Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

[ChopChaeJoe]

If you don't want to answer, then don't. I'm more than happy to talk about my spiritual journey.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

[chris_J2]

[Adventurer]

[Hanson]

Social norms, people. It is considerted rude by society. It says so in my textbook.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

[Hanson]

[PRagic]

Religion is a waste of time, and I don't have time to waste now. Maybe when I'm a little older, and if I can find a cult of some form that doesn't want contributions.

[UknowsI]

I don't have any problems asking and being asked about my religion as long as they don't make a discussion about it afterwards. But to start discussing religion is something I find rude. But I like to know what religion my friends have since I will then try to not ask them to do anything that is against their believes. If someone is a Muslim I will never cook him pork, if someone is Hindu I will not cook beef for him and when it comes to Christian or Muslims I will make it easier for them to decline if I offer them alcohol. In general I try to respect their moral believes, but the easiest example was with food.

[eamo]

I've had a lot of success recently with making Korean christians go away quickly.

If they understand a little English, I say, 'my religious belief is a private matter and I think it's rude to ask strangers in the street about it'.......wow....they back off right away!!

I think it works because they probably know it is rude to stop people in the street and ask them questions about religion. But they are under such great pressure from their church/pastor to get new fee-paying members.....they forget their manners.

[Leyana]

Disclosure: I'm an atheist.

I personally feel it's not what you ask, it's how.

1.) "Do you have a religion?"

I think this question is fine. Even better when prefaced with, "Can I ask you," or any other phrase designed to make it more polite. - as in "May I ask you, do you have a religion?"

Reasoning:
Person answering question can say yes/no/or evade without looking like a douche. In addition, they can elaborate if they choose to - (yes, I'm a christian/buddhist/whatever) or not elaborate. (Yes.)

2.) Are you a Christian?
3.) Do you believe in God?

I hate both of these questions. I think they're ridiculously... what's the religious equivalent of ethnocentric? The wording of the question has divided all answers into the categories of Christians/non-Christians, with everybody in the non-Christian box essentially the same. (As in, atheists, buddhists, muslims, all in the same "non-Christian" box.) Additionally, the asker of the question has immediately assigned a value to those boxes by the wording of the question.

I also think that just telling people not to discuss religion misses an essential point - its not what you say, but how. MANY westerners discuss religion when first meeting and I think many people are not offended or consider it rude, depending on how the question is asked.

It comes down to context and presentation a lot more than subject matter for me.

I doubt I would tell someone in the street that their question was rude; I think that if you said it was a "private matter", most people would automatically back off and perhaps feel a little embarrassed. Giving them an outright lesson in manners is kind of rude too, in my opinion. I've been rude without thinking it through too well before a number of times, only to be embarrassed upon analyzing my actions.

[Mithrae]

What I object to most is when your employer, on the first day of work, asks if you believe in Jesus. None of your friggin business, pal. I find that crosses a line, and there should be laws against it. It's a form of harrassment. The workplace should be religion neutral. After all, you can tell the clown on the street to piss off. You can't really say that to your principal.

My personal beliefs about the origins of the universe, and the origins of life on earth, are none of my employer's business and have no bearing on my ability to teach English effectively.

[pangaea]