Religion Should Support Civil Rights

Q: Dozens of major religious groups and denominations are urging Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to renounce a Bush-era memo that allows faith-based charities that receive federal funding to discriminate in hiring. Should religious charities that receive federal grant money be allowed to discriminate in hiring?

As a person of faith and the leader of an organization committed to protecting religious freedom, I support a religious organization's right to employ persons who share the faith and religious tradition of the organization, and I never would support infringement upon that right.

However, everything changes when a religious charity accepts government money to carry out its ministries and do its work. Under no circumstances should government dollars enable hiring discrimination.

Fully cognizant of the critical role played by religious and secular charities in helping people in need and appreciative of that reality, I cannot allow their work to be sullied by government-funded discrimination. Religion and civil rights should be best friends. Among religions' great values are an ability to bring people together and a capacity to function as the driving force behind many good works.

Religion never should be a part of discrimination.

This is why my colleagues and I have called on President Obama and Attorney General Holder to review and ultimately withdraw the Office of Legal Council's 2007 memo on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). While RFRA was enacted to protect religion, this memo's erroneous interpretation of RFRA has corrupted it into a justification for discrimination practiced in the name of religion. That association is neither good for religion nor for the nation. This memo must not be allowed to stand as policy and government money must not be used to discriminate.

By Welton Gaddy  |  September 23, 2009; 3:09 PM ET
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Posted by: paarsurrey | September 24, 2009 8:37 AM
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