The hospital moved to dismiss the employee’s complaint (based on Title VII), but the court denied the motion because of the deferential standard to the plaintiff. The opinion relies not only on the traditionally religious grounding which the plaintiff gave to veganism, but also, as Mark notes above, on the fact that she is “not alone.” The court said:

“The Court finds it plausible that Plaintiff could subscribe to veganism with a sincerity equating that of traditional religious views. The Sixth Circuit’s decision in Spies in no way bars such conclusion. In Spies, the Court found that a Buddhist inmate’s dietary request was adequately met by the provision of a vegetarian diet, as the inmate himself conceded that a more restrictive vegan diet was not a religious requirement of his faith. 173 F.3d 398, 407. The Court’s conclusion is further bolstered by Plaintiff’s citation to essays and Biblical excerpts. Although the Code makes it clear that it is not necessary that a religious group espouse a belief before it can qualify as religious, 29 C.F.R. 1605.1, the fact here that Plaintiff is not alone in articulating her view lends credence to her position. Accordingly, at this early stage of the litigation, the Court finds it inappropriate to dismiss Plaintiff’s claims for religious discrimination based on her adherence to veganism.”

What really is the difference between no God, and the claim of 7 billion different one, true Gods?

Check my math, but I think the answer is 7 billion.

For example, though veganism is not a religion, courts seem willing to entertain vegans’ conscience claims on the grounds that their convictions closely resemble religious beliefs or other ethical convictions. Here’s one relevant case where the court “found it plausible that [an] employee could hold to veganism with a sincerity equivalent to traditional religious views.” Are there divergent trends in this area in different courts, with some courts prioritizing individual conscience and others prioritizing an authority outside the individual?