ACLU Aleart - Defend Civil Rights and Health Services

[Freedom_from_Chains]

The next time you go to the hospital, you should not have to worry that a nurse might not treat you because it against his religion to provide the service you need. You also should not have to worry that a coworker might harass you because you do not share the same religious beliefs.

Yet legislation soon to be introduced in the U.S. Senate would greatly increase the chances of such scenarios actually occurring. One of your Senators co-sponsored this legislation in the last session of Congress; please act now to help ensure that neither of your Senators co-sponsors the bill this year.

Take Action! Urge your Senators to oppose legislation -- such as the Workplace Religious Freedom Act -- that would endanger civil rights and health care by allowing employees to claim religious exemptions as reasons for failing to do their duty.

What exceptions have people tried to claim in the past? A nurse employed in a maternity ward sued after she was fired because she refused on religious grounds to scrub for an emergency caesarian section and left a woman “standing in a pool of blood” for 30 minutes. In another case, a state-employed social worker claimed that that she should be able to tell an AIDS patient and his partner to repent for being gay. The courts rightly rejected these cases, but new legislation could give similar claims greater protections.

During the last session of Congress, similar legislation introduced by Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania failed, in part because of concerns expressed by active citizens like you. Please take action now to ensure that your Senators do not co-sponsor legislation that would put your civil rights and healthcare at risk.

Click here for more information and to take action:
http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=17680&c=142