Trump Memo Tells Federal Workers They Can Argue Over ‘Correct’ Religion
Employees can also hold prayer groups at the office during their off hours, the administration announced.
The Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management sent out a memo Monday permitting federal workers to try to convince colleagues why their religious beliefs are “correct.”
OPM Director Scott Kupor’s memo, Fox News reported, outlines several examples of protected workplace activity involving prayer, the display of Bibles and religious discussion.
“During a break, an employee may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs,” the memo states. “However, if the non-adherent requests such attempts to stop, the employee should honor the request.”
The memo adds that if an employee doesn’t want to hear from a supervisor about religion, then “unwillingness to engage in such conversations may not be the basis of workplace discipline.”
The memo also explains that displaying religious items like crucifixes and mezuzahs is permitted at employees’ desks and on their persons. The document repeatedly lists the Bible as an example of one such item, but not once mentions the Quran, though that too is allowed, the OPM confirmed to the Daily Beast.
Trump named Paula White (center) to lead the White House Faith Office, which he established via executive order to "bring religion back" and to "protect Christians."
Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS
Agencies may restrict all religious posters, the memo continues, but cannot pick and choose which ones to ban. Employees can hold prayer groups at the office, it adds, during their off hours.
“Allowing religious discrimination in the Federal workplace violates the law,” Kupor states. “It also threatens to adversely impact recruitment and retention of highly-qualified employees of faith.”
The memo also gives examples of protected religious expressions by federal employees toward members of the public, one of which is that a park ranger giving a tour at a national park “may join her tour group in prayer.”
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Trump in February signed an executive order creating the White House Faith Office to “bring religion back” and to “protect Christians.”
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