As an employer, I have to be concerned with the beliefs of my employess and how it affects their job. If my employee was afraid of snakes and I made her handle snakes, everyone would scream. This employee did not want to dress up as a witch to work at a special event. The library should have had more compassion and concern for her, not abuse her.
As for the comment that God is in my imagination, God and Jesus Christ are very real to me. I have seen God heal, I know his comfort, and I have been Blessed by Him in ways that if imaginative would really stretch the imagination.
Religion does not enjoy the same protections for accomodation as disability – but unfortunately many people think it does. An employer must only attempt to make reasonable accomodations for an employee’s religion if such accomodations do not interfere with operations. This sounds similar to ADA but is a much lower standard.
For instance, I can force a practicing Jew to work Saturdays, or a practicing Christian to work Sundays, if by them not working I would have to force other people to work instead. If another employee volunteers to cover the shift, that’s fine, but I don’t have to force anyone to cover the shift. The same thing goes here – if the employer felt it was a burden to accomodate her beliefs, they didn’t have to accomodate them.
Religion is the tricky one, because you can’t take action based on people’s beliefs, but you can take action based on what they do. But if what they do is based on their belief you may or may not have recourse. Somebody save me from religious accomodation!
Its sad that we have to be saved from religious accomodation. I grew up where no homework on Wednesdays because of church and most businesses were closed Sundays and holidays. Although I enjoy the availability of 24/7 businesses, I long for the day when locks were seldom used, business was done with a handshake, and most (not all) followed the ten commandments. Today we complain or fight when someone stands up for their faith. This disregard of faith hurts us. We are paying the price!
There’s nothing wrong with faith, and most of what you mentioned sandman has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with honesty. Honesty, by the way, being a human trait not a religious one.
The only time I have a problem with religion is when others expect me to alter my life or behavior because of their beliefs. I ask none to alter their life for my beliefs, I just want the same respect.
I read the actual lawsuit, this woman sounds like a whiny baby to me. Why work in a library if you can’t pick up books? And did she refuse to help a customer when they wanted to check out books that were against her “religion”? What if she was a member of the KKK, would she be allowed to get away with refusing to help someone because they were black due to her “religion”? There has to be an end somewhere to how many excuses you can use to get out of doing things you don’t like. Just suck it up already. Harry Potter books ROCK anyway and it’s purely for the imagination, doesn’t mean I believe I can fly when I get my broom out, it means I better sweep the dang floor.
Amen. Growing up in that neck of the woods myself, Sandman, I recall some of the same things you do-gas stations and some restaurants were the only businesses open on Sunday because of the “blue laws” and the department stores would also close at 6PM on Saturday night because it was the start of the Sabbath. Babeball games were daytime only on Sunday and I remember listening to the Cards on KMOX with Harry Carey and eating too much watermelon after church as it was a good way to cool off after playing ball with my friends.
Life moves at a different pace now and even though progess is good, I miss that aspect of my younger days.And I knew more than my share of Baptists, Pentacosts and a few Mennonites who probably feel a lot like this woman does now-Godly, but a bit abused by the 21st Century
So making a Christian dress like a witch is fine and dandy? What about making a Jew dress like a Nazi? “Reasonable accomodation” includes not forcing someone to violate a tenet of his religion as a condition of employment. “Avoid every appearance of evil” is a tenet of the Christian faith, since it is an apostolic injunction.
Beat me to the punch Al. I think her problem had more to do with the costume component than the book itself. Obviously in a library you are going to be dealing with books that don’t totally agree with your philosophy or religion quite a bit of the time. But being forced to dress in a costume contrary to your beliefs goes beyond the normal call of employment.
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As an employer, I have to be concerned with the beliefs of my employess and how it affects their job. If my employee was afraid of snakes and I made her handle snakes, everyone would scream. This employee did not want to dress up as a witch to work at a special event. The library should have had more compassion and concern for her, not abuse her.
As for the comment that God is in my imagination, God and Jesus Christ are very real to me. I have seen God heal, I know his comfort, and I have been Blessed by Him in ways that if imaginative would really stretch the imagination.
Religion does not enjoy the same protections for accomodation as disability – but unfortunately many people think it does. An employer must only attempt to make reasonable accomodations for an employee’s religion if such accomodations do not interfere with operations. This sounds similar to ADA but is a much lower standard.
For instance, I can force a practicing Jew to work Saturdays, or a practicing Christian to work Sundays, if by them not working I would have to force other people to work instead. If another employee volunteers to cover the shift, that’s fine, but I don’t have to force anyone to cover the shift. The same thing goes here – if the employer felt it was a burden to accomodate her beliefs, they didn’t have to accomodate them.
Religion is the tricky one, because you can’t take action based on people’s beliefs, but you can take action based on what they do. But if what they do is based on their belief you may or may not have recourse. Somebody save me from religious accomodation!
Its sad that we have to be saved from religious accomodation. I grew up where no homework on Wednesdays because of church and most businesses were closed Sundays and holidays. Although I enjoy the availability of 24/7 businesses, I long for the day when locks were seldom used, business was done with a handshake, and most (not all) followed the ten commandments. Today we complain or fight when someone stands up for their faith. This disregard of faith hurts us. We are paying the price!
Thanks for the comments Sandman
There’s nothing wrong with faith, and most of what you mentioned sandman has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with honesty. Honesty, by the way, being a human trait not a religious one.
The only time I have a problem with religion is when others expect me to alter my life or behavior because of their beliefs. I ask none to alter their life for my beliefs, I just want the same respect.
I read the actual lawsuit, this woman sounds like a whiny baby to me. Why work in a library if you can’t pick up books? And did she refuse to help a customer when they wanted to check out books that were against her “religion”? What if she was a member of the KKK, would she be allowed to get away with refusing to help someone because they were black due to her “religion”? There has to be an end somewhere to how many excuses you can use to get out of doing things you don’t like. Just suck it up already. Harry Potter books ROCK anyway and it’s purely for the imagination, doesn’t mean I believe I can fly when I get my broom out, it means I better sweep the dang floor.
Great information as always. I like to read your comments because they are informative.
Amen. Growing up in that neck of the woods myself, Sandman, I recall some of the same things you do-gas stations and some restaurants were the only businesses open on Sunday because of the “blue laws” and the department stores would also close at 6PM on Saturday night because it was the start of the Sabbath. Babeball games were daytime only on Sunday and I remember listening to the Cards on KMOX with Harry Carey and eating too much watermelon after church as it was a good way to cool off after playing ball with my friends.
Life moves at a different pace now and even though progess is good, I miss that aspect of my younger days.And I knew more than my share of Baptists, Pentacosts and a few Mennonites who probably feel a lot like this woman does now-Godly, but a bit abused by the 21st Century
So making a Christian dress like a witch is fine and dandy? What about making a Jew dress like a Nazi? “Reasonable accomodation” includes not forcing someone to violate a tenet of his religion as a condition of employment. “Avoid every appearance of evil” is a tenet of the Christian faith, since it is an apostolic injunction.
I hope the appeal is successful if there is one.
Beat me to the punch Al. I think her problem had more to do with the costume component than the book itself. Obviously in a library you are going to be dealing with books that don’t totally agree with your philosophy or religion quite a bit of the time. But being forced to dress in a costume contrary to your beliefs goes beyond the normal call of employment.