Every day three SDA's lose their jobs rather than work on the Sabbath

[Stan]

Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty

September 20, 2005

LEGISLATIVE E.LERT!!!

UPDATE ON WORKPLACE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 2005:

COALITION PRESSES FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS

Every day three Seventh-day Adventists lose their jobs rather than work on Sabbath. Others are never hired because they won’t work on Sabbath. Thousands of e.mails and petition signatures have already been gathered in support of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, S-677 and HR 1445, [WRFA] but much more is needed. More information on this bill is available at www.churchstate.org.

Time is of the essence in pushing for passage of the bill. The WRFA Coalition consists of more than forty religious groups. Supporters in Congress span the political spectrum, including Senators as diverse as Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton. The Coalition is pressing Congress for hearings, and ultimately, for a vote on the bill. Now is the time! The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has made passage of this bill a very high priority. Please do all in your power to get this bill passed!

What to do now! It is time for all who care about religious freedom to make a major effort to pass this bill. There are different methods of influencing Congress to support a bill. We are suggesting that you utilize all of them, e.mails, petitions, faxes and phone calls. Here is what we all need to do:

· Send an e.mail to our Senators and Representative at www.religiousliberty.info.

· Print this e.lert and distribute it widely, at church, to family and friends, and at work;

· Forward this e.lert as widely as possible, and add your own encouragement to people to care enough to send their own e.mails.

· To phone, fax and mail, the blue government pages of your phone book has this info for your members of Congress. This info is also on the NARLA site, www.religiousliberty.info, by entering your zip code. There is still nothing better than a personal letter.

Special note to pastors and religious liberty leaders: Passage of this bill will directly impact the life of your congregation. Some people in your churches are working on Sabbath, although they don’t want to. If WRFA is passed, many of these members will be able to avoid Sabbath work. Please make a commitment to see that every member of your church supports passage of this bill. Thank you in advance!

Online Registration Opens for 2005 Religious Liberty Retreat

The 2005 Religious Liberty Retreat, entitled, "Awakening The Beast" will take place at Leoni Meadows from November 18-20, 2005, and is open to pastors, religious liberty leaders and laypersons who have a genuine interest in being involved in religious liberty ministry. Topics will include recent court decisions, the Supreme Court nomination process, and breaking news. Speakers include Leigh Johnsen, PhD; Alan J. Reinach, Esq., California Assembly Chaplain Ivan L. Williams, Sr., California Assemblymember Alan Nakanishi, and Michael D. Peabody, Esq., Register online to attend this important event. http://www.plusline.org/eventdetail.php?id=131

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These religious liberty newsflashes and legislative e.lerts are published by the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Department of Public Affairs & Religious Liberty. While due diligence is exercised to insure that the facts are accurate, and the opinions expressed are both responsible and consistent with the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, nevertheless, the views expressed are the sole responsibility of the staff, and do not constitute an official position of the church.

For assistance with a religious liberty problem:

Alan J. Reinach, Esq., ajreinach@verizon.net; 805-413-7396

Michael Peabody, Esq. mpeabody@churchstate.org; 916-446-2552

More information about religious liberty issues can be found at www.churchstate.org.

Join the North American Religious Liberty Association at www.religiousliberty.info.

Contributions to support the work of NARLA can also be made at www.religiousliberty.info.

Subscribe to Liberty: a Magazine of Religious Liberty, at www.libertymagazine.org