An Office Depot in Illinois is facing a possible religious freedom complaint after it refused to copy an anti-abortion flyer.
http://www.startribune.com/illinois-woman-accuses-office-depot-of-discrimination/326705421/
'The prayer was composed by the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of the anti-abortion group Priest for Life. It calls on God to "Bring an end to the killing of children in the womb, and bring an end to the sale of their body parts. Bring conversion to all who do this, and enlightenment to all who advocate it." The prayer also includes statistics about abortion in the U.S. and decries "the evil that has been exposed in Planned Parenthood and in the entire abortion industry."'
Office Depot says they have a policy against "the copying of any type of material that advocates any form of racial or religious discrimination or the persecution of certain groups of people," and that the prayer "contained material that advocates the persecution of people who support abortion rights." The complainant says that praying for conversion is not persecution.
So, honestly, I don't think Office Depot has much to stand on here. Praying for someone's conversion may be obnoxious, but it's not persecution. And, yes, the lady could have used the self-service copy machines there (and, in fact, was encouraged to do so), but that's a separate-but-equal argument. And, yes, the whole Planned Parenthood "selling body parts" thang is bogus, but religious expression can't be discriminated against based on claims to objective facts.
The irony here is that this is precisely the opposite of the religious freedom cases that have been making their way through the courts. And, yes, that cuts both ways. Conservatives who have been arguing that businesses should not be forced to do something they find morally objectionable should be (but, I suspect, are not) supporting Office Depot in this. And, conversely, liberals who have been arguing that businesses must be religion-agnostic in such matters and simply provide services to all comers should look long and hard before backing Office Depot's position.
The flyer is here: https://goo.gl/XITTof — it doesn't strike me as religious persecution, even though I'd only take one if i needed some scratch paper. Office Depot's further claim that this constitutes "hate material" to a level that legitimizes refusing to copy it seems hyperbolic as well, especially since they were willing to let the complainant use the self-service copiers.
[UPDATE: As I was writing this and looking up some sources, as of this evening Office Depot has backed down. I'm not thrilled that such material will be out there, but I think it was the right thing to do.]
Absolutely correct. Office Depot was completely wrong on this.
And for the record, if anybody says "where was the outcry from the liberals" point them here.
Well, I would say that if you were the descendant of a Conversa, you could say it was a very definite threat.
Also, I would argue that if someone believes that prayer is real, then it is most definitely a threat.
Most of the conservatives I know would (quietly) be in favor of OD because A: they feel businesses should be able to exclude anyone for any reason because freedom and B: because they know they won't personally ever have any problem finding another OD that'll work with them if they want to do the same. The tyranny of the majority is a huge issue in religious discrimination cases in the US.
+Stan Pedzick If the flyer called for the forcible conversion of the folk who are pro-choice or pro-PPFA, that would be something very different. Praying for a change of heart is far milder than, I suspect, any number of other things that Office Depot would be willing to copy.
Again, as I read that prayer, even though I think it is deeply misguided (on any number of levels), I cannot see it as a threat.
+John Bump Well, judging by coverage by the conservative / Religious Right media of the topic (https://goo.gl/X9dCxb), it was the biggest thing since Christians were being thrown to the lions.