Should people be forced to do things at work that is against their beliefs?

Question

From Newsweek

"Of the 900 drivers who service the airport at Minneapolis-St. Paul, three quarters are Somali immigrants, and most of these are observant Muslims who believe that carrying, selling or imbibing alcohol is sinful. Several years ago some drivers began turning down passengers who visibly carried alcohol—a bottle from the duty-free shop, for example..."

Should this be allowed? Or if the person decides to take a job as a taxi driver, should they be forced to offer a ride to any paying customer.

If a fundamentalist Christian is the cab driver...should they be forced to give a ride to an obviously gay couple...or someone that may be a wiccan, etc...? Your thoughts?

Answer 1

You take the job you take all the responsibilities that come along with it! Sorry if anyone disagrees.

Answer 2

If you don't like the job requirements don't take the Job..
I am a Christian and I would not accept a job as bartender. If I did accept it then can I say it is against my religion to serve drinks?? Totally dumb..
If the Christian is the cab driver then he gives the public a ride. If they are having gay sex or any other type in the cab then it is plainly against the law.. If they have 6 cases of booze then the booze goes in the trunk even though i don't drink..
A lot of things that I don't do but others do that are legal and I serve them cab driver, waiter, sales person, whatever.

Simple DON'T TAKE THE JOB.

These issues are fundamental in the US and many were decided by the civil rights movement.. A white taxi driver must give a black man a ride whether he likes blacks or not. That is fundamental in the USA. These types of people want to change the USA into Iraq or Iran, well they should go back there.. This is sharia law and they want to enforce it upon us. I as a christian am not forcing Bible law on others, I may give my opinion after work, but I don't refuse service.

If a gay, wiccan, man wearing a dress, carrying a bottle of alcohol, smoking a cuban cigar, with his hair painted green comes to my cab, he will get a ride.

Answer 3

As between the drivers and who ever hired them, that's up to them.

But can the government regulate cab dirvers to pick up everyone, including those who offend thier beliefs?

This goes to the Free Exercise clause of the first amendment. The relevent standard is from WALZ, that the governement should be neutral. The accomodation view, has lost traction of late. Current, generally applicable laws regulate conduct contrary to religious beliefs are enforceable, but they cannot be targeted against religion.

I agree with this formulation. The government has the responsibility to ensure a well run soceity, and ensuing you can get a ride out from an airport, seems reasonable. Therefore, the government should be allowed to regulate the conduct of Cab dirvers.

On the same basis, if I had a religion that required human sacrifice, the government could, and should, regulate that.

Answer 4

I agree with most of the others here, if your religion does not allow you to do the job you need a new job.

There is a semi-famous legal case, the name escapes me of course, which might be a precedent. An owner of a hotel refused to rent rooms to unmarried couples for religious/ethical reasons. I do not know how the hotel owner found out if the customers were married or not. The court held that this practice is discriminatory.

I once saw or read an interview with John? Marriott of Marriott Hotels. The Marriott family is Mormon and does not drink alcohol. The interviewer asked about making a living by, in part, selling alcohol. Marriott had two responses, the first was practical. In order to survive and profit in the lodging business one has to sell alcohol. If Marriott decides to not sell alcohol, Mr. Marriott will need a new line of work. The second was more philosophical. Basically he said while he does not drink alcohol he has no objection to those who do drink legally and responsibly.

Answer 5

If your religious beliefs interfere with your line of work, you should find another line of work. You cannot discriminate against customers. The taxi drivers you mentioned above would be forcing their beliefs on others if they refused service to an alcohol-carrying passenger.

However if (for instance) the gay couple that was riding did something that was particularly offensive, the company has the right to refuse service to anyone.

In a case where you are put in a position where you are asked to personally violate one of God's laws, Acts 5:29 says that you should obey god as ruler rather than man.

Answer 6

It says somewhere in the Bible that eating any sea food without scales is a sin. So maybe I should take a job on an Alaskan crab boat and say I can't do the work because it's a sin. Should I still get paid? That's no different than those idiot Pharmacists that don't want to sell birth control pills even though it's part of their job because it's a sin. If they can get away with it, why shouldn't I get to?

Answer 7

Yes. If you don't want your religious sensibilities violated, then don't take a job where the situation comes up. If they're offended at carrying folks with pork, alcohol, seeing eye dogs, or the like, then they should find another job or do it. The same goes for the other jobs it's coming up in. This isn't an Islamic nation, and we have no intention of being one.

On the second portion, yes, the same goes for fundamentalist Christians. If one objects to, say, evolution, then they shouldn't be a public science teacher. That's curriculum. If you feel something violates your faith, take care of yourself first and don't force their faith on us. It's really rather simple.

Answer 8

Clearly you need to examine these beliefs. A christian can own a bar. A christian can do anything. It is not the person who provides a service...it is the person carrying th item or idea that others believe is wrong. Otherwise...would you buy your clothes, shoes, items, groceries...would you walk in parks, sidewalks, buildings, would you work for a corp, large business, small business with infidels? ALL life is a compromise. Worry about your own actions. Follow the law of the land and live good.

Answer 9

If you can't do the job, don't apply for it in the first place. Muslims are told not to drink alcohol, what's the big deal about having it in a cab that doesn't even belong to them as long as they don't drink it? As far as I'm concerned, its just more people wanting to get away with not doing the job they're hired to do, which basically comes down to laziness.

Don't forget the cab drivers who won't give a ride to the blind with guide dogs. If I was the manager of a cab company, I most likely wouldn't be hiring muslims if they're so discriminary. Look at what's going on with Minnesota colleges, they want foot baths, their own dorms, and prayer rooms and rugs. Jews, christians, Buddists, Hindu's, etc., have to deal, but muslims believe our taxes should pay for their religious observances. They're not getting the separation of church and state thing at all.

Answer 10

Suppose a driver had a religious taboo about carrying deceased human remains and caused a nurse with a heart for transplant to miss her plane, with tragic results.
Some jobs are more sensitive than others. Management must set guidelines that respect the situation their industry requires.
The obvious point is: "How did Management fail to attract a more diverse workforce for that kind of work?"

Answer 11

It seems as if it's just part of the job. The driver isn't selling the alcohol or taking part in its consumption. And I do think a fundamentalist Christian should should also have to take any customers that need a ride.