Protect Yourself from Religious Discrimination in the Workplace

As the Woke agenda advances throughout society, particularly in municipal governments and the corporate world, we can expect these entities to begin implementing discriminatory policies against people of faith, for failing to comply with the Woke agenda. Already, education seminars and modules are appearing for employees to complete in the workplace. A growing number of employees are expressing fear that if they fail to comply with these demands of these seminars and modules, even if accidentally, they may face disciplinary action and possibly the loss of their jobs.

The purpose of this blog is to show Christians, particularly Catholics, but also Evangelicals as well, how they can protect themselves from religious discrimination in the workplace.

The key is very simple. Everything you think, believe and talk about, has to be based on religion not politics. You’ve got to give up this notion of “your own personal opinion” about politics, society and current events. Instead, you need to base everything on your religious beliefs. That means, on the surface, you’re going to have to start wearing your faith on your sleeve, and you’re actually going to have to put your time and energy where your mouth is. In other words, if you haven’t been to church in a while, it’s time to start going again — regularly.

You’re also going to need to dust off that Bible and start reading it. If you’re Catholic, you’ll need to do the same with the Catechism. All Christians should wear a cross, at all times, and it should be large enough to attract a little attention. I’m not talking about anything crazy, but it should be at least an inch long. In addition to this, Catholics should always carry a rosary in their pocket, and take it out regularly to thumb the beads a little. Saying a decade of the rosary during workplace “downtime” is perfectly acceptable, provided you do so under your voice, and you are not a distraction to others. It helps if a few people see this once in a while. Again, you’re not trying to attract attention, but if you happen to be seen now and then, this works to your advantage. So there is no need to hide it. The same goes for reading a small pocket-Bible during workplace “downtime.” For those who may not know, “downtime” is a term used to describe short periods of time between job tasks, when it is acceptable for employees to rest or take a small break. Work time is for work, and if you want to be a good employee, you should be working during work time. As long as you keep your religious practices to downtime, and it’s not interfering with your work time, there is no way your employer can legally discipline you for this. If, however, you’re letting your religious practices interfere with work time, you might as well start looking for a new job, because it is permissible for your employer to discipline you, and even fire you, if you’re not getting your job done!

That said, it’s also permissible for employers to discipline employees for not “playing nice” with others in the workplace. If you’re using your religion to attack other people in the workplace, harassing them, or generally making a hostile work environment, you’re actually causing a situation that could put your employer at legal risk. So in order for your employer to defend itself, it may have to discipline you. Think about that before telling a fellow employee that they’re “going to hell.” If they ask you what your religious beliefs are about hell, that is one thing. They asked. If you tell them, in an unsolicited way, that they’re “going to hell” then that’s a different matter entirely. They key here is to remember that you’re at your workplace to do a job and to get that job done. That’s your sole reason for being there. Otherwise, you would be doing something else. Right?

Beyond that, it is in the best interest for all Christians to ditch the political party system. Granted, in some states, you may need to be registered in a political party in order to participate in the primary elections or run for office. I’m not talking about that. What I’m talking about here is that Christians (especially Catholics) should not use party policies or positions to formulate their own personal beliefs — about anything! Your personal beliefs should be informed by your religion, and your church, not a political party. This includes political talk-show hosts, podcasters, and magazines or newspapers. For the Christian (especially the Catholic), the teachings of your church should be the primary influence on your views concerning religion, politics, society and current events. This is necessary in order for the next part to work.

Now, this is where it becomes absolutely essential in the workplace. If all of your beliefs on politics, society and current events are formed by your religion, then any workplace disciplinary actions against you, due to your views on politics, society or current events, are a direct violation of your religious freedom and are considered religious discrimination under United States federal law. In other words, it’s illegal. Worse yet, it’s a federal crime!

Not only are your religious rights protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and similar articles in state constitutions, but also Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993, make it abundantly clear, in no uncertain terms, that Americans cannot be discriminated against because of their deeply held religious beliefs. The United States Justice Department (DOJ) issued guidelines for protecting religious liberty, and as of the date of this blog entry, it is still posted on their website. (I have provided a link so you can download the entire DOJ document to your computer below.) In other words, if your Woke company or city government is trying to discipline you for your religious beliefs, not only can you use your religious liberty rights as a way of getting out of it, but if they discipline you (or fire you) anyway, you can sue them for damages — and win — big time! It is absolutely forbidden, under United States law, to discriminate against an employee due to that employee’s deeply held religious beliefs.

This means if another employee asks you about your beliefs on abortion, homosexuality, same-sex “marriage,” transgenderism, or any other sexual perversion, and you voice your beliefs on that, you cannot be legally disciplined for your response, so long as it’s part of your religion. It means if you happen to participate in a public march or demonstration, on your own time, against abortion, same-sex “marriage,” or “drag queen story hour” at your local library, your employer cannot discipline you for that, especially if it’s part of your religion. It means if you run a blog, or podcast, or happen to appear as a guest on somebody else’s video or audio show, sharing views that are based on your religious beliefs, once again you cannot be disciplined for this by your employer. If your employer does attempt to discipline you, you can cite Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. If they discipline you anyway, you’ve probably got a case for a lawsuit now, so you might want to get a lawyer. There are plenty of lawyers that work pro bono (for free) on cases like this, so all you have to do is search for “pro bono civil rights lawyers” on the Internet and take your pick.

This is how we fight back against the Woke agenda in the workplace. If our companies, or city governments, want to be Woke, there is little we can do about that. It’s their choice. However, if they want to use their new Woke agenda to persecute those who won’t go along with it, especially for religious reasons, they’re in for one hell of a legal surprise. Disciplining employees for their deeply-held religious beliefs is against federal law, and they can be sued for it, as well as face heavy fines and penalties, as well as be forced to pay for legal damages to those religious employees affected by their Woke policies. On a personal note, I think we Christians (especially Catholics) should make use of lawsuits to protect our religious freedom whenever it is necessary and appropriate to do so. It’s the only way some employers learn, and it’s not just about protecting our own Title VII rights. It’s about protecting the Title VII rights of others too.

Shane Schaetzel is an author of Catholic books and an Evangelical convert to the Catholic Church through Anglicanism. His articles have been featured on LifeSiteNews, The Remnant Newspaper, Forward in Christ, and Catholic Online. You can read Shane’s books at ShaneSchaetzel.Com