Chuck Colson
You Had to See It Coming
Religious freedom is one of the most difficult and vexing issues of our daywhether the subject is Muslim schoolgirls in France or Christian photographers in New Mexico
And thats before government starts calling just about any sincerely held belief a religion."
That is essentially what has happened in Britain. In July 2008 Tim Nicholson was let go from his job at a property management firm. According to Nicholson his dismissal was due to his beliefs about man-made global warming.
Nicholson calls man-made global warming the most important issue of our time" and believes that nothing should stand in the way of diverting this catastrophe." This led to frequent clashes" with his co-workers over his concerns.
For instance Nicholson out of concern about excess CO2 emissions refuses to fly. He objected when the firms CEO flew someone from London to Ireland to retrieve his Blackberry.
When he was dismissed Nicholson sued under Britains Employment Equality act specifically the part that prohibits discrimination on account of religion and belief."
According to Nicholson Belief in man-made climate change is...a philosophical belief that reflects my moral and ethical values."
For its part his former employer countered that green views were political and based on science as opposed to religious or philosophical in nature."
In whats being called a landmark ruling" a British judge ruled for Nicholson saying that a belief in man-made climate change...is capable if genuinely held of being a philosophical belief for the purpose" of laws covering discrimination in employment.
The judges ruling opens the door to the possibility of employees suing their employers for failing to account for their green lifestyles such as providing recycling facilities or offering low-carbon travel."
Theoretically an employer could say I need you in Helsinki by tomorrow" to which the employee could reply Too much carbon well have to aim for next week since Ill be going by bicycle train and boat."
The possibilities are as advertisers say endless. And the upcoming Copenhagen conference will no doubt add more converts" to the faith. (And by the way be sure to visit ColsonCenter.org to see my Two Minute Warning" about the upcoming Copenhagen conference).
And what of the faith that actually created and nurtured Britain? (Thats Christianity.) Lets just say that British officials arent as solicitous of its practitioners as they are of those belonging to newer arrivals.
For those of us who say that could never happen here let me remind you of a Supreme Court case defining religion decades ago as a sincere and meaningful belief which occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by God."
And remember that last year Al Gore argued that you could have civil disobedience morally justified in order to stop the construction of a coal-fired electric generating plant.
Listen folks in todays climate the earth could soon enough take the place of that archaic idea of an ancient God of the Bible. Please go to ColsonCenter.org for my Two-Minute Warning."
