Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Church and State Violation

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Church and state violation If the criteria of Matthew and Thomas’ â€Å"Christian-only† hiring policy was spread across to all religions, then they could probably get away with it as long as the employment contracts with employees state such. If this were for a school and they had more than 15 employees, then they would have to have posters posted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 informing employees of their rights with the utilization of the language approved by the EEOC. Under the Great Commission Perspective this policy would be advisable. Being raised Baptist, currently non-denominational,some of my old Baptist fundamentalist views came into play. Being raised Baptist, I was taught that it is our rights as Christians to setup outreach ministries, missionaries, and bring as many souls to the kingdom as possible by ministering to people we meet on a day to day basis, even if this means going door to door. This goes hand in hand with several passages from the Bible. In re-reading Genesis 12: 1-3, the Great Commission Perspective, Gen. 8: 14-15 and Matthew 28: 18-20, we see the promise of God for our lives as well as the duties expected of us as Christians. â€Å"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. † (Matthew 28: 18-20, KJV). In verse 19, Jesus charges us to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the trinity. Verse 20 is our assurance, His promise that he is with us always, until the end of the world as we know it. â€Å"And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. â€Å"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (Genesis 28:14-15, KJV). In verse 14 we shall travel all ends of the earth saving souls for Christ and as a result of our faithfulness to God’s word, our children and generations to come will be blessed. Verse 15 is God’s promise that he is with us until the end and will keep us, protect us, and will not forsake us. Other scripture that comes to mind that gives the same instruction based on the Great Commission Perspective is,  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. † (Mark 16:15, KJV). We can also look at the book of Luke for the same instructions, â€Å"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. † (Luke 24:47, KJV). Like Paul, some of us are meant to be apostles, setting up churches for the greater good of the kingdom and overseeing them to ensure that kingdom work is being carried out. Even though Thomas and Matthew have a good idea in regards to their hiring policy of Christians only, in my opinion it would only be foreseeable in a perfect world and in my own utopia. With so many laws that protect others religious beliefs, it makes it hard to turn a profit with such a policy in place, especially if they are looking for federal assistance in regards to utilizing tax payer dollars. My answers would change drastically if Thomas and Matthew were opening a Christian school rather than a manufacturing company. The conditions and laws change in matthew and thomas’ favor greatly. Being a school means that they have the freedom to carry out these hiring policies. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII allows churches and religious organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion (Bagley & Savage p. 68). Under the RFRA, Religious Freedom Restoration Act 1993, federal grant programs can exempt Christian relief organizations from prohibitions against hiring only those of its own faith, (p. 136). During the Bush Administration, more funds were appropriated for expansion of religious hiring rights, including issuance of an executive order t hat set the policy for federal administration agencies, (Esbeck, Carlson-Thies, Sider). Christian schools need a Christian only hiring policy in my opinion because it protects the morals, values and ethics of the Bible and how each professor uses it in accordance with everyday learning. You have people who study the word and know the word, but don’t live by the word, including some Christians, but when it comes to instructing others on how to live according to the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth), then a hiring policy that discriminates against religious preference makes sense. These principles are maintained by the federal government when it comes to hiring for Head Start programs and for the Workforce Investment Act References Carl H. Esbeck Stanley W. Carlson-Thies Ronald J. Sider http://www. religionandsocialpolicy. org/docs/religiousstaffing. pdf