by Mandy Stussman ’14

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed employment discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. And yet, on Wednesday January 11, the Supreme Court ruled that there will be a new exception to this rule. The discrimination laws established nearly fifty years ago no longer protect church employees who perform religious duties.

So, discrimination lives on. Religious employees of color or women of the church no longer have the security or dignity of knowing they will not lose their jobs due to something they cannot control. Exercising one’s religion should not have to involve injustices such as discrimination which was deservedly abolished years ago. The United States has molded itself around certain core beliefs, equality being one of them. Allowing religious institutions to discriminate against their employees is not only wrong, but also tarnishes our country’s name and the ethical foundation the government has built since the mid-90s. There is no acceptable reason for this exception to the Civil Rights Act.

By exempting religious institution from discrimination laws, the government has done more than just exclude a small percentage of people from a certain bill. This exception has sent our country back in time, to a period when discrimination was legal and personal interest trumped equality. The first amendment declares citizens’ freedom of religion. However when that religion calls for prejudice and injustice, it should not be allowed in America, where all are created equal.