With public fanfare, Senators Rick Santorum [R-PA] and John Kerry [D-MA] introduced the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005, S-677 and HR-1445, the most important civil rights legislation of the past generation, only to face an immediate and aggressive campaign to defeat it by the organization that represents itself as the champion of civil rights.

“Passage of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act is the highest legislative priority of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” said James Standish, Esq., congressional liaison for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 1972, Congress adopted provisions to require employers to provide “reasonable accommodation” for workers’ religious beliefs and practices so long as the accommodation does not impose an “undue hardship” on the employer’s business. Since 1972, federal courts have undermined this requirement, depriving religious workers of effective protection against religious discrimination.

The Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005 is supported by more than 40 religious groups, and has 24 Senate co-sponsors, including leading Republicans and Democrats. Rarely have so many diverse religious groups, representing Jews, Christians, Muslims and other faiths, liberals and conservatives, supported a single bill. Despite such strong support, the ACLU falsely claims that protections against religious discrimination will lead to increased religious harassment of homosexuals.

“With the ACLU putting so much pressure on Congress, it is imperative that bill supporters flood Congress with petitions and e-mails in support of the bill,” says Alan Reinach, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director of the Pacific Union Conference. “Every Seventh-day Adventist member and friend should consider it their solemn duty, not only to sign the petition and send their own e-mail at www.religiousliberty.info, but to encourage others to do so as well,” adds Reinach. “This bill will help hundreds if not thousands of Adventists avoid losing a job because of Sabbath observance, so its immediate passage is of the utmost urgency.”

More info about this bill is available online at www.churchstate.org, and www.religiousliberty.info.

Take Action

Copy and circulate the petition on the opposite page. Fax the petition directly to your Senators and Representative in Congress. Find their contact info in the blue pages of your phone book, or by entering your zip code at www.religiousliberty.info. Send copies to the Pacific Union Conference by fax: 805-497-7099. Send your e-mails in support at www.religiousliberty.info, and encourage others to send their own e-mails in support. Circulate the petition and this article at church and to all people of faith and good will, and obtain their support.