Ark Encounter Theme Park Won't Hire Non-Christian Employees

[doggie]

this looks like it is going to be another nasty judgmental christian stupid park. this statement is not a sure thing but how could they get way with this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/1 ... 91874.html

Kentucky's Ark Encounter won't open until 2016, but the theme park is already making headlines for reportedly requiring prospective employees to agree to a "statement of faith" that excludes homosexuality, among other stipulations.

Daniel Phelps, the president of the Kentucky Paleontological Society and vice president of Kentuckians for Science Education, pointed to the apparent requirements in an Op-Ed for The Lexington Herald-Leader.

"It is apparent that Ark Encounter is likely to discriminate against non-Christians," Phelps writes. "Moreover, Catholics, mainstream Protestant Christians and some conservative Christians who have different doctrinal beliefs are also unlikely to be hired."

He adds:

The ad has specific religious requirements for employment. These include a salvation testimony, a "creation belief statement" and a requirement that applicants agree with the organization's "statement of faith." This required statement includes articles that imply that fundamentalist Christianity is the only acceptable religion and that denigrate non-Christians non-fundamentalist Christians, and homosexuals (regardless of their theological views).

[Four is Enough]

Great balls of fire! How stupid ARE these people? They allow NOTHING but their own narrow belief system.

[Firiel]

If it's a non-profit, that's pretty normal.

Now I'll actually read the article to see if it says anything about non-profit status.

[Firiel]

In a sense, the Ark Encounter is both a for-profit and not-for-profit endeavor. The Ark Encounter is a for-profit operation but is managed by a non-profit subsidiary ministry of Answers in Genesis. The LLC and its members will be responsible for all of the normal taxes required for pass-through business entities.

creationmuseumnews.com/docs/Ark%20Encounter/20FAQs_about_the_ark.pdf

I have no idea what that means regarding the ability to discriminate based on religion, but maybe FJ lawyers can weigh in.

[doggie]

If it's a non-profit, that's pretty normal.

Now I'll actually read the article to see if it says anything about non-profit status.

it is for profit come on now Ken ham not make a profit off his suckers I mean devoted christians?

[salex]

it is for profit come on now Ken ham not make a profit off his suckers I mean devoted christians?

Not for profit doesn't mean he can't still earn a boatload of money from the people coming to visit, it is just a different form of "company"

Organizations from Battelle to the Red Cross to all the mega ministries are not for profits, but their leadership does not starve.

[ViolaSebastian]

27% of Kentucky children are living in poverty and our education system is pathetic and this state is giving money to build this piece of crap. :roll:

[doggie]

27% of Kentucky children are living in poverty and our education system is pathetic and this state is giving money to build this piece of crap. :roll:

plus this will only benefit certain Christians. I wish someone would smoke hams butt.

[thoughtful]

I wish someone would smoke hams butt.

[doggie]

You saying he is just half a ham? or half a butt?

[2xx1xy1JD]

I'm not an expert in American employment law.

Generally speaking, though, you can't discriminate on the basis of religion, unless it's clear that religion is related to the basic job requirement. For example, you can make specific religious beliefs a legitimate job requirement for clergy.

I'm guessing that telling children that Noah herded all the animals two by two into an ark exactly like this one, while keeping a perfect straight face, is a basic job requirement, along with answering any questions like "did the dinosaurs drown in the Flood?".

[thoughtful]

You saying he is just half a ham? or half a butt?

:D

He's definitely a full butt -- 100% ass, that one!

It was just the best picture that came up when I googled "smoked ham butt," of course!

[doggie]

:D

He's definitely a full butt -- 100% ass, that one!

It was just the best picture that came up when I googled "smoked ham butt," of course!

I was thinking more like half assed. :pink-shock:

[meda]

If these morons are a religious non-profit, then yes they are allowed to only hire people of their own religion. A business is not automatically consider a religious organization just because they are a non-profit that does supposedly "religious" stuff. Determining if a business is a church or religious organization for the purposes of an exception to Title VII of the Civil rights Act would be a threshold question for a hearing if someone were to bring an EEOC claim against them for their hiring practices.

From EEOC.gov:

Religious Organization Exception: Under Title VII, religious organizations are permitted to give employment preference to members of their own religion. The exception applies only to those institutions whose “purpose and character are primarily religious.†Factors to consider that would indicate whether an entity is religious include: whether its articles of incorporation state a religious purpose; whether its day-to-day operations are religious (e.g., are the services the entity performs, the product it produces, or the educational curriculum it provides directed toward propagation of the religion?); whether it is not-for-profit; and whether it affiliated with, or supported by, a church or other religious organization.

This exception is not limited to religious activities of the organization. However, it only allows religious organizations to prefer to employ individuals who share their religion. The exception does not allow religious organizations otherwise to discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Thus, a religious organization is not permitted to engage in racially discriminatory hiring by asserting that a tenet of its religious beliefs is not associating with people of other races.

[ViolaSebastian]

I'm not an expert in American employment law.

Generally speaking, though, you can't discriminate on the basis of religion, unless it's clear that religion is related to the basic job requirement. For example, you can make specific religious beliefs a legitimate job requirement for clergy.

I'm guessing that telling children that Noah herded all the animals two by two into an ark exactly like this one, while keeping a perfect straight face, is a basic job requirement, along with answering any questions like "did the dinosaurs drown in the Flood?".

Pfft, of course not. Creation Museum holds that they were on the ark. With Noah. And that when cultures talk about dragons, they're really referring to the dinosaurs that survived on Noah's Ark. :?

[Vivi_music]

Hmmm I don't know. I have a hard time snarking on that. I don't find it particularly shocking. Yes their beliefs are stupid but I think that's actually why you really need to believe in it to repeat it everyday.

Besides, I work as a guide in a church. The church is still an active church and we have masses weekly. But it's also an historical building. (Much like Notre-Dame-de-Paris or Westminster Abbey are visited by tourists, it's a bit like that in my church - very old and highly decorated). The church is managed by nuns and they told me that they wouldn't hire someone that isn't at least a Christian. I can understand them in a way. They don't mind if you are not very religious (I'm not) but I was raised Catholic so that seemed to be enough to hire me. :confusion-shrug: