The subject
has been all over the news – a government official refuses to issue marriage
licenses for gay couples; a flight attendant won’t serve alcoholic beverages to
passengers; a hobby store refuses to carry any merchandise from all but the
owner’s chosen faith; there are stores that won’t open on the Sabbath; holiday
displays on public property are considered taboo; one person wants school
prayer and another one doesn’t; religious head coverings are questioned; and so
many more topics such as is it insulting to some to have the words “in God we
trust” on our paper money?
At what
point does it become enough? What does it mean to have religious freedom? And
is it always persecution if someone loses a job if that religious belief isn’t
allowed to be practiced? It seems it’s become too easy to yell religious
discrimination when someone doesn’t get their way. There are many factors to
consider.
First of all, let me be
clear, this is an OPINION piece, MY opinion – there will be people who will
disagree and I respect your right to another opinion; however I expect my right
to be respected for my beliefs, so please read on…
If you are
doing a job with specific responsibilities and tasks and you fail to abide by
those rules, is it religious persecution to fire you? I believe that if you
took the job with a clear understanding of expectations or if you took a vow to
uphold things like, well, like the United States Constitution, then I feel it
is not persecution to expect you to do your job. A refusal to do your job
should be cause for dismissal or impeachment. Obviously if your boss makes a
new rule after you’ve signed on and it would cause you to violate sincere and
sacred beliefs, I do think he or she (the boss) needs to make accommodations.
By the way, an oath to uphold the constitution is the same even if a new
amendment is added. If you are still vehemently opposed to the assigned tasks
then it is up to you to give notice and find another job.
In the case
of the flight attendant refusing to serve alcoholic drinks, conversion to her
faith was made by her choice after already being employed in that position.
Although I think it is an unfair burden to ask other attendants to do that part
of your job, I do think the individual should sit down with both management and
then co-workers to see if there is a solution that would work for all; however,
like I said, it does place an unfair burden on other attendants and they should
not be penalized if they refuse. The best solution might be to sit with
management and find out if there are any positions in the company where this
responsibility is not required. Once again since the choices that were made
that changed the circumstances belonged to the flight attendant, the ultimate
responsibility to correct the situation should be on the shoulders of the
attendant.
Head
coverings are a different situation. Is there a dress code or uniform it violates?
Does the head covering change your physical appearance significantly as in a
photo ID? Or is your boss simply concerned that your head covering might offend
customers or co-workers? Deciding on whether a head covering is permitted
should be considered by individual cases and circumstances. If you’ve been
wearing this garment since you took the job and the boss has a sudden change of
heart, then this can indeed be discriminatory if you are fired (or in many
cases not hired). In the case of official uniforms (it varies between a store
clerk uniform or a military officer for example), if the head covering
drastically alters the uniform and the uniformity is necessary (such as
military) then it might be refused and may be perfectly legal and
non-discriminatory.
If you
observe the Sabbath and have made it clear during the hiring process that you
cannot work that day, if the employer still hires you it would seem to be an understanding
that you will not be held responsible; however when a busy holiday season
arrives and the boss now demands you put in that specific extra day, if you
refuse and you are fired, that sounds to me like discrimination. Many schools
allow their students to take off, or might even close for the day, if there is
an observance of a religious holiday. If the school is not closed, important
and mandatory tests shouldn’t be scheduled on days where observant students
would be forced to choose between failing the test or violating their religion.
Federal laws require schools to make reasonable accommodation to the religious
needs of students and employees in observance of holy days.
According to
the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America “Federal law requires an
employer to "reasonably accommodate" an employee's religious
observances, practices and beliefs unless the employer can show that
accommodation would cause an "undue hardship" to the employer's
business. What constitutes "reasonable accommodation" and "undue
hardship" depends on the facts unique to a particular situation.
Essentially, an employer must attempt to create a structure permitting
employees to practice their religious beliefs while still maintaining their jobs. In some cases, accommodation may
not be possible.” Reasonable accommodations and undue hardships may be
interpreted differently between individual, but I think the key phrase maintaining their jobs is important.
I really
like the way this Reverend explains the meaning of religious freedom: "Religious
liberty is guaranteed in this country. But that does not mean that every job
needs to bend to your particular interpretation of your faith," United
Church of Christ's Rev. Emily C. Heath writes. "If you really believe
doing your job is violating your faith, then stepping aside would be a small
price to pay for the love of the Gospel."
In the
meanwhile, let’s try respecting one another and value both our differences and
our commonalities.
