Churches May Get Pressure on Gay Tenets

New York Sun ^ | September 5, 2007 | JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN

[presidio9]

Congress may soon call on religious institutions ranging from summer camps to charities to declare up-front whether they are unwilling to hire gay employees.

A bill that, if passed, would become the first federal law to prohibit employment discrimination against gays contains a broad exemption for religious organizations. But to qualify for that exemption, religious groups would have to declare "which of its religious tenets are significant" and must be adhered to by employees. Lawyers say this requirement could put pressure on religious organizations to state a doctrinal prohibition against homosexuality in order to continue to legally exclude gay job applicants.

"This is something new," a law professor at George Washington University, Ira Lupu, said. The effect of such a law, Mr. Lupu said, would be that "there is no more First Amendment right to be exempt unless you want to tell us that making us hire these people is really in conflict with our religious commitments."

In many congregations, there are deep divisions about what their religion says regarding homosexuality. Across the nation there would likely be divisions within individual congregations about whether church funds should be used to hire homosexuals. In congregations such as these, the new bill would require a firming up or a rapid formulation of such policies.

"These organizations may be perfectly happy with a sort of don't ask and don't tell policy," the general counsel of the American Jewish Congress, Marc Stern, said, "but this may force groups to take one side or the other."

If passed, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would carry a blanket exemption for the hiring practices of religious congregations,

[HarleyD]

Wow, that is amazing. Incredible how many of those things have come true.

[DesScorp]

And so begins the final assault on Churches’ right to actually act according to their beliefs.

[Mr. Silverback]

There were hundreds of ministers at an "interfaith conference" held by the Romanian Communist Party not long after they took over the country. Only one, Richard Wurmbrand, used his time at the microphone to declare Christ's superiority over the State. For this crime, he eventually spent 14 years in prison, being tortured on a regular basis.

And perhaps not so coincidentally, I read this thread the morning after telling a den of Cub Scouts about Wurmbrand as an example of a hero of the Faith. I will follow his path if necessary.

[Mr. Silverback]

Manzullo is an excellent Congressman. He is a strong conservative.

[Dumb_Ox]

"These organizations may be perfectly happy with a sort of don't ask and don't tell policy," the general counsel of the American Jewish Congress, Marc Stern, said, "but this may force groups to take one side or the other."

Why is the AJC involved in this story?

Also, watch for churches' leadership to be so grateful for an exemption that they don't bother fighting for the rights of church members who happen to be employers and want to run a business with standards.

[VOA]

Driving Christian believers into the underground.
I never really expected to see this in my lifetime.

If history is any indicator...nothing like persecution to
put Christianity into overdrive.
Even if it has to go underground.

[red irish]

Catholic church has knocked heads over insurance dispensing birth control pills and covering abortions for their employees. I knew this day would come because too many churches are now accepting homosexuality.