I worked for a over decade with the YMCA

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I worked for a over decade with the YMCA

azstrummer — 5/21/2009 10:15:40 PM (archived)

in an administrative position and was an atheist for most of that. For the most part I was immune from the fact that the letter "C" in the name stands for Christian. Our facility was mostly about recreation, fitness, education, and family activities and my boss, who was quite the father figure to me, didn't really push the religious part.

However, when we'd have board meetings, invariably someone would start the damn thing out with a prayer and there seemed to be this randomness as to who was picked to deliver it. One day all eyes fell on me and the board president asked if I'd like to deliver the invocation. My boss, who knew I was a non-believer, jumped in and rescued me. It was a very "Christian" thing for him to do. I'm not sure what I would have said. I was very capable of playing a role but I'm sure my heart would not have been in it. I could easily have made it an issue and things would have gotten very tense. I'm glad I didn't have to decide.

Art

The whole thread (34 posts)

No more bible quotes on intelligence briefings. - RobVG - 5/19/2009 8:54:13 PM
- I wonder if..200 years down the road... - Jody - 5/20/2009 1:32:14 PM
  - It will depend on who wins it. - ER - 5/20/2009 1:51:39 PM
    - In American history... - Jody - 5/20/2009 2:06:40 PM
      - Today we often let surrogates fight our wars - azstrummer - 5/21/2009 2:57:48 PM
      - We initiated many of them. - ER - 5/20/2009 2:29:07 PM
- re: No more bible quotes on intelligence briefings. - Jody - 5/20/2009 1:08:35 PM
- re: No more bible quotes on intelligence briefings. - ER - 5/20/2009 10:46:15 AM
- This country had one very close call. Those people are/were nuts. - Bowser - 5/20/2009 5:17:31 AM
  - re: Those people are/were nuts. - TB - 5/20/2009 6:18:57 AM
    - re: Those people are/were nuts. - TB - 5/20/2009 6:27:18 AM
      - George W Bush looked right into the camera and swore it wasn't a religious war. - Robert - 5/20/2009 5:26:09 PM
        
        FDR - TB - 5/20/2009 7:03:21 PM
        
        And incidentally... - TB - 5/20/2009 7:08:06 PM
        
        Bush never read them...bush-never-read-them. - RobVG - 5/21/2009 2:48:49 AM
        
        Bush never saw them. - TB - 5/21/2009 4:40:02 AM
        
        Climate. Atmosphere. Tone. Subtly (sut-el-ee). - Bowser - 5/21/2009 2:40:28 PM
        
        The cover pages - RobVG - 5/22/2009 2:01:24 AM
        
        It looks like you're right. - RobVG - 5/21/2009 1:58:59 PM
        
        Bush never read them. - ER - 5/21/2009 3:33:21 PM
        
        "crammed down the throat" - TB - 5/21/2009 5:19:41 PM
        
        re: "crammed down the throat" - ER - 5/21/2009 6:39:33 PM
        
        PS - ER - 5/21/2009 7:06:36 PM
        
        I worked for a over decade with the YMCA - azstrummer - 5/21/2009 10:15:40 PM
        
        An atheist in church. - ER - 5/22/2009 2:05:43 AM
        
        Atheist prayer... - Jody - 5/22/2009 1:04:22 AM
      - We were attacked by a nation and drew on faith- it's a little different than starting a war. (n/t) - RobVG - 5/20/2009 10:03:01 AM
- The bible quotes were a great example of well intentioned but dumb policy - z - 5/20/2009 2:41:49 AM
  - The response from Rumsfeld - TB - 5/20/2009 4:08:22 AM
    - Motivation to expose our warts - azstrummer - 5/21/2009 3:06:35 PM
      - re: Motivation to expose our warts - TB - 5/21/2009 5:29:09 PM
- I think was a wise choice.... - Jody - 5/20/2009 1:49:11 AM
  - They gave insight to the mindset at the time. (n/t) - RobVG - 5/20/2009 2:07:14 AM
    - Good Point. (n/t) - Jody - 5/20/2009 1:07:02 PM

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