A Christian mission in Seattle is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Washington Supreme Court ruled it does not have the right to refuse to hire someone who disagrees with its beliefs. “Churches and religious organizations have the First Amendment right to hire those who share their beliefs without being punished by the government,” said John Bursch, a former Michigan solicitor general, who is now senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a public interest law firm that is representing the mission. “Courts have consistently recognized that a religious organization’s purpose will be undermined if the government forces it to hire those who do not subscribe to the group’s beliefs,” Bursch said in a statement. The case is Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission v. Woods, court file 21-144. The appeal was docketed by the Supreme Court on Aug. 3. Seattle’s Union Gospel …