Easter Card from Customer

[Ghel]

This is more of a mild annoyance than anything. I would have posted it on CS if it didn't involve an expression of religion.

I received an Easter card in the mail today from one of my customers, a very sweet, elderly lady, who apparently assumes I'm a Christian like her. The card has pastel eggs on the front surrounding this text: "Easter is a beautiful reminder that all things are possible with God." Blech!

I like this customer. I've known her since I started working at the bank, 12 years ago. I don't discuss my atheism with customers. When a customer says, "Happy Easter," I say, "you, too!" When a customer says, "God bless," I say, "thanks." To paraphrase GK, I can fake empathy for an hourly wage.

But I don't believe in any gods. I don't need any reminders that the dominant religion in this country is convincing its followers that impossible things are possible. I'm going to put the card on my desk because I like the customer. But I hate the message.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

Maybe it would help to look at it as in the message was not what was on the card? Rather, the message was "it is X holiday and I thought enough of you to get you something" and then leave it alone.

One of the more jovial people I ever knew was an atheist around Christmas time. He celebrated the holiday itself but it wasn't because he believed in what it represented. He enjoyed the selfless aspect and the "magic" it brought to the world of his child. His child wouldn't grow up Christian and he didn't really begrudge Christians for believing what they did. So everything he received was basically the same reaction you would expect from a Christian. The religious aspect just wasn't relevant to him.

[Gravekeeper]

The religious aspect to Christmas ( and Easter ) is irrelevant to a lot of people. Especially outside of the US. But yeah, while the card might be a little irksome, not much you can do or really should do about it. If you're 70+ and devotedly religious, it ain't gonna change any time soon and you're likely so set in your ways that anything outside of that sphere doesn't even register.

May as well just go with it and toss it after Easter -.-

[Ghel]

I like holidays as an excuse to get together with family. I like the idea of a holiday to celebrate the arrival of spring (where is it?!).

I like this customer. She's a good person, nice, sweet, and active in the community. That would be true whether or not she was a Christian. It was nice of her to think of me. She even wrote a little thank you inside the card.

It was merely the overtly religious message of the card that irked me. And only slightly, as I said in the OP. If it really bothered me, I would have thrown it out, but it's sitting on my desk.

[Bloodsoul]

I don't believe in any gods.

Not even Valhallen, the Viking God of Rock?

[Ghel]

I would totally worship Valhallen.

[Sarah Valentine]

I can see where it would be irriatating, there are plenty of Easter (and plenty of other holiday) cards with no religious message in them. She could've easily gotten you one of those to minimize risk of accidently offending you, then again I know (and am unfoutuneatly related to) people who go out of their way to pick out the most religiously theamed whatever and tell me I "need to find Jesus and have god in my life." Either that or she believes you're into religion as much as she is.

[protege]

It was merely the overtly religious message of the card that irked me. And only slightly, as I said in the OP. If it really bothered me, I would have thrown it out, but it's sitting on my desk.

I had send me a Christmas card like that one year. Said card was overly religious, and if that wasn't enough, contained a CD...which was full of videos from their church as well as a pamphlet. As if to say "we know you're not religious...but we're going to "save" you. I appreciate the thought--sending me a card. But trying to "save" me? That part pissed me off.

[Ghel]

...then again I know (and am unfoutuneatly related to) people who go out of their way to pick out the most religiously theamed whatever and tell me I "need to find Jesus and have god in my life."

As if to say "we know you're not religious...but we're going to "save" you. I appreciate the thought--sending me a card. But trying to "save" me? That part pissed me off.

Yeah, I get enough of this kind of crap from coworkers and family. I don't need it from customers, too.

Either that or she believes you're into religion as much as she is.

I think this is likely. Most folks around here assume you're Christian unless you specifically say otherwise. (That bothers me enough on its own.) And I don't talk about religion with customers, if I can avoid it. I don't find it to be an argument worth having, since I could alienate a customer simply by saying I don't go to church.

[Seifer]

I have a lot of customers talk to me about religion and offer me religious pamphlets. I politely accept them and try to end the conversation as quickly as possible. When they leave, I'll throw the pamphlet in the trash and vent to my coworkers. Unfortunately in these situations, it wouldn't be helpful to tell them the truth - that you don't believe in their religion - since they either won't get it or will get offended themselves. :/

[Rageaholic]

It comes down to where we draw the line between well meaning religious cards and obnoxious preachiness. Personally, I think the line is crossed when they bring sin and hell into the equation. Then again, I know of a lot of pretty religious people who wouldn't take kindly to the hell stuff either.

[Panacea]

This is more of a mild annoyance than anything. I would have posted it on CS if it didn't involve an expression of religion.

I received an Easter card in the mail today

Unless she was actively trying to convert you, is it so hard to accept a genuine expression of goodwill simply because she attaches it to a religious holiday that she takes seriously and is important to her?

I'm a devout Christian, but I would hardly be offended if someone gave me a holiday greeting, as an expression of friendship, for say Hanukkah, or Ramadan.

One of my online students asked for an extension on an assignment so she could spend the Chinese New Year with her family. I happily granted it; the holiday means nothing to me, but everything to her.

I have to live with the fact some people do not believe in God. I value the friendship of those of my friends and family who do not share my beliefs too much to cut myself off from them, so I seldom discuss my religious feelings with them unless I'm asked about them. I tolerate some of the things they have said to me about my faith because I love them so much.

I think atheists should accept that the religious among us deserve the freedom to believe and worship, and accept that not all proffering of goodwill during our religious holidays is intended to covert you or to be an offense.

Both sides of the coin could use thicker skins, in other words.

The religious aspect to Christmas ( and Easter ) is irrelevant to a lot of people. Especially outside of the US.

I disagree with this. The religious aspect to Christmas and Easter are irrelevant to people who live in areas that are predominantly Non-Christian, which is including the US and Europe more and more.

Parts of the world where Christianity is still very widespread (Latin America, Africa, parts of Asia) and growing regard these two holidays and Easter especially to be of high importance.

Of the two holidays Easter is of greater significance than Christmas.

Personally, I think the line is crossed when they bring sin and hell into the equation. Then again, I know of a lot of pretty religious people who wouldn't take kindly to the hell stuff either.

I don't take kindly to the hell stuff. I find it to be a cudgel that the intolerant use to try and force their world view on others, especially the undereducated and the gullible.

While I believe Hell exists, I don't actually know that anyone is in there. Or who.

Religion does so much better when it focuses on love thy neighbor as thy self.

[Pixilated]

It seems to me you are handling the whole religion thing very well, including the card. You are not getting into arguments and are returning people's "blessings" without faking a belief that you don't have.

I can see where it would be irriatating, there are plenty of Easter (and plenty of other holiday) cards with no religious message in them. She could've easily gotten you one of those to minimize risk of accidently offending you ... *snip*

I think this is jumping the gun somewhat. Ghel describes the customer as "elderly" so if she is a lifelong devout religious person it seems to be unnecessarily harsh to say "she could've easily gotten you (a non-religious card) ..." That is appointing blame and assuming a busybody's ill intent on her part where, IMO, none exists. Yeah, it probably never occurred to her that a religious card would be an issue, but since there's no indication she's disposed to try to "save" Ghel, I'd say accept the card in the spirit in which it was given (as someone else here said, "I thought enough of you to get you something") and dispose of it after a suitable time. Which, from what I understand, is what Ghel is doing.

[Ghel]

I think atheists should accept that the religious among us deserve the freedom to believe and worship, and accept that not all proffering of goodwill during our religious holidays is intended to covert you or to be an offense.

That isn't the issue. I have no problem with religious folks celebrating their holidays the way they wish. The issue, as I've explained above, it twofold: 1. the customer's religious privelege allows her to assume that I share her beliefs, and 2. the overtly religious message of the card contains a logical impossibility couched in hopeless optimism.

It seems to me you are handling the whole religion thing very well, including the card. You are not getting into arguments and are returning people's "blessings" without faking a belief that you don't have.

Thanks. I don't want to get in an argument with a customer. I don't care what their beliefs are, generally speaking, but I don't want to profess a belief I don't have, either. It gets tough, sometimes, to walk that line.

Ghel describes the customer as "elderly" so if she is a lifelong devout religious person it seems to be unnecessarily harsh to say "she could've easily gotten you (a non-religious card) ..." That is appointing blame and assuming a busybody's ill intent on her part where, IMO, none exists. Yeah, it probably never occurred to her that a religious card would be an issue, but since there's no indication she's disposed to try to "save" Ghel, I'd say accept the card in the spirit in which it was given (as someone else here said, "I thought enough of you to get you something") and dispose of it after a suitable time. Which, from what I understand, is what Ghel is doing.

Yep, I would have preferred a non-religious card, if the customer wished to send me one, but I doubt it ever occurred to her that I might not share her relgious beliefs. The customer didn't come into the bank between the time I received the card and Easter passed, yet I kept the card out on my desk just the same.