Lawsuit: Oregon construction worker fired for refusing to attend Bible study

Oregon Live ^ | 8/29/18 | Aimee Green

[Bishop_Malachi]

He should have forced them into LGBT studies instead.

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Yes, then it would have been part of “corporate sponsorship”.

[Nifster]

Preach the Gospel continuously....when necessary use words

[morphing libertarian]

for doing what you aren’t supposed to do.

[CommerceComet]

$800,000 is ridiculous. The guy lost a job as a house painter. How many years' salary is that? 15-20 years. I could see the court forcing the employer to pay for some lost wages and job relocation costs assuming the allegation of being fired for not attending the Bible studies is proven. As someone else has said - there's probably more to the story. I'm not sure how the courts will view this but paying the employees while attending the Bible study doesn't sound terribly abusive.

I doubt the courts are going to give the employee this lottery ticket.

[Bommer]

I smell BS. Bet this idiot was drunk on the job or just a screw up.

[waterhill]

Yeah, he should have refused from day one. I would have. I would have tried to explain to this zealot that what he was doing was illegal as hell also. I would have given him a chance to knock it off, then I would have called a lawyer.

[TianaHighrider]

Very skeptical. Initial reaction is I don’t believe the story. I think he may have been encouraged to come. And either quit or fired for something else. Lots of opportunists in this world.

[kingu]

So, just so I understand, the employer was clear at the time of hiring what is required of employees, and no employee was compelled to attend without compensation. If this were any of the demi-religious classes in gender equality or sexual identity, aka state sanctioned religions, it'd be a slam dunk - everyone would say the case has no chance.

What part of the constitution permits the government to intervene in a private contract between two parties? If we indeed have religious freedom and freedom of association, none of these were violated - he could attend at his own option, and get paid for it, or he could find another job.

I do not have to set aside my religion when I assume the mantle of a business owner, and I do not have to kick the creator out the door of my business. And it worked out for six months - obviously something he was willing to muscle through to keep his job.

I'd love to see an accurate interpretation of the constitution in a case like this. And I'd love to see more support for the owner. I personally wouldn't agree to this employment contract, but I certainly wouldn't forbid someone from making such a deal.

[onedoug]

We are in the last days.

I believe it's Talmudic that 'If you're planting a tree and hear that the moshiach has come, first finish the planting, then go to greet him.'

[metmom]

Ryan Coleman’s lawsuit states that he discovered only after he was hired as a painter for Dahled Up Construction that the job entailed more than just fixing up homes.

Actually I suspect that the owner probably did make it clear.

I’ll bet the guy did not pay attention.

I wonder if there is any record in writing of the requirement that he may have had to sign agreeing to do this.

[morphing libertarian]

you may not understand settlements and negotiation strategies and attorney fees

[Rebelbase]

I like that.

[bgill]

Nope, sorry, the employee is correct and the employer is wrong.

[Nifster]

Not mine it’s from Francis of Asisi

[captain_dave]

That sounds like what the rabbis would say. Of course, the concept of the messiah in Judaism is very different from that in Christianity. Trees are held in high regard in Judaism. It is forbidden, for example, to destroy fruit trees in war.

[longfellowsmuse]

Agree completely.

[Simon Green]

Despite his good intentions

I wouldn’t someone describe trying to shove their religion down their employee’s throat as “good”.

[xrmusn]

Hate to be a ‘Devils Advocate’ on this and don’t really agree with the owner

BUT

The ‘instructions’ were on company time, while on the clock. Not all that different from a safety meeting and I really can’t imagine the owner is ‘dumb enough’ to not inform new hires what is expected of them.

Like ‘we’ used to tell them about the prayer before a game..You don’t have to say anything or do anything but WE _ AS A TEAM are going to have a moment of solitude before the game.

Even today the players that don’t ‘join’ the malcontents in the pre game shenanigans are subject to being ‘hung out to dry’ at any given moment - ON THE FIELD..bad enough ‘your’ guy is weeweed off enough to ‘miss’ a block but if the defenders that get through ‘agree’ with the block misser, the ‘non go-alonger’ may be in trouble.

[Secret Agent Man]

Story does not pass the plausibility test to me.

[Pirate Ragnar]

“I am a Christian, but I have to side with the employee on this one. You can’t coerce someone to follow Christ, it has to be something they desire to do, otherwise it just doesn’t work. Also, he’s right it is illegal.”

I agree. Turn the situation around; how many Freepers would tolerate having to attend Atheist lectures as a condition of work?