"Even in an era that's more accepting of spirituality, the prospect of religion seeping into secular institutions, especially corporate ones, makes many uneasy" (Conlin 1999).
To tread a delicate balance between showing respect for religious differences and still allowing and encouraging spiritual and ethical concerns to be discussed in the workplace can be difficult. To do so "most companies and executives are careful to stick to a cross-denominational, hybrid message that's often referred to as secular spirituality. It focuses on the pluralistic, moral messages common to all the great religions, such as...respecting the interconnectedness of all actions and things, and practicing the Golden Rule. But it also puts a premium on free expression and eschews cramming beliefs down other people's throats" (Conlin 1999). Still, there is no way that 'all of the people can be pleased, all of the time,' to co-opt a phrase from P.T. Barnum. Every time a particular religious value is espoused, someone will feel left out, even or especially people who do not frame their personal ethical systems in terms of religion at all, or people whose spiritual orientation is more orthodox than the fuzzy, feel-good message of the corporate version of the Golden Rule.
Finally, the issue of tolerance has become especially thorny...
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