Monday, March 08, 2004

Wal-Mart fires man for religious expression

Wal-Mart employee fired for his "non-discriminatory" view toward any religions and more specifically his attire:
"He says he was fired last week upon reporting for duty in his priest's shirt with Roman collar, an Arab headdress and six crosses."
Also:
"But Lorenz, 20, ignored requests to shed the shirt and collar — the main bones of contention — claiming they reflect his unique spiritual beliefs.
" "I told them that would be like turning my back on God, and I couldn't do that," said the Pipe Creek man whose religious fervor was fueled by a 2001 trip to Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
"There, Lorenz first donned a kaffiyeh, an Arab headdress of folded cloth that's held on by a cord. Rounding out his unorthodox look are patches on his hip pack bearing the anarchy symbol and the words "vampire" and "ninja." "
Lorenz apparently taped all the conversations with his bosses and he's now preparing to sue them over discrimination.
I like the idea of unified religion, but this guy sounds a bit whacky:
" "I don't believe in any one religion," Lorenz said in his EEOC complaint. "I do believe in God, but I don't attend any one church. There is no title to my religion other than a universal belief system."
"Lorenz's ponytail and fuzzy chin reflect his belief that hair should not be cut because he is only "borrowing" his body. He won't date or marry, because all humans are family, he said, and that would make it incest."

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