Does an employer have the right to make you work on your day of worship (The Sabbath)?
That’s the question that the United States Supreme Court has just debated.
It all started when the United States Post Office demanded that Postal Carrier Gerald Groff work on Sundays.
The Post Office is normally closed on Sunday, but sometimes they make deliveries for Amazon that require postal carriers to work on Sundays.
Groff claims that the U.S.P.S. discriminated against him based on his faith and punished him for refusing to work on Sundays, the day he attends church.
Groff tried to work out his schedule by swapping shifts with fellow employees to make up the time, but his superiors were not happy with the shift swapping.
Post Office brass said Groff could not demand that he be exempted from working Sundays, claiming it was “too much to ask” and imposed “undue hardship” on the USPS because it shifts his [Groff’s] burden to his co-workers.”
The case went to court, and the Third Circuit court agreed with the USPS.
Goff’s legal team, First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based Christian legal organization, appealed, and the case is now going to the Supreme Court.
Groff’s legal team issued a statement:
“It is unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees based on religion. It’s time for the Supreme Court to reconsider a decades-old case that favors corporations and the government over the religious rights of employees. Observing the Sabbath day is critical to many faiths—a day ordained by God. No one should be forced to violate the Sabbath to hold a job. We are simply asking the Supreme Court to apply the law as written and require employers to grant meaningful religious accommodations to people of faith,” said Kelly Shackelford, President of First Liberty Institute.
Please pray that the Supreme Court decides on religious liberty.
What do you think? Leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].
Click HERE to watch the 5 min. video interview with First Liberty Institute senior counsel Jeremy Dys on Fox News Live talk about the case and religious liberty.
2 Comments on “No One Should be Forced to Choose Between Their Faith and Their Work: Supreme Court Case to Determine Religious Liberty [Video]”
There are areas in our country where most businesses close for the Lords day —- Sunday —- and there are retail businesses that also close on Sunday. That is commendable and was much more common 65 years ago when I was in my youth. Sadly our nation has been turning from God for many decades and we will pay the price. Legally per the 1st Amendment we should not be forced to work on Sunday unless not doing so is an existential threat to our nation. — period!
Agree. Thankyou, Craig and staff for your fine reporting.