Construction Worker Sues Company, Says He Was Fired For Not Attending Bible Study

[Rachel333]

This is not a comment on legal issues, but reading parts of the Bible, or Qu'ran, or another religious text can absolutely be harmful to the listener. People have been seriously hurt by how people use those texts and any reminder can be painful but particularly if someone were to read certain parts aloud. Reading verses about how gay people should be killed or how women should submit to men can definitely be considered harassment, IMO, even if it is passive.

[formergothardite]

There is also the fact that this guy is a Native American and there is a long history of people attempting to force them into being Christian. The construction worker attended for six months because he knew he would have difficulty finding a new job and when he finally became so uncomfortable and talked to his boss he was fired! Why should this be allowed? 

[Coy Koi]

4 hours ago, AuntKrazy said:

I'm just very cautious about criminalizing behavior, and interested in trying to find maybe better solutions.  I think there is room for things being morally wrong but not criminal.  I want some grey areas because I think that's the only way we really have freedom.

My biggest point was that we don't really know what the "Bible study" mentioned was or looked like.  We don't know if was a verse and time to pray quietly or something else entirely. I don't know where it fell on a spectrum.  And I believe there is a spectrum.  

Nobody's talking about criminalizing behavior. The business owner in question is not charged with a crime. He's being sued. He's threatening employees' and potential employees' ability to earn a living if they don't conform to his religious beliefs. The fired employee in question is threatening his manager's ability to earn a living if his company's policies doesn't conform to the law re: freedom of religion. Seems perfectly fair to me.

An article said there was a pastor coming in to teach the Bible study, so it wasn't just mainly a time of silent contemplation or anything like that.

This is something that could very easily be no big deal to some employees even if they disagreed. Maybe they hate what is being preached but still enjoyed the break from physical labor. Fine for them. However, for other employees, it could be very upsetting, triggering or offensive to have to sit and hear those things.

Nowadays, no large company would ever require something like this. But in the recent past, it would have just been a VERY EASY loophole to avoid violating laws against discriminating based on religion, race, or nationality, while still having the same effect. There's no question that it would have been used that way. And if it had been allowed and had never been successfully challenged, I assume it still would be common today. Why not? The law and public opinion BOTH follow each other to a point. If the law says something is okay, public opinion is more likely to agree.

I understand your concern to a certain extent, but I don't think this particular issue is any kind of slippery slope.

[Pecansforeveryone]

There is also a very real slippery slope, upping the ante possibility here. What if Communion is suddenly served at this Bible study and participation is mandatory? What if the owner demands everyone be baptized? What if the owner starts demanding that employees must attend Sunday services at the church of his choosing? Where exactly do we magically draw the line? The fundies we snark on don't believe separation of church and state is a valid, Constitutional concept and that is terrifying for the rest of us.