Comments on: Religious Expression at Work: Persecution, or Pushy Employees?

By: Crystal Stoddard

Crystal Stoddard — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:30:53 +0000

I have to agree with the home depot case – there was clear disobedience, though you have to admit it was rather nitpicky on corporate side and if we were at war that everyone was rooting for there would not be much of a fuss about it.

The ski slope case I am a bit iffy on though – why was she the only employee that had restrictions on what she could listen to? When you single out christian employees like that, then I feel there is at least discrimination – not necessarily persecution – going on. Though I have to also admit there are also many christians who also put themselves IN compromising positions because they feel the need to proclaim at the top of their lungs their beliefs and values instead of letting the light of God shine through their works.

By: Cheryl Smith

Cheryl Smith — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:21:03 +0000

PS – stepping down from my soapbox now.

By: Cheryl Smith

Cheryl Smith — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:20:38 +0000

I tend to agree with your thoughts on this subject Brad. We can be authentic Christians who live our lives faithfully, according to the call of Christ, without being obnoxious and difficult for our employers. In fact, I’m pretty sure Jesus wouldn’t want us to become stumbling blocks for others by our inconsiderate or insubordinate behavior.

If they didn’t like the rules, or didn’t think they could abide by the rules, perhaps they shouldn’t have taken the jobs in the first place.

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:28:25 +0000

Glynn – this article did give an example of Muslim “harassment” too. The author was making a point about the increase of overall religious persection, not just Christians. With Muslims and other faiths, it may be more a question of what they wear, or keeping traditions (prayer at noon, no matter what) rather than what they say.

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:25:48 +0000

Leon – This Barna Group study (is that from their book “Unchristian”?)is such a reality-check for Christians. Very good advice- let’s just start loving our neighbors. That’s all most people really want – not to be preached at.

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:22:21 +0000

Camel is on a break for a while.. Hopefully he’ll come back soon.

And I really only wanted to win that poetry book.

By: Anne Lang Bundy

Anne Lang Bundy — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:46:24 +0000

On the one hand, shouldn’t we always be ready to suffer for the faith?

On the other hand, I love this line from the movie “The Printing,” about Christians being willing to suffer for printing forbidden Bibles in the USSR, yet still doing what they could to avoid persecution: “We’re not martyrs on purpose.”

An authority has jurisdiction over whatever realm is theirs. My pastor once taught that disobedience of estabished authority is only justified “if they command what God forbids or forbid what God commands.”

All this is yet another argument for lifestyle evangelism being more persuasive and therefore effective than in-your-face evangelism.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:22:53 +0000

Sadly, these kinds of cases are all too common. We covered scores and scores of them, especially like that of the ski resort, while I was writing and editing for a legal publisher.

There are many reasons why such cases end up in court, and many have nothing to do religious freedom. Some of the most common are complete lack of commonsense; stupidity when a problem arises; poor training of supervisors and employees in understanding, abiding by, and enforcing policies and laws; inconsistently applied policies; poorly written policies or no policies at all; bad advice from HR; and bad advice from lawyers or lawyers who see a buck to be made and hold out for a settlement because they know a company doesn’t want publicity.

What I fail to understand, given the huge number of reported cases on this subject, is this: What does it take to learn from and apply the lessons of these cases? And when are people going to grow up and understand that when you become employed, you make a contract to do a specific job to the best of your ability?

By: Cindy L

Cindy L — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:27:05 +0000

OOpps. I need to clarify (re: my comment above) that I meant to say that the people playing the Christian harassment card are doing so in an attempt to evangelize. Or at least that’s the way I see it.

By: Cindy L

Cindy L — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:22:34 +0000

I so appreciate the common sense you’ve expressed in this post. One the most wonderful things I “got” from the Bible, early on, was that true Christians would be known by their deeds — that their faith would naturally shine through everything they do, from washing dishes to treating everyone they know with honesty and respect. I understand that some people need to evangelize, but so often it has the opposite impact on the audience they’re trying to reach…