Titled: Chicago court rejects suit against General Motors for not sponsoring Christian group

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has upheld a verdict in favor of General Motors, after a born-again Christian employee sued the automaker for religious discrimination. The case stemmed from 43-year-old computer engineer John Moranski, who petitioned GM to form a company-sponsored Christian group.

Moranski's attorney argued that the manufacturer sponsors 'affinity groups' for minorities including women, gay men and women, veterans, disabled people, and racial and ethnic groups, and the manufacturer's refusal to create a similar group for Christians violated their client's civil rights.

The automaker has a blanket policy to refuse sponsorship to any groups centering on religious or political grounds. In a nine-page ruling, the court found no merit in Moranski's arguments tying his claim to the 1964 Civil Rights Act's Title VII provision (prohibiting discrimination based upon color, race. religion, sex, or national origin).

I always find the balance between a public corporation's rights to enforce its own policy and the individual right to fair and equal treatment tricky to find in certain circumstances. When religion is then mixed in another layer of complexity and passion is added.
GM has a right to sponsor whatever groups it wants, not being funded with public money or part of the government. Moranski held the view that the guidelines allow GM to treat religious groups less favorably than nonreligious groups. GM argued that it treats all religious groups the same, a view upheld by the court.

Opinions anyone?

Dave the hyphenated American