Path: utzoo!hoptoad!uunet!husc6!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Re: Vegetarians in the Workplace
Message-ID: <17951@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 24 Dec 87 03:36:38 GMT
References: <22293@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <17934@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <22303@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 29
In-reply-to: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU's message of 24 Dec 87 01:03:27 GMT
Posting-Front-End: GNU Emacs 18.41.4 of Mon Mar 23 1987 on bu-cs (berkeley-unix)


>About as powerful as non-Christians, I'd bet.  And among certain Buddhist
>sects, vegetarianism is a religious consideration....how's THAT for tying
>things together neatly, eh?  My parody isn't quite as silly as you make
>it out to be.  So let's hear it, you folks who claim that Christmas parties
>are a form of discrimination:  would YOU abstain from meat in the workplace
>to avoid offending a vegetarian Buddhist coworker?
>
>-- Jim Lewis

Isn't there still some question about whether the Buddhist coworker
would be offended or not? I suppose *someone* in the world might be
offended at your eating meat, but I'm not sure this is a good analogy
to religious parties at work. Something is lost in the non-disruptive,
private nature of eating. It would be more like being offended that
you said grace over lunch.

I know some vegetarians who are offended (perhaps too strong a word)
when get-togethers are arranged for their workplace and no
consideration was given for non-carrion eaters so they end up making
do with a roll and some cole slaw while everyone else gets a hale and
hearty meal. That might be a closer analogy, but somehow if you leave
the religion out of it it just loses the pzazz.

What if cabbalists had a party commemorating Christ's thefts from the
second temple which gave him the tricks needed to present himself as a
false messiah? That might give some a closer feel for the issues.
Would you be uncomfortable with some workers throwing such an office
party?