by FifthOfNovember 36 Replies latest jw friends
Jesus H Christ on a Cracker..
I get that God Aweful,Shit for Brains,JW BullShiT Religion,shoved down my throat from infancy..
And..
I don`t even get a Bucket of Chicken..
Where is the Frigg`in Justice?
No Bucket of KFC for you!..
.......................... 
...OUTLAW
I'm on the fence. We don't have all the information. A "Santa" hat is not religious and the avg. hat is just red and white. I could see it being part of the requirements to wear that hat. I don't know about the apron. It might have been the only acceptable thing for her employer and it might have been objectionable. To a JW, religious or secular Santa Clause scenes would be objecionable. A Christmas tree would be objectionable. But you certainly could have the wrapper wear a festive apron with candy canes or winter scenes, perhaps a horse drawn sleigh.
If she objected to that, I would document that I asked her "What is acceptable?" I mean, she's wrapping Christmas presents in objectionable wrapping paper for festive people. She'd at least have to be "festive" looking.
What idiot gets a job wrapping presents if they are opposed to all the holidays that involve gift wrapping? Birthdays, Christmas, Valentines, Mothers Day, Fathers Day. That'd be like saying "I can't deal with drunk people" and then getting a job as a bartender.
Good for her!
If the hat wasn't written into her contract as part of the work uniform, then she shouldn't have to wear it.
That is a crazy amount of money.
I agree!
I may not agree with your religious or political views, but I'll fight for your right to have them!
$55,000 is too much when she lost her job (in this economy)? I don't think so.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/30/603804_belk-hit-witheeoc-bias-suit.html
Myra Jones-Abid was wrapping customers' Christmas presents at the Belk department store in Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall when her supervisor told her to don a Santa hat and red apron.
A Jehovah's Witness, Jones-Abid balked, saying her religion forbids her from observing Christmas.
She was fired the same day in November 2008, according to a discrimination suit filed Thursday in federal court in Raleigh by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The suit contends that Belk should have found a way to accommodate Jones-Abid's religious convictions. The federal agency is seeking back pay for Jones-Abid and other damages.
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Barnes said these types of cases hinge on an understanding of faith that is particular to the believer. Though Jones-Abid did not object to wrapping Christmas presents, another Jehovah's Witness might have found such work abhorrent.
"What the courts say is, you and I can't second-guess someone else's religious convictions," Barnes said.
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My comments: I see this as her personal feeling about what is required of her religiously...not a need to prove that all jws feel the same. Some jws have "sensitive" consciences and won't do what others will. As to the money, the court decides how much the person lost as to salary, and in her case her inability to find a job.
If it were truly a hat like this:
and a "red" apron:
I don't see any big deal. Even aprons with winter stuff on them would be okay:
All I can say is that she got a good lawyer and/or a soft judge. This doesn't help the cause for JW's much. Employers that "know" will find another reason not to hire them.
It`s ridiculous..
She takes a job as a Christmas present Wrapper in a store..But..
Doesn't want to participate in Christmas..
.......................... ...OUTLAW
I guess it is her personal feeling that matters...not jw accuracy. I guess we have all know jws with weird interpretations of what they believe.
It makes no matter if another jw would not be bothered, but what matters if that individual jw who feel it would violate their personal belierfs.
I kind of see the gift wrapping as a separate issue from the Santa hat.
The employer provides the wrapping paper, the customer chooses the type of paper they want their gift wrapped in. No biggie for my formerly JW Conscience™.
The employer provides Santa hats and demands that employees wear them, even if it conflicts with their beliefs. I'd have a problem with that. I had a problem with it when my employer required that I answer the phone by saying "Merry Christmas" - but at least they didn't force me to say it once I told them it conflicted with my religious beliefs. It's not as if I was going to be rude and say "Bah Humbug" instead of "Merry Christmas".
You get a similar conflict when pharmacy chains sell morning after pills, but an individual pharmacist refuses to sell them on account of their pro-life convictions. However, I see their circumstance as being more of the gift wrapper scenario of being the middle man providing a service offered by the employer, rather than participating in an act that conflicts with their beliefs, whether it's wearing a Santa hat, saying "Merry Christmas" or performing an abortion.
In school we weren't allowed to sing Christmas carols, but we could sing "winter" songs like Winter Wonderland or Frosty the Snowman. Some JW kids wouldn't participate in any of it, but my parents thought that would be unreasonable, just like they thought it was important for us to learn the lyrics to the national anthem in French when that was part of our French lessons, even if we never sang it.
Me personally, thinking back to when I was ignorant regarding the truth about Da Troof, I wouldn't have worn a Santa hat. That definately would have made me uncomfortable as a JW. Even now knowing what I know about this messed up religion, I still wouldn't do it as its pretty cheesy. As far as wrapping gifts during the holiday season is concerned, that wouldn't be a big deal as thats how she made her living during non-holiday times as well, as she was a gift wrapper. Her employer didn't need to make an issue out of a friggin hat.
Not to display regional prejudices, but this happened in North Carolina and I've got this picture in my head of some overzealous Bible Belt Jesus Freak Southern employer who has a problem with anybody being different. The other thing I'm wondering about is whether or not they were looking for a convenient reason to can her and they just jumped at the flimsiest oppurtunity that fell into their lap. I can see it now, Bossman Jeb looking at her and going, "Wut yer mean ya aint gawn wear dat Santa hat we gawt fer ya? Yer a Christian aint ya? Ya believe in da lawd now don't ya? Well yer needs to put dat dere Santa hat awn. Yer bein whuts dat word....ughhh. Dag Nabbit, whuts that word Elsie May? Instubborn, errr...uhhh Incontinence? No dats whut ma docta said dere is wrong with my peter...uhh, oh yeah!!! Insubordinate! Yer being insubordinate!! I dunn told yer bout dat befer!"
