Amberton University's Employment Discrimination.

Amberton University operates in accordance with Christian principles and considers it unethical (as well as illegal) to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion*, age, sex, nondisqualifying handicap, or national or ethnic origin in admissions, employment opportunities, educational programs or activities which it operates.

Inquiries regarding the University's equal opportunity policy and non-discrimination may be addressed to:

Vice President for Strategic Services
Amberton University
1700 Eastgate Drive
Garland, Texas 75041-5595
(972) 279-6511 ext. 126

* While Amberton University does not discriminate on the basis of religion concerning admission, the University does discriminate on the basis of religion concerning employment. Because the University is committed to Christian ethics, a Christian belief is required of employees.

http://www.amberton.edu/GenInfo.htm

 

There are two conflicting statements

Amberton University operates in accordance with Christian principles and considers it unethical (as well as illegal) to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion*, age, sex, nondisqualifying handicap, or national or ethnic origin in admissions, employment opportunities, educational programs or activities which it operates.


* While Amberton University does not discriminate on the basis of religion concerning admission, the University does discriminate on the basis of religion concerning employment. Because the University is committed to Christian ethics, a Christian belief is required of employees.

 

How could a non-Christian impart Christian ethics to students? I am amazed that they don't limit enrollment to Christians.

Private school - free country - how it works.

In my part of Canada - formerly owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, Roman Catholics have a constitutional right to fully taxpayer supported education. Any religion can attend but they better enjoy the complete Catholic education process.

Other denominations, other than Protestants as a group in Roman Catholic areas, have no similar guarantee.

 

Besides, S.C. Bose could explain to us lesser breeds without the law why discrimination is good.

 

Manjuap - It is a well established principle in the law that religous schools can discriminate on the basis of religion when the tenets of the governing body require it.

For example, a religous school can require that all faculty be associated with a particular religious faith. I have had to produce written evidence of my religous affiliation to teach at some schools.

This isn't anything new - it has gone on for years and is certainly allowable under U.S. law.

Regards - Andy

 

I guess the simple story is that why would a church or religious group start a university unless it was to provide something not offered at public institutions?

 

In other words, they will take heathen students' money, but wouldn't soil themselves by employing us.

That may or may not be their legal right, but there's no reason why I have to approve of it.

A religious doctrinal standard may be defensible when hiring faculty to teach that particular religious tradition. But when the religious employment standard is extended to academic programs in general, unrelated to the preparation of clergy, I think that it goes too far.

I won't enroll in a university that refuses to hire people like myself, and I won't recommend that sort of school to others.

 

I've gotten the impression that some of you take a very dim view of anti-Semitism. As I read it, Amberton is refusing to hire Jews.
I'm curious what your opinion is on that.

 

Supporting an Organization's Beliefs vs. Discrimination

I am in no way affiliated with Amberton University, but the views that some of the users have on this post intrigue me. If anyone wants, here are my few thoughts:

1) I would guess that Christian Universities are chartered by Christians, churches and/or Christian groups. As such, their mandate/mission/goal most likely implicitly or explicitly says something to the effect of “serving Jesus, fulfilling the Great Commission, etc.." In effect, the Universities primary goal is to serve Jesus through educating students. It could easily be argued that if someone is not a Christian, they as individuals could not be doing their part to achieve the mandate/mission/goal of the group.

2) Some supposed liberal scholars believe that any University which restricts information and choice is narrow minded and on that fact alone is supplying a less than adequate education. However, that view is fatally flawed. Ever been to the Naval Academy or West Point? How much choice do the cadets have?
Regardless of what the liberals say, what is the ratio of fortune 500 CEOs from the Academies compared to the schools from the left. For many people, a strict regimented life actually may cause them to perform better in future years.

3) I doubt most Christian Universities, would push the issue. As long a person lives a Christian Lifestyle, and holds to some pretty basic tenets, regardless of what denomination they belong to, it would be an issue. For example, that means an Independent Baptist University would allow a Methodist English teacher, an Assembly of God University would allow a Mennonite professor, etc. In effect, at most Christian Universities you will much less discrimination than at other schools.

I hope this helps.

Ed Ketusky

 

Fair question, Bill. I am not a particular defender of this school's policy, since to me the "only hire your own" notion only makes sense if there is a specific doctrinal/confessional identity at stake. Is this school's policy anti-Semitic? Probably not. It would not be, I think, anti-Christian (or anti-Carpathian) if a specifically Jewish (or Muslim, or Buddhist) institution would refuse to hire me because I was the wrong religion.

If you want to find really bitter anti-Semitism in American colleges, my guess would be that specifically Christian schools are somewhat less likely to harbor the plague than certain public universities catering to ethnic or religio-cultural groups which--at best--have not come to terms with and repudiated their anti-Semitism. It was at a public university in the state of Michigan where I saw posters advertising study groups on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion--and they weren't put up by the Anti-Defamation League, either. The student affairs office had approved the event, too.

Having said all that, would I want to teach OR study at a school which openly excluded my religion? No. Or my ethnic group? No. What self-respecting person would? If it were the only game in town, that would be different. But should I lose even what few marbles I have and go looking for a teaching position in a seminary, I wouldn't be too upset to find out that RIETS or BJU or Meadville-Lombard or Hsi Lai (if it has a seminary-type program) categorically wouldn't hire me. It's their sandbox, after all, and they have every right to control who poops in it.

 

SC BOSE has nothing to do with amberton or its discrimination.