By Alan J. Reinach, Esq.
Every business day, three Seventh-day Adventists lose their jobs rather than work on Sabbath. The Workplace Religious Freedom Act is one way to help turn the tide on religious discrimination. Thousands of e-mails, petition signatures, letters and phone calls have already been generated this year in support, but many more are needed.
Fairfield church religious liberty leader Connie Tripp gets it. She believes it is time to make special efforts to pass the Workplace Religious Freedom Act. She has solicited volunteers from the Fairfield church to form 12 tribes, or teams, to gather petition signatures in support of the bill. Their initial goal is 1,000 names, and their super goal is 2,000 names.
Named after the 12 tribes of Israel, the teams will be obtaining signatures from church members, friends, neighbors and co-workers, and going out into the community to the mall and other places. They are also circulating petitions by e-mail. Connie has helped many church members over the years who sought Sabbath accommodations. She has been frustrated by how many get discouraged by the process and give up. She is determined to see this law passed so our members can get Sabbath off.
The tribe members are: Reuben: Jeanine and Rick Silveira; Simeon: Gerald and Kim Brown; Levi: Carmen and Roger Siegal; Judah: Woody and Sandra Stubbs; Manasseh: Louise Chrichton; Gad: Keila Pratley; Naphtali: Elizabeth and Opanin Gyaami; Isaachar: Jean and Roseanne Marcellus; Zebulun: Anthony and Debbie Scaglione; Jospeh: John Tripp; and Benjamin: Josiah Hill.
Goals and Incentives Established
A minimum of 100,000 e-mails and petition signatures are needed this year in support of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act. Last year, more than 25,000 e-mails were sent nationally. In the Pacific Union Conference, a goal has been established for each church to gather at least 500 signatures, and for churches with memberships over 250 to gather 1,000 signatures.
The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Pacific Union has established an incentive to help with the campaign. Those gathering the most signatures from each conference will be invited to attend the annual religious liberty weekend at Leoni Meadows, with registration, housing and meal expenses for the weekend provided. The annual conference will be held Nov. 18-20.
