30 April 2007

Why treat churches with kid gloves?

There has been a settlement between the state of Pennsylvania and some Christian organisations who had sued the state because they were prevented from using a state sponsored job site to find employees. Why were they prohibited? Because they want to insist that all of their employees must be Christians so Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoist, humanists, agnostics and atheists would be specifically discriminated against. The settlement will allow them to use the site and to discriminate.

What I do not understand is why churches (I won't use the term "religions" as I think that is too broad based) and other church related institutions are treated in this favourable way whereas other institutions are not? I even think that one of the attorneys who fought the case against the state agrees with me. Timothy Tracy is quoted as saying that "the right of a religious organization to align itself with individuals of shared belief is as central to that organization's mission as other viewpoints are to nonreligious organizations". If I understand him, and he was not quoted out of context, he is saying that all employers should be allowed to discriminate based on belief so that a scientific publishing company should be allowed to exclude those who do not believe in evolution from their workforce and that oil companies should be able not refuse to hire those folks who believe that the Earth is only 7,000 years old as it takes millions of years to make fossil fuels and this would be a sign that they don't believe in the product.

If that is not what you are saying Mr. Tracy I would appreciate it if you would clarify your remarks.

This is wrong. Just plain wrong.

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