Home Depot Employee Fired for Wearing "God.." Button

Yeah I was just joking. I figured it would be fun to be like Trader_Jorge for a little while.

I think I will try your scenario on my boss though, just to see what happens.

 

if it bugs you that much, shop at Lowes.

 

Or Furrow's?

 

I think there is a larger issue here that some of you are missing. I agree that if he consented to the rules of Home Depot during employee orientation then he should have conformed to them; however, why are rules like these so detailed and restrictive? Why do companies like Home Depot assume that anything religious will offend customers?

The war against First Amendment rights has been going on for decades now. The key dogma is that religion is something you do in private in your home, your mosque, your temple, your church. It must be removed from the public square, from the workplace, from the schools, from sports, from virtually every area of society. But is this what the "free exercise of religion" means? For most true believers their Faith is their life, it is who they are. Jefferson's "separation of church and state" comment (in a letter, not the Constitution) was more related to the "Establishment Clause" and referred to the prohibition against a state sponsored religion. The secular spin on the phrase is to prohibit religion in any form, always, and everywhere which is an abridgment of a fundamental Constitutional right.

The truth be told, the secular left hates religion of any kind and in any form and would prefer that religion be eradicated from the planet. So much for tolerance and respect for the rights of others. So much for "civil libertarianism."

 

What, exactly, does this have do to with the First Amendment? Or was this just a convenient opportunity to rant for a bit?

 

An employer has a right to restrict dress code so long as it doesn't interfere with one's religious beliefs I believe. You can't stop someone for wearing a cross around their neck for instance. Or for someone avoiding certain foods on holidays...or working on religious holidays.

But in this case, the Employer has every right to fire the guy. However, it's really stupid to fire the guy for this - really small and innocuous thing. I think Home Depot should have let it slide.

 

Um, I think he is getting at that freedom of religion part of the first amendment. And yes, its a rant on many things. I dont necessarily agree that Home Depot is out to keep religion out of their store. I really think its something unrelated to the content of the guy's button. I think the button is a casualty and was probably done after someone said: "but his button is technically against the rules too".

Unfortunately the employee isnt privy to that info, and further investigation might have revealed it. Instead he went the lawsuit route.

 

Where has government made a law restricting freedom of religion in regards to this case?

 

They havent, but he is saying Home Depot was infringing on the first amendment right. I think. I dont think we have enough information to say that however.

 

Considering Home Depot isn't a governmental entity, I think we do have enough information.

 

Exactly. We dont know if it was an attack on his religion or not, since as I said before its a political/patriotic pin first/second and a religious one third. The bringing the bible to lunch and other factors should have had no bearing on the case, since it was supposedly the pin that was not compliant with dress codes.

But I guarantee you if a company fires a person for missing work due to a religious holiday and they were made aware of said holiday in advance, they would have hell to pay regardless of them being a private institution.

 

Freedom OF and FROM religion.

I wish some people would friggin get that through their skulls, like this moron. He also needs to take a course on contracts.

 

The first amendment only applies to the government:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

His rant is amusing because he doesn't even know what the First Amendment is all about.

 

Yes, they would. But it would have nothing to do with the First Amendment.

 

Nope, its you.

Because it's the choice of the employer to leave religion out of it's workplace. I suggest you start a Christian hardware store and target this supposed niche market.

It's not just about the customers... What about other employees? I'm Jewish and I've had a Palestinian boss. There are some situations that just come up with respect to religion and culture that are simply avoided by having these policies.

You have the right to send your kids to a religious school where they can pray 18,000 times a day if that's what you want for them. Does your faith REQUIRE you to practice away from home, your mosque, your temple and your church? I will admit that people get offended by some ridiculous things (eg: an old bible on display at a courthouse), but there is a point to where your religious freedom infringes on somebody else's freedom from religion. You have to draw the line somewhere. Our courts have decided that the religion doesn't belong in certain places that are paid for by taxpayers. If you'd like to push for a new law that prevents atheists, and non-christians for that matter, to not pay taxes, I'll gladly give you prayer in public school and crosses in front of courthouses.

I'm pretty sure they just want to be left alone in public. I don't like it when I'm approached by a Jew for Jesus, who's sole purpose is to convert me to Christianity. The "secular left" doesn't barge in on your Sunday services and they don't barge into your home to tell you that your religion is wrong.

 

This war is really about the diversity of the nation and the use of government entitites by Christians to indoctrinate their beliefs into society and then claim this right based on tradition. They've been rebuffed in their attempts to continue to use the public school systems and various government apparatus to maintain Christian dominance in the public square and they're pissed off about it. The fact is this may be a nation made up predominantly of Christians but our system is based on freedom of religion and the continued attempt to intertwine Christianity with a modern, diverse America is what's really the problem here. You folks can't handle the fight back by people who want a secular government that respects all religions equally and doesn't cowtow to a religious majority just because you guys think it's your country. This all leads to your complete and irrational paranoia about Christianity being under attack, the next time I hear of a Christian church being threatened with closure by rioting secularists will be the first. The hilarious part about it is that Christians attempt to use government to legitimize their faith the same way they're accusing gays of using marriage to legitimize their lifestyles. You guys want it all your way every way every time otherwise it's an attack on Christianity.

 

What?

I think what he said is that for some Christians faith=life itself

And that in the first amendment there is a protection of free expression of religion - hey it's ok to disagree, but there is nothing evil about taking that from the amendment

freedom of religious expression is not some fringe new idea that's popped up under the religious right political movement.

not with respect to this case but in general I feel a freedom here in America to talk about Jesus, feed people who live under overpasses at night, counsel teenagers as a pastor- at school, and sit by a dying man's bed in a hospital and pray with the family.

I don't make it my goal each day to cram my beliefs down their throat in some small or big way.

I don't care if I'm criticized for loving people, I'm not stopping and I am not ashamed of Jesus, He died on the cross so a drunkard, drug addict like I was could have a chance, a life, and I owe Him my very best effort to give others who are where I was the same thing

I'm just passing the love along, and i won't stop.

We pack kids in our church during the week that have nothing at home but abuse and anger and love them.

I don't know if it is the first amendment or not, I'm not stopping.

I don't feel under attack one bit, there is such a need for Jesus love, there is no unemployment, just a lack of applicants where I work.

 

Good for you. I'll respect your religious beliefs by not using the government to inject my religious beliefs into your life and I hope you'll respect my beliefs by doing likewise. That's all anyone's asking, not so hard is it?

 

CometsWin, I think what solid was getting at is there is a fringe element(much like many other fringe elements) that are taking this further. Your stance seems to be a reasonable goal to obtain. I have my reservations on where this will eventually lead us(but it will be an abuse of this goal that gets there, not the goal itself).