If the teachings and convictions of your faith are that important to you (and I respect that, given my father is a minister), then the best thing to do it find a line of work that is closely in-line with those beliefs. Having to constantly reconcile them will only lead to undue stress, or worse, doubt or compromising those beliefs.

Remember, you'll join them before they ever join you.

I disagree with a few of your points... some of them sound more like being a pushover than being a Christian.

Regarding #1 – Managers who let their employees shine might not rise as fast as those who take credit for their subordinates work, but in the circles of people I know these types of managers are better respected from below and above.

Also you can be nice to someone without giving in to a demand that you know is bad for you or bad for the company. You can firmly argue your point and side without being nasty or vindictive (although if you watch the recent political campaigns you might wonder). I think an even greater benefit a Christian can bring to this situation is your attitude when your side does not win, and how you can throw yourself into the work even when they did not choose your idea (within your values of course).

#2 – Charity can be done by the individual or the many. You can be a charitable person with your own time and money. You can suggest ways in which your employer can be charitable without impacting the bottom line. For example what do they do with outdated computer parts? Do they sell them for a low at cost amount? You could suggest they auction them off instead and donate anything above the “at cost” amount to a charity. You could arrange for a local agency to come pick up well used furniture items, saving the company money in disposal fees and helping the environment at the same time.

Regarding helping people who don’t have a way of helping you back, I know many people in my company who make a great name for themselves by being the go-to-guy. Even though the specific person you are helping might not appreciate or care, if you are consistently bailing out teams and people in your area, while getting your own work done your career will be greatly furthered.

#4 - If you get burned because you entered into verbal agreements and the other party did not hold up their end of the bargain, then it would only be FAIR of you in the future dealings to require a written agreement. It would be squandering the resources of the company you work for to do differently. A disgruntled employee would have sued even sooner if the company had fired them.

I am sorry you are having problems at work, but if these problems are tied to not making enough money or to not rising in promotions as fast as your unscrupulous co-workers then I agree with you that this is the price you pay for being a Christian.

If the problems are related to anything else then I find it odd you are blaming them on being a Christian and suggest you look to other causes.

I have long believed that American corporate culture is in direct conflict with the tenets of Christianity. Maybe that's why I'm broke. I have a very hard time reconciling my faith with our culture of greed in the guise of ambition.

Well as someone completely non-religious but still very idealistic I continually find myself having a hard time in the business world.

I'm the guy, when I allow myself to be, that can get a sales job and win the sales contest the first week. I don't like that part of me though because I know that I am selling people things they truly do not need. The simplification of life that I desire is not good for a sales lifestyle, so I moved away from sales. It's hard though because now I want to go back for the money and the freedom I could gain quicker from the bigger paycheck!

Life is all about holding true to your ideals and suffering through the tribulations that present. At the end of the day it's yourself you have to live with. Someday I will find the perfect gig that combines my sales personality with my idealistic values. That day will be glorious!