Okay, now I'm no expert :) But Clark, a Catholic, was turned down for a full-time position within the Salvation Army because he "is not Christian".
Wow...I don't even know if there's a word to describe that amount of ignorance...
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Man sues Salvation Army in religious discrimination
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
VAL WALTON
News staff writer
(http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/117256809131630.xml&coll=2)
An Anniston man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Salvation Army, contending he was illegally passed over for a position because he is Catholic.
The suit filed on behalf of Anthony J. Clark contends he sought a social work opening in spring 2005 after already having worked for the Salvation Army for almost two years.
The Salvation Army is a charity that operates as an evangelical effort of Christians. Its Web site says its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs without discrimination.
Salvation Army officials in Anniston declined comment and referred calls to the organization's Jackson, Miss., office.
Mark Jones, a spokesman for the Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi divisional headquarters, said it's the organization's policy not to comment on personnel matters.
The suit said Clark sent a letter to his supervisor on May 17, expressing his interest in filling the position in Anniston. Clark, the suit said, had worked as a part-time social worker from November 2003 to December 2003. He subsequently worked full-time from January 2004 to May 2004 because of another worker's illness.
The suit said despite having three letters of recommendation, another person who had only part-time seasonal experience was hired when a full-time position came open.
The lawsuit said when Clark asked why he wasn't hired, his supervisor, Maj. Larry Hambrick, replied he was not a practicing Christian.
When asked if he was a Christian, Clark said he was a Catholic and was then informed that was why he was not selected for the position, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Clark complained to the Salvation Army's national headquarters, and left the organization on Aug. 19, 2005.
Birmingham lawyer John Saxon called the Salvation Army a wonderful organization that does faith-related work. But Saxon said the social work position was a non-ministerial position.
"They are not exempt from civil rights laws," Saxon said.
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Now, I know that different Christian groups have different beliefs as to what a good Christian is or is not - otherwise there would only be one Christian religion rather than several of them; but in all honesty, the base definition (in a nut shell) is some one who believes in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.
So if a requirement for this job was to be a Christian, who should be able to determine that this man wasn't a Christian?
And I'm not even going to touch on the fact that a Catholic is a Christian. Well, not again anyway... :)
But in all seriousness, who taught this guy, Hambrick, religion and what his religion is?
This is just one more example of why I say Christianity is beginning to decline and fade; not because of the "nonbelievers" as they would have us believe but because of the constant bickering among themselves. They can't even agree on what a Christian is! How are they ever going to agree on how a Christian should act?
I've always found it deliciously ironic that a religion founded in peace and love is too busy fighting with itself to ever actually do anything peaceful or loving. I hope this guy wins his lawsuit; discrimination's not a good thing.
(if you can't see the fnords they won't eat you)
How bizarre.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of the sun fall upon your home."
"This is just one more example of why I say Christianity is beginning to decline and fade; not because of the "nonbelievers" as they would have us believe but because of the constant bickering among themselves. They can't even agree on what a Christian is! How are they ever going to agree on how a Christian should act?"
You could not have said it better, and I have been telling people that for years. But since I'm not Christian, I'm lumped in with the nonbelievers that are trying to destroy their religion. *sigh* With behavior like this, why would anyone want to convert that isn't?
~ Kayote
Visit me at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kayote
Catholics are not Christian, unless they are Catholics by name only. Christianity states that only Christ can remove sin. Catholics go along the lines of "I'm a good person."
When you are in the position of witnessing to others, then you do not want someone who will undermine the Good News by taking away the only thing that makes Christianity stand out from all others- it is not your goodness that gets you right with God.
On another note, why should a private business have to hire people who go against their beliefs? Now that those who were once unable to get jobs have entire industries as options, why would we force one business to take them? If someone else will not hire someone because of race, now that the biggest discrimination is over, fine. I will hire them and when my business runs theirs into the ground because I have smarter employees and the rejected worker owns the pitiful remains of theirs, their loss. My buddy and I's gain.
Christians do not blame nonchristians for our lessening influence. We blame people who take our name and defile it. Imagine someone trashing an old ladies yard and leaving your name graphitied over everything- that is how we feel.