In what can only be described as a divine comedy of modern corporate theology, a manager from the United Church of God—a denomination that proudly observes the Saturday Sabbath—has teamed up with the EEOC to sue a Chick-fil-A franchisee for... not letting her have Saturdays off. Yes, you read that right. The very group that keeps the biblical seventh-day Sabbath is now dragging a chicken empire famous for its Sunday closures into federal court. Pass the popcorn and the waffle fries.
Laurel Torode, a dedicated United Church of God member, disclosed her religious need for Saturday off during her interview. She was initially accommodated as a delivery driver manager. Then, according to the EEOC lawsuit filed this week, the franchisee allegedly decided that business needs trumped her faith, offered her a demotion to a lower-paying driver role, and ultimately fired her when she refused to bend the knee (or the Sabbath). The irony? Chick-fil-A famously shuts down every Sunday in honor of the Lord’s Day—founder S. Truett Cathy’s heartfelt conviction. Saturdays, of course, are their biggest money-makers precisely because they’re closed the next day.
So here we are: a Saturday-keeping church member suing a Sunday-keeping chicken chain for not being accommodating enough. The public relations team at United Church of God headquarters must be reaching for the antacids right about now.
Why This Is a PR Nightmare for UCG
The Optics Are Brutal
Most Americans have a vague, Sunday-school understanding of Christianity that involves church on Sunday, eggs hunts at Easter, and closing businesses on the “Lord’s Day.” Now they’re learning about a smaller, more doctrinally strict group that insists Saturday is the true Sabbath. The lawsuit instantly paints UCG as the group that sues beloved family restaurants over scheduling. Not exactly the warm, welcoming image most churches aim for in 2026.
“But Chick-fil-A Closes on Sundays!” Social media is already having a field day. Expect endless memes: “Chick-fil-A won’t work on Sunday for Jesus, but apparently won’t work on Saturday for your Jesus either.” The cognitive dissonance is delicious. One side sees principled religious conviction; the other sees hypocrisy and entitlement. UCG risks looking like they’re demanding special treatment from a company that already bends over backward for its own faith-based brand.
“But Chick-fil-A Closes on Sundays!” Social media is already having a field day. Expect endless memes: “Chick-fil-A won’t work on Sunday for Jesus, but apparently won’t work on Saturday for your Jesus either.” The cognitive dissonance is delicious. One side sees principled religious conviction; the other sees hypocrisy and entitlement. UCG risks looking like they’re demanding special treatment from a company that already bends over backward for its own faith-based brand.
The “Suing for Jesus” Problem
Churches generally don’t love headlines about their members weaponizing federal agencies against private businesses. While Title VII does require reasonable religious accommodations, the average person scrolling X at 2 a.m. doesn’t want a lecture on undue hardship—they just want their chicken sandwich without a side of federal litigation. This story feeds every stereotype about litigious religious groups demanding the world rearrange itself around their calendar.
Internal and External Backlash
Expect awkward conversations in UCG congregations this Sabbath. Some members will cheer the stand for principle. Others will quietly wonder if suing a franchisee that employs hundreds of people is really the best witness. Outsiders will lump UCG in with every other “fringe” group that can’t seem to get along in a pluralistic society. The denomination, already relatively small and low-profile, is about to get far more attention than it ever bargained for—and not the flattering kind.
The Sarcastic Silver Lining
Look on the bright side, United Church of God: at least Chick-fil-A can’t accuse you of anti-chicken bigotry. You’re just asking them to honor the original biblical schedule while they honor a slightly modified one. Nothing divisive about that at all.
In the end, this case is less about waffle fries and more about the messy collision of sincere religious conviction, modern business realities, and America’s increasingly hair-trigger discrimination lawsuit culture. Whether Laurel Torode wins or loses, the United Church of God is about to discover what happens when your deeply held beliefs make national headlines—especially when those beliefs involve telling one of America’s most beloved (and closed-on-Sunday) brands how to schedule its Saturdays.
Pray for their PR team. They’re going to need it more than extra Polynesian sauce.
"...members weaponizing federal agencies against private businesses."
ReplyDeleteThere are many YouTube videos on the many businesses, including McDonalds outlets, closing because government mandated minimum wage, benefits, and regulations have made them uneconomical. Federal agencies are already weaponized against businesses to the tilt. The bible depicts Christ going to a far country to obtain a kingdom. That is, contrary to contemporary Christianity and ACOG culture, he is not a micromanager of people's lives, and this applies to businesses as well. God's social system is a separation of state and church, which includes a separation of state and economics.
'The optics are brutal.'
ReplyDeleteYou don't say.
I know it sucks losing a job. It's not like there aren't several fast-food jobs out there. Sometimes, we just have to turn the other cheek. And carefully choose our battles.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing unusual about this. Even though a few Christian churches have called Sunday the sabbath, the majority that observe Sunday as the "Lord's day" still recognize Saturday as the 7th day of the week, the sabbath day of the Bible. They just take the approach that most here do, being the Sabbath is old covenant, it's Jewish, it's done away, it's been replaced, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe only rights we have in this country are the ones we can enforce. It's too bad she has to go to this extreme. I once received a letter out of the blue from the IRS saying I owed 20 thousand dollars when I didn't. I had to go the legal route to prove it.
I don't see any fall out for the UCG over this. Any publicity they can get is probably welcomed.
UCG will be quick to point out tout that this is a member suing and not them. But the odds are 100 to 1 that Torode went to UCG legal and asked for advice. Regardless of her rights to sue, etc, the look for UCG is NOT good. What will we see next, Muslims suing to not work on Fridays? Is there no end to this silliness? Find a job that fully accommodates your work schedule and go for it, instead of manipulating employees to pander to your self-serving desires. Besides, Sabbath keeping is NOT a New Covenant command, so there is that.
ReplyDeleteEh, this is a non issue. Chick fil A has a low tolerance for sabbath keepers. They generally require employees to work either Friday night or Saturday night because those are very busy times for them. Yes they are closed for business on Sunday, but they do require employees to work on some of them. So much for keeping the "Lord's Day, huh? ( and yes, I have first hand knowledge of Chick fil A operations)
ReplyDelete