Ed Morrisey adds :
It sounds to me like the ACA wants a “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule for religion. That runs square into the First Amendment, especially for a state-run school. The ACA’s idea of who comes first doesn’t get to trump the restriction on freedom of religious exercise. If clients get off-put by Keeton’s approach to counseling, they can look for another counselor. Now, the ACA can decide not to certify her; as a private organization, they have that prerogative. If they do that explicitly based on her religious belief, however, they may have a problem with that in court, especially as it will block Keeton’s ability to make a living.
The state-run school has no such leeway. They cannot impose a religious test for graduation, no matter how they dress it up.
Ask these same communists how they would feel about a loyalty oath to these United States and our Constitutional form of government.
Maybe some Moslems should enroll and make their positions clear on the subject.
I think, in very extreme cases, religious beliefs could (and should) prevent someone from being certified for a given profession. For example, you would not want a practicing MD who believes ONLY in the power of prayer to heal and will not prescribe medicine. That being said, I don’t think that condition applies in this case.
Thanks SandF, I heard the president of some national counselors assoc on the radio today talk about this issue, and all I could think of was:
In almost all cases, the Muslim religion is more restrictive, has clearer lack of tolerance in this regard, and openly rejects homosexuality.
Are openly Muslim faithful being treated in the same fashion?
Personally I think if you are going to counsel people it would be a plus to have someone that started off with similar ideals, like religious beliefs to establish a rapport. Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindi, or any other would be better served within the faith, as long as the faith was not integral to the problem.
Just my two cents.
DK
It’s a tricky situation. If she is going to be a counselor in today’s secular/Godless world, she chose the wrong profession. Applying her Christian beliefs would be inapplicable to a secular humanist. Imagine visiting a wahabbi counselor. I guess for someone like her, the answer is that she should be a counselor in a Christian setting only. She probably should have attended a Christian school.
“The school has responded that a bias against homosexuality would disqualify Keeton from certification...”
Unless she is going to do Pastoral Counseling, she doesn’t want to work in that field anyway...she will be unable to find work...
It is of course; a 'natural progression' per politcal correctness stretching into advanced thought policing.
So what next? Will we be required to have chips placed in our brains at birth to guarantee conformity - or just the 'old' salt mine MO if we have not learned the 'lessons' by the time we graduate. . .
How is this not un-constitutional? This is a STATE University; not a private university. Does she know the material? Yes, or no.
The "takeover" of the universities by homosexual activists is complete. I was told in the 1980s by a prominent university official who happened to be homosexual, that the schools then were already laced with homosexual administrators. Doesn't everybody know that? Not sure that anyone cares, especially in Massachusetts.
It is nationwide. The activists are bold and overpowering because the Obama Administration supports their positions.
Our country seems to be where Germany was politically in connection with public displays of homosexual behavior, at the beginning of the Third Reich. IMO this administration is following a similar path.
Why go to university? Normal people are not welcome. If you’re a White Christian/Jew you are not desired (but your money is)
It seems to me that this intellectually challenged academic institution ignores that the heart of anti-bigotry is not more bigotry; that the heart of anti-bigotry is tolerance and the heart of tolerance, in the hands of government, is to be (for the government to be) an agnostic in such cases, which means neither an advocate against (”gay”) nor an advocate for.
Apparently the college thinks it can be bigoted towards devout Christians.
Actually, the Univeristy should lose it’s accreditation for violating the 1st Amendment free speech and freedom of religion protections. Oh...and it’s federal funding too...
This is a complete takeover of universities by leftist identity politics. A somewhat similar situation exists at the University of Minnesota School of Education. It is established “political doctrine” at that school that in public schools, “persons of color” have the deck stacked against them to the point where it is impossible for a student who is a “person of color” to achieve. Any student at the “School of Education” who does not concur with that doctrine is not welcome.
In good conscience, every practicing Christian should immediately withdraw from that university. Maybe there are enough cowards and atheists to fund it.
It’s hard to believe that a state university in Georgia would be trying to enforce such a disgusting policy.