It’s amazing. You’re just going along, having an ordinary day, minding your own business, when Bam! Somebody decides to insert religion where it doesn’t belong.

The lady I work with asked me today if I was interested in selling jewelry. She had a brochure in her car, she said. Sure, I said, I’ll take a look at the brochure.

I kind of choked on the initial fee ($395!) but was otherwise pretty much okay, when I came to the philosophy page:

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe God created every person with value.

We believe life’s priorities should be God, family and career.

We believe in America and the free enterprise system.

We believe that people are our most important asset.

Guess which part of that I have a problem with?

Oh, and there was this, too:

OUR OBJECTIVES

God demands fairness in every business deal.

He sets the standard and we desire to honor Him.

To grow wisely and profitably.

To enrich every life we touch.

To provide excellent service.

Or what? “Otherwise we’re going to screw everyone we meet”?

I know, I know: It’s a private company, they can do whatever they want (up to a point). But why did they have to go and throw religion into it? Now I want nothing to do with them.

I feel kind of bad trashing this company (which, you’ll notice, has gone nameless). My coworker doesn’t really know me; she didn’t know how I’d feel (and in her way, she was being nice, and if it comes up, I’ll just say I don’t think it’s for me). She probably doesn’t even notice this company’s philosophy and objectives.

But I do.

“But Louise,” you may say, “you write a blog about religion.”

Let me stop you right there. It’s a blog about religion AND secular issues.

Honestly, this blog is a little out of character for me. I don’t hide my religion from my friends (all 167 of them on Facebook), but most people have no idea about my religion, and I like it that way. Are you kidding? Do you know how many people would accept a neopagan in their midst? Almost no one, at least not where I live. Does that make me a hypocrite? I think it makes me more realistic than a hypocrite, but fine, if you want to call me a hypocrite, I can live with that. I’m just not ready to lead the charge for pagan rights in north Florida. I think those days are about twenty years behind me, but who knows, I could develop a rebellious streak again later. I don’t discount anything these days. If there’s anything my life has shown me, it’s that you never know which paths your life will take until those paths are right on top of you.

Either I’m a pagan or I’m an atheist, and I’m not sure I’m ready to lead the charge for atheist rights in north Florida either.

Really, I just wish folks would keep their religions to themselves (says the woman with the blog). It may work great for you, but it probably doesn’t belong in your company philosophy statement.