Unfair Dismissal And Religion

[HS Mauberley]

^^ I read it fine the first time. You're suggesting that there's a sufficiently meaningful continuity between being forced to sit through 90 minutes studying fairy tales and the planned murder of 6 million people that reaction to the latter can somehow inform what you should do about the former. There's no such connection or continuity.

[ronz28]

I would start looking for another job but would do what they pay me to do until fired as they will probably eventually want a piece of your paycheck too if you stick around long enough. 10% of your paycheck is the going rate.

[Jingthing]

Wrong is wrong. This company is wrong in whatever country.

[kuffki]

^^ I read it fine the first time. You're suggesting that there's a sufficiently meaningful continuity between being forced to sit through 90 minutes studying fairy tales and the planned murder of 6 million people that reaction to the latter can somehow inform what you should do about the former. There's no such connection or continuity.

You seem to have difficulty reading.

I said that if people took the attitude to things like the poster i was responding to and answer to every problem was "well thats how it is just accept it" then where our world would be now?

It was "normal" for majority of Germans to go to war with the world, but not all agreed and fought against it

Same goes for Holocaust

And same goes for African-American 100 years ago

People fought for their rights rather then just accepting how it was.

Hope now you understand and it does make more sense for you, because if it does not i am sorry but i do not know any other way to explain better for you

[HS Mauberley]

Well, yes, in an utterly trivial sense, you're right. Sure, you can compare any situation at all which has negative outcomes to any other situation which has negative outcomes. But doing this is (i) just fuc_king ridiculous and (ii) profoundly insulting. For any grown up, there's no sensible way that being forced to go to bible class is comparable to the Holocaust and claiming that there is is just ludicrous teenage hyperbole.

[lannarebirth]

So how's this? I'm an American Christian and I go to work for a Thai company. The company sells exclusively to other Thai companies. The company doesn't care that I'm not Buddhist like all my fellow employees and customers, but feels I could gain some insight into working with them if I learned a little bit about Thai Buddhism. Towards that end they pay me to sit through 1.5hrs/week of study . Should I be offended? Should I quit? Is it outrageous?

[HS Mauberley]

The way you've framed it is as directed toward doing your job better by better understanding your colleagues and customers. That seems fairly sensible and not at all like the OP, which is purely ideologically driven. If I went to work in shit-sticks nowhere in the middle of America, I'd probably want to understand what the people around me believed. That doesn't mean I want to go to bible class.

[Jingthing]

So how's this? I'm an American Christian and I go to work for a Thai company. The company sells exclusively to other Thai companies. The company doesn't care that I'm not Buddhist like all my fellow employees and customers, but feels I could gain some insight into working with them if I learned a little bit about Thai Buddhism. Towards that end they pay me to sit through 1.5hrs/week of study toward that end. Should I be offended? Should I quit? Is it outrageous?

I doubt that would ever happen at a Thai company. As I said before, passive participation (sitting through lectures) is different than active participation. Active participation is more like an active conversion effort while passive participation can be ignored if desired, and yes, that would be outrageous.

PC or not, the AGGRESSIVE efforts of global Christianity and global Islam to do conversions is an objective reality, and to many of us, very offensive, sorry. In this regard, not all religions are created equal. Some are particularly expansionist.

[SeanMoran]

It might be a good time to ask the boss to get online here, so that he can explain the meaning of all this in his own words. Why not pass on the URL so that he can have his say too?

[HS Mauberley]

I don't see many Muslims wandering or cycling around rural Thailand. And I never used to get requests for a few minutes of my time by beardy weirdos when I was in England. Christians lead the way on this one.

[Jingthing]

I don't see many Muslims wandering or cycling around rural Thailand. And I never used to get requests for a few minutes of my time by beardy weirdos when I was in England. Christians lead the way on this one.

That's a fair point but Islam is a rapidly expanding religion, both in numbers and geographically, particularly in Africa.

[kuffki]

Well, yes, in an utterly trivial sense, you're right. Sure, you can compare any situation at all which has negative outcomes to any other situation which has negative outcomes. But doing this is (i) just fuc_king ridiculous and (ii) profoundly insulting. For any grown up, there's no sensible way that being forced to go to bible class is comparable to the Holocaust and claiming that there is is just ludicrous teenage hyperbole.

Yep, as i thought, will not even bother to discuss this further with someone who has so little in such a large space.

Sorry am not up to your standards, when i grow up, i be sure to look you up!

PS. OP asked for advice, so what is yours?

[elkangorito]

To the OP...why don't you offer to pay the boss if he/she will attend a 1.5hr, once a week session of your chosen belief?

The "Orange" people come to mind, as well as the saying "Tough Titties".

[ronz28]

1.5/45= 3% Vs. 10% Tithe is a 7% gain to the "religion". Plus you can contribute your free time too while the clergy/admin. is on paid time. Up to you.

[khundon]

Say no to your boss, or pretty soon you will be grabbing your ankles for his religious beliefs. Then you really will be f*****.

[phetaroi]

I think there are really two problems here -- the "practical" problem, and the "philosophical" problem.

From the practical sense, I agree with the OP that he/she shouldn't have to sit through Bible study as a condition of employment...unless that was understood as a part of the employment conditions in the beginning. Do you have a contract? What does the contract say?

From the philosophical sense -- which in this case for me is diametrically opposed to what I just said, why would you want to work for a company that has a purpose that is 180 degrees apart from your core beliefs.

Now what would be interesting and great fun -- but might get you fired, under the circumstances -- would be to attend the Bible study and debate and argue every point with which you have the slightest disagreement. Of course, you probably wouldn't get a very good reference from them...except to hel_l.

[MrE]

Thailand is not a land of laws. It is a land of power, money, and connections. Whoever has the most of the latter three will win, in any case.

I must disagree with that statement. It sounds like the knee-jerk reaction of too many farangs who believe that all Thais, government officials and otherwise are corrupt and therefore Thai society is inferior to those in the West.

There are laws here just as in the U.S. and Europe. When presented properly to the courts, complaints are handled in accordance with them. As an example, I had a Thai lawyer cheat me. I found another Thai law firm who were horrified by what had been done and after three years got the crook disbarred for life. I had a lawyer in the States cheat me and because he colluded with the judge, there was nothing I could do about it that wouldn't cost more than my loss (my customized Harley).

A second example: after the tsunami devastated my business, I continued to pay my employees until I ran out of money. They then filed a complaint with the Ministry of Labour for severance pay and more. I had to appear to defend my position and was found not libel for any other payments.

My point is that there are greedy, evil bastards in every country. There are laws here that are enforced when proper procedures are followed. Maybe every law that exists elsewhere is not on the books here but that doesn't mean that Thailand is any less a nation of laws and law abiding citizens.