Is it discrimination to NOT hire someone because they hold a particular religious belief?

[cleanhippie]

I mean, if I am interviewing people for a job, is it ok for me to NOT hire the evangelical christian, or the Muslim, or the Hindu, because they do not share my views on religion?





If you say that it IS, in fact, discrimination, then I agree with you 100%.





















And if it is discrimination, then WHY are faith-based organizations allowed to NOT hire someone because the applicant does not share their religious views?

Story follows...

Secular Coalition to White House: Stop Ignoring Faith-Based Employment Discrimination
Thu, 07/28/2011 - 12:36

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Responding to recent comments by President Barack Obama and a top White House official, the Secular Coalition for America today urged the Obama administration to stop ignoring faith-based and taxpayer-funded employment discrimination and recommit to the president’s 2008 campaign promise to overturn the Bush-era policy that allows such discrimination to occur.

Under current guidelines established by a 2002 executive order by President George W. Bush, religious organizations that receive federal funding to engage in community services are allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion when hiring or employing staff, even if the individual’s job is not related to core religious functions.

http://www.secular.org/content/secular-coalition-white-house-stop-ignoring-faith-based-employment-discrimination

[thereismore]

1. We should stop all that faith-based shit. nt

[humblebum]

2. Just think. The Pope could be the president of American Atheists.

Oh scratch that, he doesn't have a green card.

[Iggo]

16. I'd vote for him. (n/t)

[humblebum]

3. The President probably has little say in the matter. It's between Congress

and the Courts. It's a Separation issue.

[cleanhippie]

5. Is one discrimination while the other is not?

Thats all thats being asked here, bum. Thats all that being asked. Care to answer the question?


And it IS up to the President, as its an EXECUTIVE ORDER that being questioned here.

Sheesh, man, whats up with the lack of reading comprehension?


But thats irrelevant. Is it discrimination or not?

[humblebum]

7. Still subject to judicial review. And I believe that has already occurred.

But if not, I can't wait to go to work for American Atheists.

[cleanhippie]

8. Is one discrimination while the other is not?

Its a simple question. Yes or no will suffice.

[humblebum]

10. Definitely discrimination, but not all discrimination is illegal. Laws are

funny that way. Pull the funding from groups like World Vision and see how many starve and go without medical care.

[cleanhippie]

11. Great, thanks for your answer.

Thats all I wanted to know.

[dkf]

4. Yes it is discrimination but they are letting freedom of religion trump discrimination

[darkstar3]

17. And that's wrong.

[tama]

6. IMO it's discrimination

hence, also decision by an employer not to hire a rastafarian who would not cut his locks is discrimination.

[cleanhippie]

9. What if were for safety reasons?

What if the job was working around chains, belts and pulleys, and the employer required all employees to have short hair to maximize safety?

If the rastafarian refused to cut his hair and the employer refused to hire him on THAT reason alone, is it discrimination?

[tama]

12. The case

was discussed on this forum and the Rastafarian said that he had been saying that he can tie his hear and cover it for protective reasons of health and safety, but will not cut it. That was not enough for the employer, so the rastafarian sued and won.

[darkstar3]

18. Wrong. Those are two different reasons.

CHs OP was talking about not hiring someone specifically because of their religion, and no other reason.

The case you reference was about a prospective employee who stated that he would not adhere to the dress code of the workplace.

[tama]

21. OK

What kind of belief system discriminates people according to their dread lock hair style? Do you yourself support any form of discrimination against dread locks?

I and I now wanna smoke some herb and reason. :smoke:

[darkstar3]

22. As I said in the other thread,

dress codes are put in place by businesses for good reason. Sometimes it's about safety, and sometimes it's about ensuring that the clientele isn't offended, and sometimes it may be both of those or even other reasons. The bottom line is that they are not chosen arbitrarily, and stating in an interview that you will refuse to comply with the company dress code is pretty much like a sign that says "don't hire me." It doesn't matter if your reasoning is religious or not, the employer is going to go with an equally qualified or better candidate who will comply with the dress code, and it's as simple as that.

Finally, you and everyone else involved in the debate would do well to remember that the entire process of choosing one person over others is discrimination from top to bottom.

[tama]

25. I can relate

to what you say and respect that opinion. But I must also speak my heart. I do not confess to the religiouss dogma of rastafarianism but to me dancing good reggae with sensimilla can be a religiouss experience and I also carry beautifull dread locks on my head. Because of my hair style I've been couple times denied entrance to a bar or night club, and that does not feel good, it feels like discrimination.

And what you finally say touches my heart deeply, because it makes me think of love and commitment between a man and a woman, and then it makes me think about the woman I love. And I cannot deny that in its way, in some regards, it is a discrimination process. At least for those of us, who can give all of their love to just one woman (at time) - for reasons often not unrelated to the fact that women can be bit jealous and possessive - and even more likable because of that. <3

[rug]

13. What if I don't hire you just because I don't like you?

Hypothetically, of course.

[cleanhippie]

14. That would explain your unemployment.

Hypothetically, of course.

[rug]

15. Another hypothesis proven to be wrong.

[cleanhippie]

20. Yeah, sure it is.

[Deep13]

24. If the reason you don't like him is because of...

...his race, religion, age, gender or ethnicity, it is illegal.

[NMMNG]

19. If your business/organization is religious

You can refuse to hire someone for any reason you want--including the fact that you don't approve of their religious lifestyle. If your business is secular you have to obey all anti-discrimination laws. It's just another example of religious privilege in our society, subsidized by the taxpayers no less.

[Humanist_Activist]

26. Not true, if the business is open to the public, then it must follow non-discrimination laws...

whether it is religious or not, the only organizations exempt from this are member's only organizations(Men's clubs are examples) and churches. For example, a local Catholic Church cannot be forced to hire a Presbyterian minister, however, Catholic Charities cannot discriminate against Presbyterians that want to work for them.

[Deep13]

23. Religious discrimination at work is illegal and ought to be.

The only exceptions are actual religious organizations because of the free exercise clause. I agree that the business and charitable aspects of religious organizations should not be able to discriminate, but they can.