our sordid history involving slavery is a backdrop to the civil rights legislation of the 1960's and thus the laws must be read with an eye toward the protection of the rights of African-Americans. Most of the protected classifications are immutable, that is we are born of a race, gender, nationality, and so forth.

However, religion is a matter of choice. Many of us are born into a religion, but we can change our religion or have no religion at all at will. Why do you think religion was included as a protected category?