Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 12, 1995                   TAG: 9503130014
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: D-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JIM DeSIMONE ORLANDO SENTINEL
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA.                                LENGTH: Medium

SILENT WITNESS: CHRISTIAN BUSINESSPEOPLE KEEP PREACHING TO A MINIMUM

That conflict is the duty of Christians to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as commanded in the New Testament and the desire not to intimidate employees and customers by discussing religious beliefs uninvited.

``I think where we want to be really careful is that we don't have employees urging a particular religious belief on patients and other employees that is not welcome,'' said Tom Werner, chief executive officer of Florida Hospital in Orlando, operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church.

There are few legal limitations on religious speech in the workplace, said Robyn Blumner, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

``Generally, the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution does not apply to private business,'' she said.

``Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act also gives wide latitude to religious speech,'' she said.

The law generally prohibits an employer from hiring, promoting or firing an employee based on the employee's religious views. But the statute gives business owners great deference in promoting religion in the workplace, Blumner said.

The freedom of religious speech in the workplace isn't expected to change any time soon. Last summer, the U.S. Senate threatened funding of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after the agency proposed regulations on religious harassment at work.

The Senate unanimously passed a companion resolution asking the EEOC to drop plans regulating religious speech in the workplace.

The EEOC dropped the proposal, which Blumner called an improper infringement on the First Amendment.

Business people should be free in this country to offend or convince using religious speech, she said.

Like those at Florida Hospital, many executives choose to communicate their religious faith through their institutions. Hanging Scriptures on a wall is a favorite method.

Other businesses exercise their right to religious faith by closing on the Sabbath, ordering dietary restrictions in the company cafeteria or setting corporate policies for religious reasons.

But when executives ask employees and customers to adopt a particular religious view, room for misunderstanding increases, said Laura Nash, author of the book "Believers in Business."

Many executives say they won't talk to colleagues about religion unless asked.

Rick Fletcher, president of Florida Potted Soil Inc. of Lockhart, Fla., said he feels God brings him people in search of answers.

``My job is to lay out the message, when asked,'' Fletcher said.