The First Amendment Should Cover Hirings and Firings

In Western societies, religion is evolving into a “get out of jail free” card.

The Supreme Court recently ruled to exempt religious institutions from specific hiring requirements, allowing them to discriminate against their employees. The only way to protect religious freedom without discriminating based on belief is to increase freedom for all people, not merely the god-fearing.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court issued a verdict on two cases, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel. Agnes Morrissey-Berru lost her job because of her age, Kristen Biel because of her breast cancer diagnosis. In both cases, the Court sided with the employers. The precedent? Ministerial Exemption, which says that a religious organization cannot be sued for discrimination by employees with the job title “minister” or by those who preform “important religious functions.”