An editorial in the New York Sun today raised the concerns shared by the Orthodox Union that language in the new Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, would require religious organizations to publicly declare their religious beliefs in order to be exempt from federal laws preventing employer discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

This is a stark departure from previous versions of the bill, which contained a simple blanket statement exempting all religious organizations from the provisions within the bill. In a letter to members of the sub-committee, the OU, in conjunction with US Conference of Catholic Bishops and the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists expressed concerns that the new language would eliminate religious organizations’ ability to hire in accordance with their religious beliefs.

For the full editorial click here.

A related article in the Sun reports that Congress may soon call on religious institutions ranging from summer camps to charities to declare up-front whether they are unwilling to hire gay employees. Read the article here.
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