The Coalition to Preserve Religious Freedom has issued and ENDA Alert as the House of Representatives will soon vote on HR 3685, The Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), which does not adequately protect the employment practices of faith-based organizations.
Most faith-based organizations would be exempt. However, faith-based schools (k-12 and higher education) are included in the exemption only if they are controlled by a church or denomination or are dedicated to propagating religion. K-12 schools and liberal arts higher education would thus be exempt only if they are controlled by a religious body. But many religious schools, colleges, and universities are themselves religious–they aren’t religious because they are controlled by some other religious organization.
In writing an exemption, Congress ought to acknowledge the faith-based organizations that exist–whether social service, worship, or education; whether controlled by some other religious organization or religious in themselves–and not arrogate to itself the task of defining some faith-based organizations as authentically religious and others as not religious enough to be protected.
CPRF believes that the bill ought to be amended to exclude all religious organizations, including educational organizations not controlled by churches or denominations. Your calls are urgently needed. Please urge your members to contact their members of Congress this week and urge them to oppose HR 3685. For more information e-mail Coalition to Preserve Religious Freedom, or call Stanley Carlson-Thies or Stephen Lazarus at the Center for Public Justice, 410-571-6300.