Via JMG: SCOTUS: Humanitarian Faith Groups Can Discriminate In Hiring Practices

The Supreme Court today refused to hear the appeal of a lower court's ruling that faith-based humanitarian organizations may legally refuse to hire those outside of their religion. The suit had been brought on behalf of several former employees of the massive Virgina-based evangelical group World Vision.

In August, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that World Vision could legally discriminate in hiring based on religious affiliation. The court, upholding a lower court ruling on a discrimination suit, said World Vision qualifies as a faith-based humanitarian organization and is exempt from the Civil Rights Act. The U.S. Supreme Court Monday affirmed that appeals court decision by refusing to hear the case. “Our Christian faith has been the foundation of our work since the organization was established in 1950, and our hiring policy is vital to the integrity of our mission to serve the poor as followers of Jesus Christ,” said Richard Stearns, World Vision U.S. president, in a statement.

World Vision is an international relief agency with annual donations of over $2 billion. They have been accused of deceptive practices regarding their aid to poor children in foreign countries.

Labels: employment, religion, Supreme Court

reposted from Joe

Via Pedantic Political Ponderings:

Praise: President Obama at the Human Rights Commission last night

Last night, President Obama spoke at the Human Rights Commission.  The video begins with a speech by outgoing head of the HRC Joe Solmonese.  Mr. Obama begins to speak at about 9:55 into the video.

Here are a few lines that caught my ear:

Every single American:  gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society.  It's a pretty simple proposition.

The President is, of course, correct.  Equality is called for in the Founding Documents of the United States of America.  It is a simple concept, but will not be a simple achievement.

The President went on to enumerate his important achievements on that path to full equality

• The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Law
• Executive Order that hospitals that accept Medicare must allow same gender partners as visitors
• Lifting of the HIV travel ban
• Comprehensive National Strategy to fight HIV/AIDS
• Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)

make the jump here to read the full Pondering

Via AmericaBlogGay: Obama castigates GOP prez candidates: Commander in Chief must support gay troops

The highlight of the President's speech at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner was his sharp rebuke of the GOP presidential candidates for refusing to say a word while several members of the audience at the last debate booed a gay soldier. Here's that snippet, from Igor Volsky of ThinkProgress:

make the jump here to read the full story

President Obama Addresses the 15th Annual HRC National Dinner

Via AmericaBlogGay: DOD memos: Marriages can happen on ANY base

The Washington Post and a few other media outlets got the story wrong. The marriages are not only allowed on bases in states that permit gay marriage, contrary to what the Post reported. The marriages are permitted on any base anywhere, provided that state law doesn't prohibit the marriages taking place on a base, and no state law prohibits that anyway.  State law simply says, in some states, that the state won't recognize a gay marriage - they do not prohibit men and women of the cloth from conducting such marriages, and don't prohibit them from happening on a military base.  So, yes, these can happen at any base in the country.  This is good. 

Signed Chaplains Memo

Signed Facilities Memo-1

Christianity and Marriage

If Christianity shouldn't be a basis to argue against interracial marriage, then why should Christianity be a basis to argue against same-sex marriage?

"I Do" - Australian Marriage Equality [MEGA MOB]

Real Time With Bill Maher: Bill Maher PSA (HBO)

Via JMG: Thrice Married Serial Adulterer Finds Gay Marriage To Be As Temporary As His Ability To Not F%*k Women Who Aren't His Wife

Thrice Married Serial Adulterer Finds Gay Marriage To Be As Temporary As His Ability To Not F%*k Women Who Aren't His Wife

"I think this [gay marriage] is a temporary aberration that will dissipate. I think that it is just fundamentally goes against everything we know." - Newt Gingrich, who would like remind you that marriage is between one man and one woman whom you abandon riddled with cancer on her hospital bed while you fuck the shit out of your next wife whom you later cheat on while screaming with Godly moral outrage about the infidelities of the president.

Labels: divorce, hypocrisy, liars, Newt Gingrich

reposted from Joe

Via Gay Politics Report: Opposition to marriage equality drops, survey finds

More Americans now support than oppose marriage rights for same-sex couples, according to a bi-annual survey from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Marriage equality is favored by 64% of those under 30 years old, but by only 27% of people older than 70, the survey found. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Reuters (9/28)