From: caw@gtech.com (Christopher A. White)
Subject: Re: Anti Gay Discrimination Laws (was TANGENT: ...)
Organization: GTECH Corporation, West Greenwich, RI
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 14:42:59 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.201008.1542@prpa.philips.com> ross@prpa.philips.com (Ross Morley) writes:
>mcr@meaddata.com (Mary Ries) writes:
>>I would support a law that has this goal... although I think if a gay
>>person agrees _not_ to promote beliefs conflicting with a private
>>organization's policies, they should not be discriminated against for
>>hire.  It could get tricky, but I think it could work.
>
>I have a problem with the idea that a teacher can teach what he/she
>doesn't believe in, especially when teaching children in the area of
>moral values.

Which is why teachers should be teaching facts and morals should be
taught in the home. The nature of good teachers is curiosity and free
thinking, and this will *inevitably* lead to arriving at some conclusion
that is different from the organization. Having teachers which accept the
line of the organization completely will create a stifled and insubstancial
thought process. The only choice is to move moral teaching to the parents
and use the church/school for basic broad guidelines.


 If a teacher is a practicing homosexual the kids will
>pick this up, or at least pick up attitudes arising from belief in this
>lifestyle, even if the teacher does not consciously and deliberately
>promote it. Teachers should believe in what they teach, else they are
>being false and will confuse the kids and unconsciously convey the
>message that it's O.K. to be a hypocrite. For this reason I think it is
>imperative that Chirstian schools have the freedom NOT to hire teachers
>whose lifestyle conveys a message contrary to God's moral standards
>clearly set forth in scripture.

You are way to late, unfortunately. A teacher can be a confirmed NAZI,
member of the communist party, whatever, and as long as they teach the
curriculum and don't violate any students civil rights, you not only
cannot fire them, you *cannot even ask their position*. 

>Even so, it would not stop the church from functioning. It would
>require a revamp of the way churches and Christian schools and other
>organizations are organized. Full-time staff would have to be supported
>in non-monetary ways, with housing, food, clothing and education for
>their kids, etc., provided directly by the members of the congregation.

Wouldn't work. Since those things (food, housing, education) have 
measurable monetary values, it is a "paid" position and would fall
under the legal guidlines.

>Many tasks now done by full-time staff might be handled by several
>vounteers working in their "spare" time. Small congregations meeting in
>homes might become more common.

This would work.


>Introduction of things like this seem to be only a matter of time...
>but the effect of this persecution on the church (the body of Christ)
>will be, as history has shown, a purification of the church,
>challenging the church to become more real in it's practice of
>Christianity, and revealing congregations that are not really serious
>about following Christ.


The issue with this in the US is that we (as a country) have taken a
strong line between volunteer things and things related to a persons
livelihood. We will not, indeed should not, prevent anyone, regardless
of what we think of their personal lives, from living. In the US, part
of that is having a paying job. The argument that "They can work else-
where" is logically insubstancial for obvious reasons. 

As a history lesson, let's look at men's private clubs. Men's clubs have
been opened not because we think that women should be allowed in to
the club, but because business was being conducted in the club at not
allowing women into that business opportunity affected their livlihood.

The only way for the church to ethically avoid a problem is to make
pastorships not related to livlihood.

Of course, an intensive review of the church's standings on homosexuality
may just make the whole problem a non-issue ....


Topher
-- 
 Christopher A. White                    | Free Radical Programming
 caw@gtech.com                           |   High combat Rock'n'Roll 
 GTech Corporation, West Greenwich, RI   |      Software - Break the rules
 The opinions expressed are mine alone   |         and take no prisoners!
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian