Religious vs disability accommodations

[robvalue]

I've heard those episodes on TNP. It's a tricky subject.

If you have a genuine mental condition, and you're up front about it when you are first employed, I think it is reasonable for the employer to make allowances for this if possible. If you can still pretty much do the job, then cool. If not, too bad. But this is not your fault.

Religion is arbitrary, it's made up. It's not based on reality. Sure, people really may believe stuff. But there are literally no limits if you allow religious "accommodation". There are parts of any job people don't like doing, and I can make up any shit I want in order to not have to do that part of the job. The problem with "belief" is that it cannot be easily proven. And it can be easily faked. I, for one, don't believe most of what theists say they believe. I think it's what they want to believe.

I think it should work the same way to an extent; the religious person should admit, up front, what problems they are going to have with the job. It's then up to the interviewers to decide if they can still reasonably do that job. What I don't think is that the employers should have to work around anything the person says about their religion regardless. That is just stupid. If it's too much of a barrier, or it's going to be unfair to other staff or to customers, then too bad.

I can walk into a job and say, "Hey my religion says I can only actually work for 1 second of every hour I'm employed. But you still have to employ me or else it's discrimination." This is no less stupid than arbitrary objections to touching pork or whatever. My arbitrary restrictions mean I can't do the job, that's the reality.

I think I would describe religion as a disability people inflict on themselves.