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Friday, July 19, 2002

Say you work for a secular newspaper that is owned by a religious institution. Now imagine that you believe you have been passed over for raises and promotions at the paper because you do not belong to the religious organization that basically employs you. However, in order to support the claim that you have been unlawfully discriminated against, you need to find out whether those who have been promoted over you are religiously affiliated with the newspaper's owner. Can you do that or is it a violation of the right to privacy? That's a question currently "percolating" in federal court. Personally, this is an issue I need to stew over for a while, but my initial thought is that it should be permissible to delve into a person's religious background given the compelling interest the government has in preventing religious-based discrimination in the secular workplace.
A state court in Washington (figures) has ruled that employment discrimination against people who practice sodomy and lesbianism is unconstitutional. Well hell, why don't we just throw in pedophiles, masturbators and people who like to have sex with animals while we're at it!
It is apparrently okay in Bay Area government schools to physically tape little children to the floor and cause them trauma so long as it is done in the name of education.
The Problem extends beyond denomination and sect.

Thursday, July 18, 2002

Army personnel use charge cards to buy "services" at strip clubs.

"Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the individuals spent the money 'on lap dancing and other forms of entertainment,' running up a total bill of $38,000. Grassley disclosed the results of the General Accounting Office probe in testimony Wednesday before a House government operations subcommittee."
The reactions of the 9th Circuit judges to the protests over the court's Pledge of Allegiance decision shows just how out of touch and arrogant members of the judiciary are.
Thomas Buchanan on Science and God.

"In our world, theology has taken a back seat to science, but only because we have allowed it to. It is still a much more difficult thing to understand—the workings of the Lord of the Universe—and although many excellent scientists are working today, I know of few world-class theologians. I believe this is because theology is a broad discipline requiring an understanding of many fields—history, philosophy, literature, science, and so on—while science is a far more narrow discipline, requiring specific technical skills and little knowledge of anything else. Most scientists I know do not have the skills to study theology."
Some real interesting lawsuits are coming down the pike, so posts to this blog may be sporadic.

Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Can religious institutions and/or associations, like the Catholic Church, discriminate on the basis of religion in the sale, rental, or occupation of property it owns? Pursuant to Title 42 Section 3607 of the United States Code the general answer is "yes". Guess it's time to break out those "No Baptists Need Apply" signs...
Baptist school rejects Catholic teen even though non-Baptists are allowed to attend. Sad, yet unsurprising.

Monday, July 15, 2002