In his inaugural address, President Barack Obama stated that “…[w]e know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.  We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and nonbelievers.” 

It is this patchwork of different faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) calls America’s “rich tapestry of religious beliefs and practices.”  It is, however, this very tapestry of differences that has seeded conflict and increased litigation about religious discrimination in the workplace.