Human Rights Nonsense (22): The Right to Exorcise

scene from The Exorcist

Tonight we have some disturbing news from the University of Texas at Arlington, where three employees are in trouble for staging a bizarre exorcism of a co-worker. … three employees who had personal conflicts with a co-worker agreed to pray together after work. They met outside the co-worker’s office when it was empty.

One member of the prayer vigil rubbed olive oil on the co-employee’s office door and chanted loudly, “I command you demons to leave (the co-worker’s name), you vicious evil dogs get the hell out of there in the name of Jesus, get the hell out of (the co-worker name).”

One of the three employees reported the incident to their supervisor. Following an investigation, the other two employees were terminated because they “displayed conduct unbecoming a UT Arlington staff member, harassment of a fellow co-worker and blatant disregard for the property of UT Arlington.” The terminated employees then requested religious accommodation. Their request was denied. The two ex-employees sued UTA alleging religious discrimination. (source)

I don’t believe these people should have been fired for what they did, but they didn’t need to invoke a presumed right to exorcise to resist their termination. We should try to avoid inflating the body of human rights. More on freedom of religion and the free exercise clause. More human rights nonsense.

Related Articles

• Human Rights Nonsense (20): Playing to the Gallery for Women’s Rights (filipspagnoli.wordpress.com)
• You: For Catholics, Interest in Exorcism Is Revived (nytimes.com)
• Roman Catholic Church Holds Conference On Exorcism! (purestrange.wordpress.com)