To what extent should religious art be allowed in the workplace? Part III
February 28th, 2009 by Menachem Wecker
This is the third installment in a series. See parts two and one. I posted the following question on LinkedIn: “Boston College recently introduced religious art into its classrooms. To what extent should religious art be allowed in the workplace? Do you have religious art in your office/workspace? If so, what kind? Do you support its presence at work, or is it offensive?” This response comes from Alex (who asked that the last name and affiliation be withheld). All that I will add is Alex holds a JD from a prominent law school.
Alex first wrote:
I would like to point out that “Boston College is one of the oldest Jesuit, Catholic universities in the United States.” U.S. News and World Report ranks Boston College 34th among national universities and BC welcome page. As such, introduction of the religious art in the classroom is quite appropriate.
I replied asking why Alex thought so many people were still opposing the introduction of crucifixions despite the school’s Catholic identity. Here’s Alex’s second reply:
The main reason why I think the religious art in the educational institutions that have strong religious affiliation, such as Boston College is appropriate is: Their affiliation with the religious establishment is clearly communicated to the visitors and potential employees. Therefore, a reasonable person should expect that there will be religious references displayed throughout out the facilities. As such, it is the visitor’s or a potential employee’s choice to visit or affiliate himself/herself with the institution. This is true, as long as, these institutions do not violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 that prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment, or is determined to fall under Religious Organization Exception.
Please note that I did not do sufficient research on whether or not the aforementioned institutions fall under the exception. Also, please note that I am a strong advocate of the First Amendment Right of Free Exercise AND Establishment clauses.