A reader emailed me about an issue she was having at work. She’s a summer intern who wants to be social with her colleagues. One of them (let’s call him Bob) invited her and the other interns to a gathering.
Bob told her there would be a short prayer session, followed by hanging out and playing games.
The reader hasn’t told Bob she’s an atheist, and she feels comfortable skipping the prayer session altogether.
After checking into the gathering place, though, she is facing a small dilemma:
I’ve found out since that the gathering group — the Frassati Society — is specifically a fellowship for young adult Catholics. My coworker has mentioned it before, being completely open about it, so it wasn’t some stealth recruiting/conversion move.
My problem is that I’m an atheist knowingly going to a youth-group type of event. How ethical was it of me to accept? I don’t intend to cause trouble; I’m just curious and bored.
Personally, I think I would go too, if I were in her shoes. There’s no other option she has found, she’s skipping the prayer part of the service, and it’s a good way to network and meet other people.
Would anyone object to going to a religious gathering (even if you didn’t take part in any sort of prayer/ritual) in order to make new friends?
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