 Help wanted – but not from Jesus By John H. Adams The Layman Online Tuesday, May 22, 2001
But your money is no good if, besides Presbyterian, you say the youth minister should be “an energetic and outspoken Christian leader” who demonstrates “a contagious faith in Jesus Christ.” Because of those phrases, The Journal-Constitution rejected a classified ad drafted by Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church near Savannah, Ga. It approved a similar ad with those phrases replaced by “strong atheistic or agnostic convictions required.” “‘Presbyterian’ is OK, but the minute you say ‘Christian leader’ and ‘a contagious faith in Jesus Christ,’ we don’t accept that,” Ryan Thomas, a classified ad supervisor for The Journal-Constitution, told The Presbyterian Layman. Such language, he said, would discriminate against “some Jewish or Buddhist person who might be qualified for the job.” Christine Davidson, who manages the employment ads for the newspaper, said the newspaper’s policy of rejecting ads that include references to “Christian” faith – or any faith – is intended to “protect our readers” from advertising that could appear discriminatory. A member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, the largest congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Davidson made it clear that she was not the author of the policy. Lloyd Lunceford of Baton Rouge, La., a media lawyer whose clients include the Louisiana Press Association, said the Atlanta newspaper has the right to establish whatever policy it wants – as long as it does not violate federal law against discrimination in the workplace. But Lunceford, a director of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, said there is a well known “ministerial exception” to federal law requiring nondiscrimination in employment ads. The exception allows churches and other religious groups to include faith requirements in their advertisements for its ministers – senior, associate, music, youth and otherwise. “If I were a member of a Christian church in Atlanta, I’d swamp them with letters to the editor,” Lunceford said. Eric W. Robyn, stated clerk at Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church, took another tack to test The Journal-Constitution policy. Robyn wrote and submitted to the newspaper a fake advertisement on behalf of a “well-respected and growing secular humanist training institution.” The advertisement sought youth leader experienced “in refuting and debating traditional beliefs, especially Christian … Strong atheistic or agnostic convictions required.” Within an hour after faxing the advertisement to The Journal-Constitution, Robyn received a response. The newspaper would publish the ad in its Sunday classified section for $417.54. Robyn fired off a letter to the editor of The Journal-Constitution, saying, “The AJC should be ashamed of the overt discrimination shown here. This hypocrisy is surpassed only by the AJC’s arrogant belief in its own ‘tolerance’ and ‘lack of bias.’ “Do your readers understand that an ad clearly reflecting atheistic or agnostic faith can be run in your paper, while one articulating Christian faith cannot?” Both Robyn and The Presbyterian Layman asked for a copy of the newspaper’s policy against faith language, but neither had received one at press time. In his “Pastor’s Note” column to members of Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Harriss Ricks asked members of the congregation, “Are you beginning to wonder what happened to free speech? Are you wondering if this was the reason the Revolutionary War was fought? I’m thinking some of you should … fire off a letter to the editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
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