Why only religious beliefs protected?

[FrustratedFool]

Why are religious beliefs often protected in law, but other beliefs (like political, philosophical, ethical, personal etc) are not?

[Anomalocaris]

Like squatters who were there when the land was surveyed sometimes they get grandfathered in.

[FrustratedFool]

Maybe it's time to expand the protections to cover all sincerely held life-affecting beliefs.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Why are religious beliefs often protected in law, but other beliefs (like political, philosophical, ethical, personal etc) are not?

Which political, philosophical, ethical, and personal beliefs are you being punished for, specifically?

Boru

[FrustratedFool]

Me? This isn't about me personally.

It just came up whilst learning about UK employment laws and protected characteristics.

It occurred to me that some are quite unfair, and this one especially so.

For example, why must a company legally accommodate people's dietary issues based on their religion, but not on something like veganism? Or accommodate prayer breaks and religious holidays and dress, but not ones based on one's Marxism?

It seems an unfair difference, and gives religion greater rights than others. This is not conducive to weaning society away from religion.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Me?  This isn't about me personally.

It just came up whilst learning about UK employment laws and protected characteristics.  

It occurred to me that some are quite unfair, and this one especially so.

For example, why must a company legally accommodate people's dietary issues based on their religion, but not on something like veganism?  Or accommodate prayer breaks and religious holidays and dress, but not ones based on one's Marxism?

It seems an unfair difference, and gives religion greater rights than others.  This is not conducive to weaning society away from religion.

Ok, what specific non-religious are people being punished for?

I very much doubt that there are corporate cafeterias with no vegan options.

I’m unaware that there are holidays and dress based on Marxism.

But those things are practices, not beliefs, so I ask again: what non-religious beliefs are people being punished for?

Boru

[FrustratedFool]

Why does it matter about specificity? I'm not sure why that is relevant here.

Also, if we are separating out beliefs from practices, then the law is about allowing practices deriving from beliefs. That's why employers in the UK are legally obligated to accommodate dress connected to religious beliefs, or to accommodate religious holidays.

For example, Bob is a Christian and wants to wear a cross at work. Sarah is a communist and wants to wear a hammer and sickle. Why is only the wearing of the cross backed by law? Surely it should either be both or neither.

[no one]

godiboi a cowardly little cream puff, and all the big strong manly men must defend it.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Why does it matter about specificity?  I'm not sure why that is relevant here.

Also, if we are separating out beliefs from practices, then the law is about allowing practices deriving from beliefs.  That's why employers in the UK are legally obligated to accommodate dress connected to religious beliefs, or to accommodate religious holidays.

For example, Bob is a Christian and wants to wear a cross at work.  Sarah is a communist and wants to wear a hammer and sickle.  Why is only the wearing of the cross backed by law?  Surely it should either be both or neither.

Can you find me a case where ANYONE was criminally charged for wearing a hammer and sickle at their job?

And specificity matters because you appear to be getting all fatoozed over something that seems to be a non-issue.

Boru

[FrustratedFool]

Criminally charged? That's not what this is about. Someone might well be told by a supervisor to take it off, though, or more likely may feel they can't go against their company dress code whereas the Christain employee knows they can.

Let's assume that there's been at least one case of an employee not being given accommodation for their non-religious beliefs. Why should they be treated differently in law to a religious person?

I care about social equity, consistency in law, discrimination, and the demise of religion in society. But my personal concerns are irrelevant to the political and legal issue here.