wfn.org | Adventists Support Workplace Religious Protection Bill

["Beckett, John" <BeckettJ@gc.adventist.org>]

ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
February 15, 2000
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Adventists Support Workplace Religious Protection Bill

Washington, DC ...[ANN]  Seventh-day Adventist religious liberty leaders are
among those calling on Congress to pass the Workplace Religious Freedom Act
(WRFA), legislation intended to raise the level of on-the-job protection for
people of faith. The bill, currently pending in the Senate, would provide
heightened legal protection to workers with special religious needs-such as
wearing religious headgear at work, keeping a holy day, or maintaining a
strict regime of prayer.

WRFA is backed by the Coalition for Religious Freedom in the Workplace, a
diverse group of more than 50 civil rights and religious organizations,
including the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the
Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Council on
Religious Freedom. 

Richard Lee Fenn, associate director in the Adventist Church's Public
Affairs and Religious Liberty department, says that the bill is a vital
piece of legislation.

"The right to practice one's religious beliefs is a basic human right that
should be respected by both governments and employers alike," says Fenn.
"As a Church, we continue to uphold the principle that different religious
beliefs should be accorded equal respect in the workplace, without
discrimination, and that individuals should not be unduly impeded from
acting according to the dictates of their religious convictions."

Mitchell Tyner, associate general counsel at the Adventist Church's world
headquarters, says WRFA is especially significant to people who keep the
Seventh-day Sabbath. Noting that the courts have "read-down" the
responsibilities of employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Tyner
says that "WRFA will go a long way toward redressing the harm done by court
interpretations of Title VII since it was amended in 1972."

Supporters of WRFA (s. 1668) hope the bill will be introduced in the House
of Representatives within the next week.   Although WRFA has attracted
bipartisan political support, strong opposition to its passage is expected
from labor and employer lobby groups. [Bettina Krause]
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Contact Information: 
Communications Department
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600

Phone: 301-680-6300
e-mail: info@gc.adventist.org
web: http://www.adventist.org/