Should faith-based organisations be allowed to refuse to hire people who don't live according to the organisation's belief system?

This was the question the SMH asked in a poll after this article:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillards-bizarre-act-of-faith-leaves-vulnerable-unprotected-20130113-2cnf0.html

“The new law will back any faith-based organisation that refuses to hire Penny Wong if having a lesbian on the payroll injures "the religious sensitivities of adherents of that religion".

“It's a bigots' charter.”

“Some faiths, denominations and dioceses want nothing to do with these privileges.”

“Labor is insisting on one tiny concession: the faiths will have to accept same sex couples in retirement villages and nursing homes that have Commonwealth funding. But those same homes and villages will still be able to refuse to employ gays and lesbians to look after them.”

My opinion is that they should have the right to hire who they want, absolutely. But let’s not give those organisations any public money or public clients and contracts.

Exemptive laws need to be very carefully considered… In a secular society, equality before the law requires equality of the law, its treatment and its application.

"My opinion is that they should have the right to hire who they want, absolutely." is no guarantee of correct religious interpretation and therefore protection of religious sensibilities.

As long as humans are involved in the selection process there is the risk of moral relativism. Or relative nepotism.

So the only way to guarantee moral absolutism would be for God to make the choice – this would increase efficiency as it obviates the need for a selection panel or any subsequent appeal process.

It's not like *He* is incapable of doing this, is it?

An exemption in the case of Christian organisations for Jesus to be substituted would seem acceptable.

On the other hand, no exemption for L. Ron Hubbard seems acceptable.

and as for ATSIC. Should we give them money or is this just another Christophobic rant.

Ethical people need to email the PM and their local MP with a message similar to the following;

I note from a new reports that Jim Wallace, of the Australian Christian Lobby, is claiming that you have "assured religious groups they will have the "freedom" to discriminate against homosexuals and others deemed sinners under the new Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill".

If that is correct I am appalled, particularly if that applies in an employee/employer situation. Obviously The Australian Christian Lobby (and other likeminded religious), when 'deeming sinners', ignores the biblical injunctions, "Judge not that ye not be judged" (Matthew 7) and " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8, 7)

Surely in any employment situation, no employee has the right to deliberately undermine, internally, their employer's position on any societal issue but, surely, that should be the limit of the employer's rights to exercise any control at all over an employee's private life.

A blanket ability to discriminate is decidedly unchristian.

While 22.3 % of respondents answered no religion to the deliberately skewed religion question in the last census I suggest that that result is very misleading and that well over half of all Australians are no more than "Cultural Christians."

The discrimination in the proposed Bill ignores the views of the majority.

Dear Piper,

Reminds me of the old saying: "You can lead a horse
to water but ..."

Most people and organisations will find a way of
getting around laws. Laws may act as a deterrant
for some but not for all. Those that are determined
to do what they want will find a way to circumvent
the laws and get what they want.

I remember when working in Los Angeles there were laws
in place that tried to uphold blacks being treated
with equality. Yet employers still found a way and a
reason for not hiring black people or for that matter -
renting apartments to them.

'But let’s not give those organisations any public money or public clients and contracts. '

Yeah lets just take taxes from Christians and fund killing babies, promoting porn and saving the whale. Nothing like hypocrisy.