Religious Discrimination to Become Legal

[Apocalypse]

Not all religious institutions hire based on religion. I went to a Catholic high school and half my history teachers were anti-catholic to a small extent, they just didn't say things openly all but a couple times.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Sava
If they want to retain their "private" rights. They should remain private.

Sure, they can opt out of participating altogether, and make their services available only for a fee, not at all, or only to members.

Education is more important. Please explain to me how discriminating against someone's religion will improve a child's ability to read. I thought America was about the best person getting the job regardless of race, gender, religion, or political beliefs. Silly me. As I pointed out, this stupid bill doesn't even require teachers to have Bachelor's Degrees. It sounds like this bill is more about chipping away at more freedoms and rights rather than improving education. I don't know about you, but I don't want someone who's only qualified to be working at McDonalds to be watching my children (when I have some). To put this in perspective. I am qualified, under these rules, to be teaching children. AND I SHOULDN'T BE IN A POSITION TO INFLUENCE THE YOUTH OF AMERICA!

Since you're dealing with preschool kids learning to read, it's not likely they'll be contaminated with anything more ideologically dangerous than, say... Dr. Seuss.

Should the Nation of Islam have to hire avowed athiests or evangelical Christians? Should a mainstream Episcopal church with a preschool program have to hire someone of Fred Phelp's ilk? Since the overall pool of religious people of various beliefs is more or less evenly represented by the pool of religious organizations of those same beliefs, allowing these organizations to maintain their existing hiring privelege (which doesn't affect 501 (c)(3) status for faith-based charities and never has, BTW) isn't going to affect the number of jobs available to any particular group.

Allowing them to maintain their hiring privilege while still being allowed to operate Head Start programs has no net effect on who will be employed where. It simply allows expansion of Head Start to a greater number of service providers, who are still subject to parental choice.

As far as qualifications go, a bachelor's degree might be nice in theory, but preschool education and early child development are still fairly scarcely offered degree programs, especially in proportion to the number needed if you mandate such standards for all preschool teachers and caregivers. Qualification standards and background checks are an entirely different issue, but bachelor's degrees is not a realistic minimum requirement to apply across the board.

Oh - and Sava, in reference to your last post, that's just nonsensical. Nobody is giving "educational institutions" "less choices" - secular organizations are still subject to all applicable civil rights laws, faith based organizations are allowed to continue their existing hiring exemptions that allow them to only hire within their faith. The only difference is that accepting Head Start money won't obligate them to change those hiring practices to accomodate an program requirement fundamentally irrelevant to the program goal.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Sava
They should quit. Federal money should go to educational institutions that higher the best teachers, not just the ones with the same religious orientation as their employers.

The thing is, those institutions are putting in their resources to, so the result is a pooling of resources, and ULTIMATELY more education.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Not all religious institutions hire based on religion. I went to a Catholic high school and half my history teachers were anti-catholic to a small extent, they just didn't say things openly all but a couple times.

Exactly. However, they have the right to choose to restrict hiring to practicing Catholics if they so wish.

[Shi Huangdi]

Excellent News

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Since the overall pool of religious people of various beliefs is more or less evenly represented by the pool of religious organizations of those same beliefs, allowing these organizations to maintain their existing hiring privelege (which doesn't affect 501 (c)(3) status for faith-based charities and never has, BTW) isn't going to affect the number of jobs available to any particular group.

Allowing them to maintain their hiring privilege while still being allowed to operate Head Start programs has no net effect on who will be employed where.

Could you elaborate this a bit? It doesn't make much sense right now.

[Dis]

hey you lefties get to brainwash our kiddies for 12 school years, give the religious right 1 preschool year to brainwash please

[Inverse Icarus]

we just don't want the jews undermining our catholic preschools, duh!

[oedo]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi


Excellent News

I oftenly wondered what kind of church did brainwash you.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Uber KruX
we just don't want the jews undermining our catholic preschools, duh!

Exactly! Those filth contaminating innocent children.....

[chequita guevara]

Actually, the worst part of this bill isn't really covered in this dicsussion. They're reducing the amount of money for Head Start. So much for "no child left behind."

[monolith94]

No child* left behind!


*Definition of child may vary depending on state.

[DAVOUT]

I wonder how one can give evidence of ones religious orientation.

[Apocalypse]

Usually there are church records.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Usually there are church records.

Does that mean that a Church has to confirm my religious orientation ?