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Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, says the guidelines do not sufficiently protect employees from proselytism by supervisors. "When a boss suggests that it would be a good idea to be in church, the fear of negative repercussions is very real." Lynn says the guidelines signal a shift to government promotion of religion by allowing personal work space to become a religious shrine.

"It's not appropriate to see a stack of Scientology books when you buy stamps at the post office," Lynn says. "A Jew will fear he will be treated differently if he's at an irs field office where an agent has Christian symbols on his desk."

LONG-RANGE PLANS: Religious discrimination is forbidden under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which says private employers must reasonably accommodate religious beliefs of workers unless it creates an undue hardship. There have been no specific guidelines.

Oliver Thomas, National Council of Churches special counsel on religious and civil liberties, says Clinton's prototype "will change the way religious employees are treated, not just in the public work space but in the private workplace as well."

Steve McFarland, director of the CLS Center for Law and Religious Freedom, says the guidelines will be sent to all governors and attorneys general, with the recommendation to adopt similar rules for state employees.

On July 31, Sen. Dan Coats (R.-Ind.) and Rep. John Kerry (D.-Mass.) introduced the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which would affect employers with 15 or more workers. It attempts to codify religious discrimination and put teeth in Title VII.

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October 6 1997, Vol. 41, No. 11