Question:
My coworker(s) keeps trying to convert me and it interferes with my work.
Answer:
Religion can be a very important part of many people's lives — from their religion they derive their values, their morals, and often their reason for living. Because of this, it is not surprising that they may want to "share" their religious beliefs with others — but what if "sharing" crosses over the line into active proselytization?
We cannot entirely escape the presence of proselytization in society — the very existence of a "marketplace of ideas" which we value means that there will be some people trying to convince everyone else to agree with some particular idea. Nevertheless, there is a time and a place for proselytization: just because it is a necessary facet of an open society doesn't mean that it is never inappropriate.
One of the places where proselytization is likely inappropriate is in the workplace. This isn't just true about religion but also about political and social issues as well. People where you work shouldn't be trying to convince you to change your political affiliation, to start opposing abortion, or to change how you raise your children.
While a comfortable and well-functioning workplace requires that people there be able to have non-work related discussions and thereby develop better social connections with each other, that does not include actively trying to convert each other to some new belief system or idea. A person shouldn't be trying to convert you to Christianity or Islam any more than you should be trying to "convert" them to atheism.
Proselytization, especially at the workplace, readily makes people feel uncomfortable. They go there to work and don't expect to have to defend their beliefs and their ideas from attack by others. This breaks concentration, is a source of distraction, and of course interferes with people's productivity. No one who owns or manages a business should welcome such actions — but unfortunately, there are those who will put religion before business and thus accept or even assist the proselytization of employees.
How you react will depend the exact circumstances and how far you want to go in defending your rights. Whether your atheism is known or not, you should firmly and politely insist that the proselytization cease so that you can concentrate on your job. Tell them that you simply aren't interested in learning more about their religion, that you aren't interested in adopting their religion, and that you would prefer that they never bring the topic up again.
If they are respectful and you are fortunate, that should be the last you hear of it. At worst, you may have to reiterate your position a couple of more times, but that's all. If they do not respect you and you aren't very fortunate, your polite request will go right over their head and they will continue to try and convert you, comfortable in the knowledge that they are doing this for your own good even if you don't know it.
After a couple of insistent repetitions of your request, your next step will have to be the manager or supervisor. You have a right not to be harassed by someone's proselytization, and thus you have a right to ask that they be ordered to stop. Take the time to document everything that happens so that you have some measure of evidence to support your claims and complaints. If the manger is sympathetic, then things should change for the better.
If the manager is not sympathetic or even supports the proselytization efforts, then you are in a very difficult situation. If no one in a position of authority at your workplace is willing to help you or if there is even retaliation against you because of your complaints, your only options are to leave or to seek legal assistance. You will need to contact a lawyer who can better inform you of your rights and what kinds of legal options are open to you.
