Replies

"He has the right to choose not to do his job." I guess that depends upon how one defines "his job". To the extent that he is an employee of CVS, and to the extent that CVS requires all of its pharmacists (regardless of their own relgious misgivings) to fill any and all prescriptions they are presented, you and I may not be in disagreement.

"And his employer has the right to fire him"

Hmmmm...

I'm not so sure about that. I do not believe that employers have carte blanche when it comes to firing employees. I do believe that employers are specifically prohibited from firing employees because of their religious beliefs -- and the exercise of those beliefs. I do understand that employees may not exercise their religious beliefs in such a manner as to disrupt an employer's workplace, but I'm not convinced that that is what has happened in this particular case. All I see is an employee refusing to do one part of his job for what he legitimately considers to be deeply held religious views.

"and the state licensing board has the right to take his license away"

" This is even more troubling than the suggestion that the employer ought to have the right to fire the employee because of his religious views.

It would seem that you are suggesting that the government ought to be able to deny a person his or her right to earn a living based solely upon the government's view of what it feels are either "legitimate" religious views for people in certain occupations to hold or "legitimate" exercises of deeply-held religious views.

Thanks, but no thanks.

I certainly do not want the government telling ME how I must exercise my religious views when I am at work.