Calgary Transit driver says he'll quit if asked to drive Pride bus

[HuMz]

Originally posted by blitz


Again, driving a brightly coloured bus is not against any passage in any holy text anywhere.

Religion freedom cannot be used as a mask for pure bigotry.

Agree completely, it's a good thing this bus driver isn't objecting to driving the bus based upon it being a brightly colored bus.

I think it is pretty clear to the rest of us that it was what the bus represents, not the colors of the bus itself.

[HuMz]

Originally posted by Nitro5


I never realized treating all people as equals is morally controversial.

Neither did I, who isn't being treated equal under the law?

[duaner]

Originally posted by rx7boi
What do you guys think? Has it gone too far?

As an employee of an organization, part of your obligation is to represent the organization's mission and values.

Would it be appropriate for the city if they also required the driver to wear a pride badge as part of the movement celebration?

Where do personal beliefs fit into the workplace? I did some light searching and found that some (maybe most?) places in the US will try to reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices unless it is more than just a minimal burden to operations.

This guy still wants to drive the bus and is open to being assigned to another bus, which I hope is a minimal burden to operations.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/28...rive-pride-bus

Did he approach the media or did the media approach him? If he approached the media, I'd like to know what his purpose was as that was completely unnecessary. Maybe he just likes the attention. Should have been dealt with quietly with his superiors, if he was even asked, and only taken to the media in the event he was being forced.

[duaner]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
The bus driver has the RIGHT to not have his religious freedoms trampled.

A BUSINESS or government doesn't get to trample that right. Its literally no different than the arguments for gay rights.

Btw, the gay community will NEVER push to say being gay is a choice, as that fundamentally ruins all of their arguments and has been a cornerstone of their activism (we're born this way!) I can see in 5-10 years the message changing (just like feminism has grown into femnazi-ism) as the movement loses steam because it has become a self-sustaining group, and those people will basically lose their whole purpose of being if their activism isn't needed anymore.

I am not religious, but I understand religious rights. Some of you people clearly don't

Agreed. It seems to me a slippery slope once you let the government walk over religious freedoms, as other freedoms could disappear just as easily.

[speedog]

Originally posted by duaner

Did he approach the media or did the media approach him? If he approached the media, I'd like to know what his purpose was as that was completely unnecessary. Maybe he just likes the attention. Should have been dealt with quietly with his superiors, if he was even asked, and only taken to the media in the event he was being forced.

Considering who this bus driver is (his city hall sidewalk church connection), chances are pretty good that a few of the press were well aware where he worked and knew a story could easily be made once the bus announcement came out. Gotta sell newspapers, eh.

[blitz]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
The bus driver has the RIGHT to not have his religious freedoms trampled.

A BUSINESS or government doesn't get to trample that right. Its literally no different than the arguments for gay rights.

I am not religious, but I understand religious rights. Some of you people clearly don't

I don't think you do. No one's infringing on his religious rights whatsoever.

"Freedom of religion or freedom of belief is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance"

He doesn't have to be gay himself, he doesn't have to have gay friends, his church doesn't need to perform gay marriages, but he should not be able to get out of driving a bus because of the message that's written on it simply because it makes him uncomfortable.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by blitz


I don't think you do. No one's infringing on his religious rights whatsoever.

"Freedom of religion or freedom of belief is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance"

He doesn't have to be gay himself, he doesn't have to have gay friends, his church doesn't need to perform gay marriages, but he should not be able to get out of driving a bus because of the message that's written on it simply because it makes him uncomfortable.

Bingo

[gwill]

^except they take non religious beliefs from atheists into account so how can you ignore religious beliefs? Weather you agree with them or not the cities cator to the crazy minorities so they can't say no to someone's craziness anymore. The cities are too politically correct these days to tell different groups to get a life.

With that said if the guys a hard core religious nut who's against gay marriage then he shouldn't have to drive the bus. It's not a hard request to fill when they have hundreds or thousands of drivers.

If this guy had a unique job that others couldn't fill them I'd have more issues with this... But he doesn't. His job can be handled by a monkey.

[kertejud2]

Where is the line?

So he says he can't support homosexuality in the form of an advertised bus, does that mean he could also refuse to accept homosexual passengers under the belief that transporting them will support their homosexual actions?

If his Christian beliefs are so important, should he also be excused from driving a bus with clothing advertisers who cross different types of threads? Or businesses that require employees to work on the Sabbath (both acts punishable by death, the former by the same book that declares homosexuality a sin)? At what point are tax dollars being used to pay a person's salary who simply won't do their job because of "religious freedom?"

CT isn't suppressing his right to religious freedom, they may ask him to drive a bus with an advertisement he isn't supportive of, but they aren't saying that his job is at risk because of his religious beliefs. There's a giant difference.

[frizzlefry]

Originally posted by gwill
except they take non religious beliefs from atheists into account so how can you ignore religious beliefs?

Atheists don't have "beliefs" any more than gay people have a gay religion. Religious people need to get over the fact that atheists don't have a belief about religion. Its a complete lack of it. Or that toleration of gay pride is some sort of belief based ideology, forced upon the masses and meant to go head to head with Christianity.

People need to stop idolizing their social/political views into some sort of quasi religious bigotry. Even the pope, from the one true Christian church (suck it protestants) has told Catholics to lay off the gays.

To say that the city council supported atheist beliefs but not Christian is stupid because city council, like any government with a separation of church and state, is atheist to begin with. Baring religion in council is simply returning government to its natural condition.

All this said, if the guy wants to not drive his bus that one day then let him. I had to miss out on a big part of my catholic wedding as I am an atheist and my roman catholic wife left my side during my wedding for the Eucharist as I had to stay seated. Didn't bother me. Tolerance. And every holiday I go to church with my wife and sit while all the other catholics look at me sitting and don't give a shit that I am.

Tolerance makes the world go around. Give the baby his bottle, shut him up and don't let this attention whore get more attention.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by kertejud2
Where is the line?

So he says he can't support homosexuality in the form of an advertised bus, does that mean he could also refuse to accept homosexual passengers under the belief that transporting them will support their homosexual actions?

Refusing to pick up customers is very different from refusing to drive the bus.

[blitz]

Originally posted by gwill


With that said if the guys a hard core religious nut who's against gay marriage then he shouldn't have to drive the bus. It's not a hard request to fill when they have hundreds or thousands of drivers.

If this guy had a unique job that others couldn't fill them I'd have more issues with this... But he doesn't. His job can be handled by a monkey.

If he really only cared about not driving the bus, he would have quietly talked to his supervisor. He's using his public job as a soap box for his anti-gay beliefs and because if that, I really want to see him driving that bus.

[Dumbass17]

saw this on the news. the guy is a fuckin idiot. you drive a bus. shut up

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


Refusing to pick up customers is very different from refusing to drive the bus.

Is it? He's refusing to to a job based on something that simply clashes with his religious beliefs, but doesn't infringe upon his right to hold those beliefs. Why shouldn't he also be allowed to refuse service to homosexuals, but be allowed to refuse to drive a bus at all because it 'supports homosexuals?'

[Nitro5]

Saw an interview with the CT operations manager. The chance of this driver being assigned this bus out of 100's is pretty low and if he was assigned he could trade the route with any issue or repercussions.

But instead he went to the media right out of the gate without speaking to anyone.

He's an attention whore and nothing more.

[gwill]

Originally posted by blitz


If he really only cared about not driving the bus, he would have quietly talked to his supervisor. He's using his public job as a soap box for his anti-gay beliefs and because if that, I really want to see him driving that bus.

Seems like that's what it's turned into. He does deserve to drive the bus... They should find a loop hole in media relations protocols most companies have to suspend him... Or maybe something in their grievance procedures.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by kertejud2


Is it? He's refusing to to a job based on something that simply clashes with his religious beliefs, but doesn't infringe upon his right to hold those beliefs. Why shouldn't he also be allowed to refuse service to homosexuals, but be allowed to refuse to drive a bus at all because it 'supports homosexuals?'

Yes. Because it's no different than requesting the day off for religious reasons. The core of his job is to pick up and drop off customers. They could provide him with a cheese wagon and he can still complete his duties. It's a completely different matter when he flat out refuses to pick up a certain type of customer.

[i]

Originally posted by gwill


Seems like that's what it's turned into. He does deserve to drive the bus... They should find a loop hole in media relations protocols most companies have to suspend him... Or maybe something in their grievance procedures.

Most employment agreements and company policies have restrictions on speaking to the media, especially as it relates to company business.

[gwill]

^my point exactly. Want to be a media whore and cause uneccessary drama then we'll suspend you or worst...

[euro_racer]

He's an idiot for talking to the media and will most likely be let go for that reason alone as transit personnel are not allowed (I think they even sign an agreement when hired) to talk to the media exactly for reasons like these. He might try to get the union involved but if he has been with the company for under a year that would mean he hasn't passed his probation period and he's done.

That being said, he wasn't being disrespectful or hateful, he only voiced his concerns based on his strong believes.

Unfortunately for White, Heterosexual, Christian males having an opinion or belief that does not match the general public's is usually going to be some form of discrimination.

I wouldn't drive a bus with Swastikas all over it, but I could care less if Nazis rode the bus.

Edit: I am sure there are more than enough drivers in transit who are gay or willing to PROUDLY drive that bus. They should have had some sort of volunteer sign up sheet for this.... After all isn't this about Pride?

[BigMass]

beyond.ca or batshit crazy southern baptist republican forum. Sometimes I have to double check my url just to be sure