Worker says being Catholic got him fired; sues for $1 mil
October 30, 2008 by Shane BorerPosted in: "Would you want this person in Finance?", Discrimination, Special report
Every now and then, employees are terminated because they can’t adhere to their work schedule. But this ex-worker claims he was let go for being a practicing Catholic.
Former Sam’s Club deli worker, John Kennedy, is suing the employer for $1 million, claiming he was wrongly terminated because he was Catholic. When he was first hired at the company, he made the fact that he was a devout and practicing Catholic well-known to hiring managers. He’s claiming Wal-Mart (which operates the Sam’s Club chain) reneged on an agreement it had made which would allow Kennedy to avoid working on Sundays so he could attend Mass.
After managers at the Latham, NY, facility said he wouldn’t be able to avoid working on all Sundays, he began submitting numerous complaints and was eventually let go because of them.
Kennedy’s lawsuit claims he was fired “because he is a practicing Catholic and because of his desire to worship and attend church on Sunday in the Catholic Church.”
When asked how he came up with the lawsuit’s million-dollar figure, Kennedy’s attorney, John Aretakis, said it needed “to be a number that’s gonna catch their eye and concede to wrongdoing and maybe try to resolve this.”
What do you think? Does Kennedy have a right to sue for religious discrimination, or is he taking advantage of similar lawsuits to get out of work on Sundays? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Tags: Catholic, Religious discrimination, Sam's Club, Termination, Wal-Mart
October 31st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
If an agreement was made at the time he was hired, then I think he does have a valid claim. If not working on Sunday was unacceptable to the employer, they shouldn’t have hired him.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Absolutely not! I too am a practicing Catholic and the one of the things I enjoy the most is being able to attend Mass on Saturday evening and 7:00, 8:00, 11:00. 12:00 or 5:00 on Sunday and they all satisfy my need to be at Mass on the Lord’s day. This gentleman is using this as an excuse.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
There are numerous services held by all churches throughout the week and on television for that matter. This case should not even be allowed in court. This type of frivolous lawsuit just adds to the cost of the items we purchase whether we shop at Walmart or elsewhere. We wonder why the cost of items are increasing. The consumer ends up paying for the cost of lawsuits like this.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
It’s hard to say whether he is or isn’t taking advantage of the system. Are the requiring him to work every Sunday – and what time? Or once in a while? Does his church offer Satruday night service and/or various times of service on Sunday? I’m not a fan of the Wal-Mart organization and for that reason alone, would normally side with Kennedy – but knowing more details about the case would help in making a more solid decison.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Having a lawsuit for this is ridiculous because he could go to mass anytime, but if the employee told the employer that he had to take Sundays off, and they knew this BEFORE they hired him, then he DOES have a legitimate lawsuit claim.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I agree w/both Keith & Dale. If there was an agreement at hire for no Sundays it should have been adhered to by new management or an attempt made to re-negotiate. I would also want more details about the work schedule. I wonder how Kennedy’s co-workers felt about him never working on Sunday. Everyone would like to have Sunday off to attend church and spend time with their families, but it’s not realistic in the retail world today. Kennedy should loose if his church has more than one Sunday service, or services at other times duirng the week. A good Catholic would find a way to go to Mass everyday!
October 31st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Surely if this gentleman wants to keep this one day of importance for himself then he should be able to. If this gentleman has been fired just for the reason of wanting Sundays off then there maybe there is a solid reason for a lawsuit, the value of which may not be warranted at $1m.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
This is outragous, I am Catholic and I work on Sunday’s try working with employer looking at the schedule and working around mass. This is a “SUE” society and it is to easy to file a claim.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I think this is crazy. If he knew he had to work Sundays, then he should never have applied.
Besides, there are so many Mass schedules it isn’t even funny.
No matter what this company did, he would not have been happy. If they didn’t hire him he would have sued anyway.
This guy needs to get a life and if he is a true Catholic, live by the word and stop trying to make a quick buck.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Church is at most 1 hour long most churches have sat masses and early/ late masses on sunday
I am sure something can be worked out
October 31st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I agree. He has the right to sue. The employer knew he wasnt able to work on Sundays due to religious factors if that was a problem they shouldnt have even hired him in the first place.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
A job is a privledge not a right
October 31st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Come on….. Wal-Mart with multiple thousands of employees from all walks of life is going to agree to one Deli worker that he will not have to work on a Sunday. Can you imagine the staffing and scheduling nightmare this precedence would set. I think Kennedy is just looking for a get out of work free card and that his attorney should be disbarred for enabling just another Frivolous lawsuit!!
October 31st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I agree with Keith in that if the employer made the agreement up front and has now breached that agreement, he may have a valid claim. But this isn’t just about which Mass he can go to. Other protestants may only have the option of attending on Sunday morning or Jewish worshipers Friday night.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
The article says that the managers explained that not all Sundays could be avoided. Then “he began submitting numerous complaints and was eventually let go because of them”. So why was he fired? I seriously doubt it had anything to do with his religion. Sounds like he never learned to play well with others.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Why should a catholic be denied the same rights afforded other religions and ethnic groups for special treatment? Just because this religion is mainstream does not exempt it from the same rights. If companies don’t like the exemptions – than change the laws. Otherwise, they need to respect these priviledges
October 31st, 2008 at 2:14 pm
If there was in fact a pre-employment agreement that he should have Sundays off he should be reinstated to his job at Wal-Mart and given Sunday off. If the agreement was that he should have time off to go to Mass on Sunday, he should be reinstated and allowed enough time off on Sunday to attend Mass. He should not receive a cash settlement, and the tax payers should not have to be paying for him to have a day in court.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
#1 – they knew of his religion from hire and obviously did not have a problem with him not working in order to attend mass
#2 – if Sam’s/Wal-mart told him that working sundays was a condition of his employment then he and the employer should have resolved that issue before he was hired
#3 – does Sam’s/Wal-mart have a policy on this issue and are they consistent with it’s application
#4 – Usually most Catholic churches have various times available for attending Mass – he should consider attending one of those
#5 – if Wal-Mart/Sam’s wants to be consistent with religious factors, in this particular situation, I would require that the employee report to work after his Mass. If he refuses at that point, he is just scamming someone and probably would not be an employee they would want to keep anyhow!
October 31st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I believe that all retail establishments should be closed on Sunday, like they used to be. Part of the problem with our economy is that retailers are all trying to be evertything to everybody and it just isn’t working. We don’t need 24/7 availability to everything retail.
As far as suing for a millions dollars goes, that is another problem with this country, too many frivolous lawsuits.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
While the employee has many opportunities to attend another mass other than on Sunday I would say no, but since this agreement was made as a condition of his employment I would say he might have a valid claim. Was the agreement put in writing and if so does it state throughout his employment with Sams? Since Sam’s is open various hours couldn’t they accomodate him by allowing him off the hours needed on Sunday and have him come in around the mass schedule?
October 31st, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Like Marria, I remember when almost all businesses were closed on Sunday. But regarding this case, I don’t think we know enough facts to make a judgement. But I find it hard to believe that Walmart would agree to let him have the whole day off for an hour Mass. Maybe his priest gives long sermons.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
It was his intention to sue, before he was hired. I think that this guy should have had a background check. Where did he work before? Was he an experienced deli worker? Was he a cut above the rest? How many people could have applied for this job?
October 31st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I am now Catholic… however was raised Seventh Day Adventist. The SDA religion believes that you are to attend church and rest on the Sabbath until Sunset.
So… Possibly he does have a very deep faith and believes that he needs Sunday to worship with a morning mass and then to continue with friends and family for the rest of the day. I’m not sure how long the Catholic Church has had Saturday Masses… however I believe that church should be attended on Sunday. Many of the people choose the time of their mass to accomodate their own schedules for sports and other fun activities.
I believe that he should have had something put into writing in regards to the agreement between him and his employer. The right thing to happen would be for his employer to reinstate him and yes give him Sunday off for his religious beliefs. Money would not be the answer… so I have to say NO on the cash settlement.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I respect everyone’s religious rights and I am also a Catholic; the Catholic church is available on Saturday evenings, most weekday mornings and on Sundays, the plaintiff can practice his religion at times when he is not working; get a co-worker to fill in if necessary, etc. This is the 21st century we move twenty four/seven; get another job if you want off on Sundays. This is abuse to the legal system and a large corporation who is forced to spend defending this case which only increases the cost of goods to the consumer.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
He knows that if he is going to work in retail, he will be required to work on Sundays, at least on occasion. I don’t think I know anyone in retail who does not expect to work on some Sundays. If we assume that he does not have to work 12-hour shifts on Sundays and that Sam’s made some concession to allow him to go to mass either early in the mornig or in the evening, then I say that he is taking advantage of the situation.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
If the employee and employer actually have something in writing then the case may have some merrit. However, if the agreement, verbal or written, had something to the effect that Kennedy would not work all Sunday’s then I do not think his claim is valid. I am catholic. I have worked retail in the past. I did work on Sundays. I went to Mass on those Sunday’s or the Saturday evening before work. Occasionally I work a few Sunday’s throughout the year, and yes I do attend Mass. I think Kennedy is looking for deep pockets so he does not have work. Where an adult chooses to work is their choice. I wonder if he decided to apply at Sam’s Club while shopping there on a Sunday after attending Mass?!
October 31st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
He should have received that in writing before being hired. The retail world usually works on the weekend. Catholics have Church services at all times. He’s is just out for money, like everyone else.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I believe if he had an agreement that it should have been adhered to. This might be difficult to prove if he didn’t have it in writing. If the court finds in his favor, that he was discriminated against, I am sure the payout would be a fraction of the $1 million. Many obviously won’t agree, but below is an excerpt from the bible. For those who believe this is God’s word, it’s something to be followed as it’s God’s command. For him it might not just be a matter of whether he can attend church on that day, but whether he can follow his beliefs and not work on that day which he considers tob God’s sabbath (or day of rest).
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
God bless.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:29 pm
If the agreement was in writing and spelled out clearly that it was for all day and all Sundays, he has a case. However, let’s be reasonable! Sunday is probably one of the busiest days of the week at this store.
I am sure there are Masses all day on Sunday and, in some Parishes, on Saturday night. He could easily work with his manager and go to Mass at a time that is mutually convenient for him and the Company. In my opinion, his livelihood is less important than suing. If I remember my Catechism, Greed is one of the 7 deadly sins, so perhaps a trip to the confessional is warranted.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Typical Upstate New Yorker, or a New Yorker in general, they are always looking to get something for nothing, get someone else to be held responsible for their personal actions.
I lived in Albany for 3 years (next to Latham) and, coming fomr the South, I was amazed at how the locals could explain that it was always someone else’s fault, ot aleast not THEIR fault.
We dubbed New york, “The right not to work State”!
When the 5 year old son of a frind of ours tripped on a crack in the side walk, he pointed to the house that he was in fornt of and siad “Momma we should sue that man”, apparently the 5 year old did not understand personal responsibility!
Like I said, “typical New Yorker”!
October 31st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Being devout has little to do with whether you are available to work on Sunday or whenever for most faiths. There are a few faiths that follow a 24-hour Sabbath which would preclude work at any time during that day (most recognize the need for service to helpless, ill, etc. and provide exceptions. Leviticus makes reference to an ox being in the ditch exception also.). A few questions about how he views worship and handles other conflicts with worship–shopping, eating out, going to a sports event, travel would show whether he is a hypocrite or not.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I think this is a bogus law suit because the man can go to mass at other times. My husband volunteers his time as camera operator for both church services on Sunday and is also UNEMPLOYED. As much as he loves the ministry he is doing, if he had a job that required him to work on Sundays either occasionally or every Sunday, he would volunteer on Saturday nights and go to work as the employer’s schedule required. Why is it that unflexible people seem to get work and then want to sue their employers and those who are flexible and willing to work whatever hours are neccessary to feed their families can’t find work?
October 31st, 2008 at 3:50 pm
This suit is so darn bogus. Sound like a real scam artist. I too, am Catholic but do not believe he has a right to spend the taxpayers money for court issues because that’s exactly what’s is going to happen. Whether it was in writing obviously we don’t know for sure but, he KNEW there would be some Sunday work. Ii more than likely was in the signed contract. The most he should get is his job back and stop trying make the CONSUMER pay for his leagal issues because that’s all it’s going to do to us is raise prices.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Please …..I’m Catholic and have never assumed if I work in retail that I would have all Sundays off. I was a supervisor at one time for Sams club and during the holidays and anytime really, weekends are the busiest times all week. So the fact that he wanted all Sundays off I’m sure they would have told him upfront that is not possible, or they could not guarantee every Sunday off. I think they would try to accomodate him but never guarantee. But church is possible before work on Sunday’s and after Sam’s closes on Sunday’s too. I had a muslim cashier under my supervision and it didn’t matter how busy we were when he turned off his light so he could go pray I could not say a thing ….we had to let him. There are too many times a “true Catholic” can go to church this employee is just looking for a million dollars the easy way …. Now I think thats a sin!
October 31st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
This sounds a little lame to me. Most of the other Caholics have noted the expansive time slots available for Catholics to meet their Mass attendence obligations. Growing up, I recall it was my Protestant friends who were unable to do work or even do fun things on Sundays. I also recall the local “blue laws” in upstate NY, which prevented bussincesses from opening and employing anyone on Sundays. Times have changed.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
If this was part of the employment agreement, then the employer must generally comply with this agreement. However, if I am in the employee’s position (I am a practicing Catholic myself), I will not go to the extent of burning bridges with my employer. Catholic Churches have flexible schedule of masses during Sundays and this employee could choose to attend in any of those masses. In fact, the Church do allow the parishioners to attend a late afternoon mass on Saturdays which is equivalent to attending a Sunday mass.
In the final analysis, firing should not have taken placed and lawsuit should have been avoided if other alternatives were considered.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
A litigious society and frivolous lawsuits impact our court system and have been doing so forever. It also impacts those that have valid claims and are attempting to rectify them by proper due process.
All we know at this time is his “allegations” that Wal-Mart reneged on an agreement. Think the consensus here especially in these economic times when good people are looking for work and struggling is that Mr. Kennedy is out for ‘easy money’.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I think we should pray for this guy to find a flexible job doing the lords work. Perhaps he could become a missionary in a third world country serving people deli sandwiches six days a week not including sundays and helping people who have nothing, not even a walmart. He could fund this ministry with the million dollars he hopes to receive from the silly lawsuit.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
If you are a devote christian then I understand his indignation, but for us Jewish the holy day starts on a Friday night until Saturday at sundown… this is a matter of biblical laws… if he wants not to work on a sunday due to his devotion to the Lord on a Sunday then he should be entitled to that… it is a day to rest that means no work no matter what time the mass starts!
October 31st, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I agree with Mark. If this employee is going to use his faith as a condition of this lawsuit (which I agree is frivolous) then he should be prepared to come under the scrutiny of a defense attorney as to how he spends the rest of his Sabbath. The Catechism of the Catholic Church does state
“CCC 2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.”
October 31st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
If the employee had / has a written agreement with any Management team, the suit has validity. In the Finance world, Wal-Mart is often regarded as a company with rapid growth and know to be a power house on the stock market. From an HR / Payroll perspective, Wal-Mart is known to provide unfair treatment to workers. As ONE example, they were recently involved in a class action lawsuit where they were found guilty of preventing employees from taking lunch breaks which resulted in millions of dollars in assessed penalties.
Personally, I’m Catholic and show up to church on Christmas and Easter but that does not give me the right to prevent John Kennedy from practicing his personal beliefs. Maybe he also helps the youth group after mass? Maybe he attends Bible study? We can only work with what we’ve read in this short article.
To me, as long as there was an agreement, it should be honored, no matter how lame. This case should be heard in court.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Unless he has this in writing he should have no grounds for this suit. This guy would be pretty stupid to go to work in the retail business and think he would not have to work on Sunday. As a Catholic I worked my way through College in the retail business expecting that I would be working holidays and weekends, and I did. This is a total scam. Most Catholic churches in my neighborhood have at least 1 Mass if not 2 by the time Sam’s Club even opens. Hopefully, this guy gets nothing for this.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
The first amendment to the constitution, the Bill of Rights, states in the opening sentence that “Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” These so called “establishment” and “free exercise” clauses form the constitutional basis for the separation of church and state. Over the years, many cases have been brought similar to the one here being debated, and many have been won by employees seeking accomodation for their religious beliefs based on the “free exercise” clause (and, I might add, often times in cases where they began practicing their religion after they had been working at a particular job for some time). In more recent years it has become more difficult for employees to win these cases since the now infamous “peyote” supreme court case in the early 90′s swung the pendulum significantly toward state/employer rights vs. the employee. Nevertheless, I believe it can be said that when the employee prevails in these cases it is because of a deeply held religious belief. Usually this is a situation involving those of the Jewish faith or Seventh-day Adventists who hold to a strict 24 hour Sabbath from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night, thus precluding any work during that 24 hour period. I could be wrong (Catholics reading this can correct me if I am), but I do not believe the Catholic Church holds to such a 24 hour Sabbath doctrine. Therefore, unless Mr. Kennedy is able to demonstrate conclusively that he personally, despite the lack of such a teaching by the Catholic Church, holds “religiously” to a full day of worship on Sunday, however he may define that, I believe he is skating on thin ice. In conclusion, if in fact Mr. Kennedy does not have such deeply held religious beliefs regarding his day of worship, I would agree with others who have commented that his lawsuit is frivolous and without merit.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Sunday IS the Sabbath. Yes, Catholics can go to mass at various times, but if Sunday IS sacre to this man, then he should be allowed to choose Sunday as his day to worship as it was set out in the Bible. Also, if there was an agreement at his hiring to avoid scheduling him on Sundays, that should have been honored UNLESS management had a need or reason for a one-time change and went to the worker first. I had a board member ask me soon after being hired if “it was in stone that I MUST go to church EVERY Sunday.” I was mortified and dumbfounded at his question! If only I’d thought fast enough, I could have shared with him that it IS indeed “in stone” to attend church—The Ten Commandments! It will be interesting to find out down the road how this case goes….
October 31st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
The first amendment to the constitution, the Bill of Rights, states in the opening sentence that “Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” These so called “establishment” and “free exercise” clauses form the constitutional basis for the separation of church and state. Over the years, many cases have been brought similar to the one here being debated, and many have been won by employees seeking accomodation for their religious beliefs based on the “free exercise” clause (and, I might add, often times in cases where they began practicing their religion after they had been working at a particular job for some time). I believe it can be said that when the employee prevails in these cases it is because of a deeply held religious belief. Usually this is a situation involving those of the Jewish faith or Seventh-day Adventists who hold to a strict 24 hour Sabbath from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night, thus precluding any work during that 24 hour period. I could be wrong (Catholics reading this can correct me if I am), but I do not believe the Catholic Church holds to such a 24 hour Sabbath doctrine. Therefore, unless Mr. Kennedy is able to demonstrate conclusively that he personally, despite the lack of such a teaching by the Catholic Church, holds “religiously” to a full day of worship on Sunday, however he may define that, I believe he is skating on thin ice.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
If Wal-Mart made the agreement up front and told him he wouldn’t have to work on Sundays, they should stick to the agreement. He stated his “needs” before hire. If it was a problem, they didn’t have to hire him. If they told him beforehand that they couldn’t exclude him and that he would have to work on Sundays, he could have made a decision whether or not he wanted to take the job knowing he wouldn’t be exempt from working that schedule and would have to go to church at other times. But to tell someone they agreed to his scheduling needs and then to disregard what they agreed to is not acting in good faith. That said, I do think the lawsuit is ridiculous because the dollar amount he’s seeking is way out of line.
I have a friend who is a retired teacher and he just started working for Bass Pro in Springfield, MO. He is a devout Christian and he told them up front that he wouldn’t be able to work on Sunday mornings and explained why. They told him this would not be a problem, hired him and promptly scheduled him to work on Sunday mornings every Sunday for the foreseeable future. Guess I should tell him to contact this guys attorney and sue for $1m (kidding!).
It’s not right to tell someone something is acceptable, hire them and then do the opposite. Doesn’t matter what the term or condition is, if it’s agreed to prior to hire, it should be upheld.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 am
I think the suit does not hold water. Catholics have many options for attending mass these days, including Saturday evening and sometimes Sunday late afternoon. Surely, the employee was not working during all the avaialble mass times and is simply trying to make trouble and perhaps get a little money in his pocket.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I agree with Kieth’s comment. When he was recruited, I am sure there was a question in reference to availablity to work on the application or during interview process. If he said he could not work Sundays then that could have eliminated him as a candidate. And I am sure this guy knew that Sam’s Club operate seven days per week.
Maybe he should have apply to Chick-Fil-A. They are closed on Sundays.
Elton
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Why should it matter if they hired him with the understanding that he wasn’t able to work Sundays because of his religious beliefs? His employment is “at will,” meaning both he and Wal-Mart can terminate their relationship at any time for any non-discriminatory reason. Wal-Mart is saying, “I’m sorry, we were willing to try to accommodate your position regarding working Sundays, but we just can’t make it work. It’s not because of your religious beliefs, it’s because of your inability to work Sundays makes it just too difficult for us to have to consistently make alternate arrangements. Here’s your final check, good luck…”
November 6th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
As one who has worked in HR, Kennedy’s claim of needing Sunday off because he was a devout Catholic set up Sam’s Club for a “religious discrimination” suit. It was like an “I dare you to fire me” statement. And the article doesn’t make it clear exactly when he made the declaration. Whether it was in the interview and application process or after he was offered the job. And employment is at will, the management came to him and said that getting every Sunday was no longer possible and some Sundays would be necessary. That’s when he started to make complaints. This causes discontent in the other employees and an uncomfortable work environment for everyone. So the source of the discontent needs to be terminated. But Kennedy made the religious statement so now he cries discrimination. I value religious rights. I’m a member of a minority religion, but I know that I cannot force my employer to disrupt his business for my religion. I schedule my observances around my schedule and the few times that they clash, I use my vacation time and request the time well in advance. This is a business and there are many people to fill my shoes (and a deli worker’s as well !)
November 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
He might have a case if he were Orthodox Catholic where there is only ONE liturgy/mass in a 24 hr period unlike the Roman Catholic where there are many and consequently bad for him where surely one of those could meet his schedule.
November 20th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Catholics are forbidden to work on Sundays because God commanded it. “Though shalt keep holy the sabbath” -God
January 9th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Don’t be so quick to say “there are other masses”. I lived in a town that had ONE mass on Sunday. No Saturday services. The priest came from out of town.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Wal Mart did the same thing to me back in the 90′s. I had another part time job and during the interview process, I let them know I did have restrictions on the hours I could work. A few weeks after I was hired, Wal Mart completely ignored my restricted hours and I was put on the schedule for too many hours. I spoke with my manager, and she asked if I could work the hours this one time, as the schedule was already posted. I did my best to make other arrangements, and with great effort and scrambling, I was able to work the schedule. The next week, the hours were again wrong. I approached my manager and she replied “well you worked those hours last week, so you can work them from now on”. I quit, but did not sue.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
What is wrong with you people!?!? The Commandment isn’t “dutifully attend one mass whenever it is convenient for you” it says, in Exodus and throughout the Old AND NEW Testaments that you are to keep the Sabbath Day holy. That would include NOT working for money, NOT putting your job before God, NOT putting your boss or paycheck before God, etc. The Bible is very clear in many places that the purpose of Sunday is to focus on him, his teachings and following in his word. This can be anything from attending church to just spending time with your spouse or family.
Sabbath DAY not “church service” attendee
Absolutely his claim is valid.