Chicago Tribune | Did fiery essay get author fired?

"Allstate fired Barber three days later, setting off a dispute that shows signs of becoming the next legal cause celebre among religious conservatives. As the issue becomes a growing rallying point among conservatives, Christian groups have protested Barber's fate on Web sites and in newsletters, generating what they said are more than 240,000 e-mails and an unknown number of phone calls to Allstate.

Barber filed a lawsuit in May in federal court in Chicago alleging that Allstate's action constituted discrimination on the basis of religion, a novel argument, some legal experts said.

He is represented by David Gibbs III of the Florida-based Christian Law Association, which represented Terri Schiavo's parents in their high-profile efforts to prevent her feeding tube from being removed."