, God protects His own.

[Unregistered]

"god protects his own"...what a wackjob. surprise.....there is no god!

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry you feel this way. Some day you will come to the realization that God is real. I just hope that you realize this before it is too late. God is real, and He does protect Hs own. Maybe not the way your carnal mind has been programed to understand. Don't close your mind until you at least learn about it.
When I don't believe something, I don't close my mind off until I have studied it out. Sometimes I have been wrong. I'm not wrong about God.

[Just Me]

I know this is a site about childcare but here is my opinion. Everyone is in different stages of understanding. Until someone can tell me how from nothing (a void with no space, no thought, no substance) that something can make life, harmony, love, thought, emotion and everything working cohesively on a molecular and atomic level. Whatever can do this, is my God and is one heck of a Creator.

[bella]

If it is a private business, they can make this a part of their policy. they should have been up front. It sounds to me like you are just looking for something to go to court about and not really into your job at all. You should just straight up ask your boss if they want to accept you or not. Personally, I would not want your influence in my day care, but I also advertise that I am a Christian day care. Maybe you just failed to recognise this, or you went into this job knowing, and just looking to try to change someone elses business because you don't like it being christian. I wouldn't want to come against God's anointed if I were you. You better be careful how you handle this, God protects His own.



Are you kidding me?! I am a christian and I cannot stand it when I see other people so quick to jump on anyone who does not claim God! First of all when you threaten people, you are not practicing what the word teaches. Second of all, if your whole speel was to try and testify, then you did a bad job at it. God says to obey man's law! That includes her boss. These laws are there to protect everyone- I would not like it if I worked for someone who was Buddhist and my boss tried to convert me. And just for the record, I would not want someone so judgemental watching my children! I hope that someday she would come to God, but that is her choice and her's alone.