Roy Moore's 10 Commandments Pin
• Christian Fundamentalism
Happily gay atheist that I am I'm not sure that firing the guy for wearing a Ten Commandments pin was justified or wise. Not that I can pretend to by sympathetic: I get so many smug, priggish comments from fundagelicals that my antipathy only deepens every time I see the "I bet you'll delete this … "
So a lot of people were stunned last week when a Hoover Chamber of Commerce employee said he was fired for wearing a lapel pin symbolizing the Ten Commandments. The incident has touched off a fresh debate about the proper role of religion in the workplace. ...
But if the pin prompted overbearing behavior with offensive overtones, as the Hoover Chamber alleged, some would say it's over the line. ...
The Foundation for Moral Law, which started as a legal defense fund for former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, sells the distinctive lapel pins for $5 apiece on its Web site.
Christopher Word, the fired employee who recruited new businesses for the chamber, said he started wearing the lapel pin daily in January. Hoover Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Powell noticed it in March and asked him to remove it.
Lapel pin adds to debate on religion
Chamber Executive Director Bill Powell noticed the pin in March and asked Word to remove it. Powell said either Word or the pin had to go. Word refused to remove it and lost his job. The chamber's attorney said Word had been making "political statements" at his job and the chamber isn't against religion.
For many in Alabama, work is often another place of worship.
At Southern Comfort Conversions in Trussville, for example, every work day starts with company executives meeting in prayer. Friday mornings begin with a voluntary 20-minute Bible study for employees who care to join.
"Everything we do, we try to honor God," said Tim Taylor, company president.
Ten Commandments pin uproar stirs debate on religion at work