State employee fired for not attending Church

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It was bound to happen

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09...te-fired-state-employee-attending-church.html

Americans were fortunate among people of the Earth to have lived in a nation that, for 236 years, avoided being taken over and controlled by religious extremists. It is a sad commentary, but now that the Republican Party has been taken over by evangelical fundamentalists as a result of Republican demigod Ronald Reagan giving the religious right the keys to government, that 236 year secular run is apparently nearly ended. Most Americans likely never believed that government officials would have the authority, or audacity, to terminate a state employee for not complying with the “official state religion,” but they also probably never imagined the Supreme Court would legalize an employer’s control over women’s reproductive health choices
.A former Kansas state employee has filed a federal wrongful termination lawsuit targeting Kansas’ Secretary of State and assistant secretary of state, Eric Rucker. The lawsuit alleges that the employee’s dismissal was founded on her refusal to attend bible and prayer services in Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office. It is important to note that the evangelical church services in Secretary of State Kobach’s office were officiated by, a voluntary minister with Capitol Commission, David DePue, whose ministry focuses solely on evangelizing Kansas’ government leaders.

According to the lawsuit filed in federal court, Kobach’s lieutenant Rucker “repeatedly and emphatically indicated a basis for her, Courtney Canfield’s, termination as the fact that, ‘She just doesn’t go to church.'” Canfield’s experience working for a Kansas theocrat began shortly after being hired when Kobach’s assistants “invited” Ms. Canfield to attend Christian religious services being regularly conducted in the taxpayer-funded secretary of state’s office. Canfield declined to worship, study, or pray with her new evangelical colleagues in Kobach’s Topeka government office and was duly fired for expressing her Constitutional religious freedom to not worship or regularly attend church. Apparently, not attending church regularly and declining to worship according to an employer’s religion is something Americans are learning more every day is un-American and an attack on evangelicals’ religious liberty.
 

Absolutely unbelievable! It sounded so bizarre that I looked it up in Snopes, but there was nothing there about it. It apparently is real.
 
I agree with Sunny - it STILL sounds unbelievable to me.

If it IS true, then some lawyers are going to have a field day with this ...
 

Just read some of the Politicus stuff. Hard to believe that a political outlet could really tell the truth without putting in a lot of political nonsense. To know what is right we all should avoid both Democrat and Republican biased garbage postings.

Now why was that state employee really fired? If because of state run religious stuff, maybe the courts of that state should be looking into putting that to the court test for the cost to the state to run a religious effort. Then maybe the state would get their act together and get down to governing rather that praying.
 
Kobach's office put out a statement this past Friday. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/sep/11/kobachs-office-acknowledges-hosting-bible-sessions/ (Sorry, I couldn't get it to copy & paste to get the contents of the article on here.) Kobach's office does acknowledge they host Bible study sessions, but no employee is required to attend. We here in Kansas are at a loss as to why the likes of Kobach and Brownback continue getting away with the things they do. I have no doubt that religious activities are held in the State offices and that employees are denigrated if they do not attend. Was this lady fired because of that or because of poor work performance? The courts will decide that question. I'm just glad she had made it a public issue in hopes Kobach will get his hand slapped
A Federal judge ruled against Kobach last week in another case. Currently, we have two sets of ballots in a general election. For federal office elections, there is one ballot that citizens who meet the federal requirements to vote are handed. Then, Kobach has much stricter rules, in an attempt to disenfranchise as many voters as he can, for local and state elections. You may well pass the criteria to vote for federal offices but be denied voting for local and state elections. The court said this was an infringement on the rights of the people to have two standards... significantly different from each other. Of course, Kobach will spend more taxpayer dollars appealing that decision.
 
I certainly hope this employee has her ducks in a row. Past performance appraisals showing at least satisfactory habits,copies of the invitations to the studies with the prayer guides, subpeonable witnesses to verify her allegations,etc. I have little doubt that this did occur,I just hope to God she can prove it!
 
Well, until Kansas straightens up, I'm takin them off my christmas card list. I have been asked "just what would America be without religion?" My answer is "Better off".
 
Its against State law for anyone who does not believe in God to hold office in Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Fortunately the Constitution supersedes those, but they are still on the books.
Says a lot about the mind set and attitudes about non believers. The most despised group in the country, but growing at the fastest rate. Proud to be one.
 
Just another story about Kobach, our Secretary of State, whose office allegedly fired this employee for not attending religious activities. A University math professor has found mathematical irregularities in the last general election. More votes cast for certain... republican... candidates than mathematically probable. She has requested an audit. That audit was refused by Kobach. Now, she has filed suit to get the audit. That suit is having difficulty going through Brownback appointed judges.
 
Question, how does a bastion of right wing Christian fundamentalism codify election corruption??? Perhaps the end justifies the means? Hmm. Isn't that what the Inquisition believed? Does anyone else find this willingness to supspend morality in the interests of expediency, while spouting the supposed "word of God" as frightening as I do? Without checks and balances, what are these individuals capable of? When does faith become mindless fanaticism? Perhaps they would like to introduce stoning as a deterrent to, well, everything they disapprove of?
 
Shalimar... I have learned... it's hard to argue with people who firmly believe they have God on their side and everything they do is in exultation of the Lord. Yes.. they DO believe the means justify the end. AND the end being a full blown theocracy.
 

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