Religious discrimination

Originally posted by scottishinnz
I saw this in a job advertisement on an international academic jobs website

A minimum of a Master's degree in Biology, or an associated field, is required. A Ph.D. in Biology is preferred. The successful candidate will document effective classroom teaching and exhibit a commitment to professional development. [b][i]The candidate should be an active e ...[text shortened]... In the EU this would be illegal, but apparently not so in the US. What say ye, good people?

This would be allowed in a state funded school with a religious foundation, eg, a church of england school or a religiously founded 'city academy. Personally I think this is scandalous

Originally posted by aardvarkhome
This would be allowed in a state funded school with a religious foundation, eg, a church of england school or a religiously founded 'city academy. Personally I think this is scandalous

Do you think it would be acceptable at a private institution?

Originally posted by whiterose
to indocrnate their students with the evangelical faith.

Exactly! But it's an educational establishment (apparently). Isn't unbiased education more important than that? Shouldn't the government have the right to arbitrate educational standards and enforce minimum standards? Should this institution be allowed to use the title University (which has a specific definition, in that it has the ability to confer legally recognised degrees)?

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Exactly! But it's an educational establishment (apparently). Isn't unbiased education more important than that? Shouldn't the government have the right to arbitrate educational standards and enforce minimum standards? Should this institution be allowed to use the title University (which has a specific definition, in that it has the ability to confer legally recognised degrees)?

As long as they are teaching the subjects required for the degrees to be legally recognised, then there should be no problem with teaching christianity as well. The government certainly has the right to regulate educational standards, but just because a school teaches religion doesn't mean that it teaches nothing else. It is perfectly possible, although seemingly not usually the case, for an evangelical christian to be highly educated and deserving of a legally recognised degree.

Originally posted by whiterose
As long as they are teaching the subjects required for the degrees to be legally recognised, then there should be no problem with teaching christianity as well. The government certainly has the right to regulate educational standards, but just because a school teaches religion doesn't mean that it teaches nothing else. It is perfectly possible, although se ...[text shortened]... or an evangelical christian to be highly educated and deserving of a legally recognised degree.

Can't see them teaching biology fully though - what happens to evolution in their curriculum? Indeed, if they teach that ID crap I can't imagine they have any scientific credibility at all - it could all just be "miracles".

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Can't see them teaching biology fully though - what happens to evolution in their curriculum? Indeed, if they teach that ID crap I can't imagine they have any scientific credibility at all - it could all just be "miracles".

If they didn't teach biology fully, why would they be looking for someone with "a minimum of a Master's degree in Biology, or an associated field, A Ph.D. in Biology is preferred." Obviously a PhD in biology is not at odds with their religious teaching, and I would think that anyone with a PhD knows their subject and is able to teach it fully(well, assuming they are a good teacher, of course, which is kind of a big assumption really). Also, they themselves do not offer biology degrees, so maybe they only teach a minimum of biology as a core ciriculum subject.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Exactly! But it's an educational establishment (apparently). Isn't unbiased education more important than that? Shouldn't the government have the right to arbitrate educational standards and enforce minimum standards? Should this institution be allowed to use the title University (which has a specific definition, in that it has the ability to confer legally recognised degrees)?

No, the government shouldn't. Simpson is a small private religious university (about a 1,000 students) that openly declares it is run by evangelical Christians (it was founded in 1921 as Simpson Bible Institute). If people want to send their kids there or go themselves and pay the approximately $18,000 a year tutition, that's their call. And employers can decide how much weight to give a degree from such a school.

Originally posted by kirksey957
No, I don't like it. If I recall (we may need to get No. 1 in on this) there was a Supreme Court decision within the past 5 years that addressed this. I went to a seminary that only hired Baptists. There are other divinity schools that are receptive to other denominations teaching and I think this only adds to the creativity and diversity of the learning.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has the following provision:

EXEMPTION

SEC. 2000e-1. [Section 702]

(a) This subchapter shall not apply to an employer with respect
to the employment of aliens outside any State, or to a religious
corporation, association, educational institution, or society with respect
to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work
connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association,
educational institution, or society of its activities.

Originally posted by no1marauder
If people want to send their kids there or go themselves and pay the approximately $18,000 a year tutition, that's their call.

Holy Jesus.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Holy Jesus.

Sounds cheap to me for the salvation of souls!

Originally posted by whiterose
If they didn't teach biology fully, why would they be looking for someone with "a minimum of a Master's degree in Biology, or an associated field, A Ph.D. in Biology is preferred." Obviously a PhD in biology is not at odds with their religious teaching, and I would think that anyone with a PhD knows their subject and is able to teach it fully(well, assumin ...[text shortened]... biology degrees, so maybe they only teach a minimum of biology as a core ciriculum subject.

Would you teach English without teaching grammer and punctuation?

Originally posted by Nemesio
Sounds cheap to me for the salvation of souls!

They probably cite that very example in defense of the validity of Pascal's Wager in their advanced philosophy courses.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Would you teach English without teaching grammer and punctuation?

I wouldn't teach english at all, at least not at university level, because I don't have a degree in it. Anyone with a PhD in a subject should know the basics of that subject and be able to teach them without a problem.

Originally posted by whiterose
I wouldn't teach english at all, at least not at university level, because I don't have a degree in it. Anyone with a PhD in a subject should know the basics of that subject and be able to teach them without a problem.

The entire point with biology is that evolutionary theory completely underpins the entire pursuit. Without evolutionary theory it degenerates to little more than stamp collecting.


[edit; and my point with English is not whether you personally would teach it, but philosophically whether you would mandate its teaching with core elements removed.]

Originally posted by scottishinnz
This is unbelieveable! Blatant discrimination on purely religious grounds. In the EU this would be illegal, but apparently not so in the US. What say ye, good people?

What if you see it as a qualification or ability rather than a 'property' of the person. For example you have no problem with them saying "Must have a degree" or even "must be highly motivated".
Would requiring a football coach to be able to walk be discrimination against disabled people?
Discrimination is more often considered unacceptable when two people who are equally capable of doing a particular job get different opportunities based on something that does not affect their ability to do the job.