A US court has
ruled World Vision is a religious corporation which has the right to hire and fire employees based on religious beliefs. More specifically “World Vision is exempt from a provision in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act barring religious discrimination.”
The full ruling of the US Court of Appeals.
When they were hired, Spencer, Hulse, and Youngberg (collectively, the “Employees”) submitted required personal statements describing their “relationship with Jesus Christ.” See infra p. 12554-55. All acknowledged their “agreement and compliance” with World Vision’s Statement of Faith, Core Values, and Mission Statement. See infra pp. 12548-49, 12555.
In 2006, World Vision discovered that the Employees denied the deity of Jesus Christ and disavowed the doctrine of the Trinity.[ 1] As this was incompatible with World Vision’s doctrinal beliefs—specifically, the belief that “there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit”—the Employees were terminated. See infra p. 12548-49.
World Vision US is thrilled.
SEATTLE, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World Vision applauds today’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, upholding our legally protected practice of hiring people of like-minded faith.
The opinion affirmed that World Vision qualifies as a religious organization under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 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.
World Vision will continue to vigorously defend our organization’s freedom to hire employees who share our faith, as do other religious organizations, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, or Christian.
I find this decision chilling. While it only applies to US operations and I believe the humanitarianism carried out by World Vision is driven by a love for Jesus Christ, I’m finding myself wondering if I can support this organization again. I think what World Vision does around the world is outstanding. I believe the love of Christ compels staff. Do I believe Christ’s love is the only motivation for all World Vision employees? No. Humans are complex beings made in His image and likeness and open and hidden motivations can compel us. If this religious corporation is going to kick employees out for a change of beliefs (and not job performance), or not hire qualified people, I find myself questioning who else World Vision will with hold from.
What other religious corporations, educational institutions, societies or associations in the US legally hire and fire based on belief while receiving half their operating expenses from government?
Did the three employees go to the boss and say “I’ve decided to embrace Oneness Pentecostalism?” (insert non-trinitarian sect of choice). That doesn’t appear to be the case. And even if they did, how was their job performance and the goals and image of World Vision affected? What is the implied threat?
World Vision Statement of Faith
In good conscience I wonder if I now with hold donations from World Vision Canada because of the decision of the US branch. There are otherChristian organizations which don’t seek Ceasar’s stamp of approval which I can look at giving to. Humanitarian groups have different motivations, I understand and accept that. I understand the word discriminate does not have merely negative connotations. That doesn’t lessen the chill.
20% of the 40 thousand WV staff world wide are not Christian. If these staff go to the US would they be fired? Does the US corporate staff plan to lobby or demand other country branches seek similar legal exemptions?
So what is troubling me about this ongoing legal battle and decisions south of the border? I’m not sure.
Thoughts?
This is what World Vision Canada
says about its Core Values. I wonder
if it’s their equivalent to the US
Statement of Faith. If that’s the case,
the differences are quite telling.
http://www.worldvision.ca/About-Us/Core-Values/Pages/Core-Values.aspx
Are the PHARISEES now taking control in the name of (religion) Jesus – are we now going to be under the equivelant of Religious Law Chritian style – Scarey
I don’t have too much of a problem with a religious institution (or any other not-for-profit organization) hiring and firing in accordance with their beliefs as long as:
1. They are not tax-exempt, and
2. They accept no public funding
Otherwise they are being subsidized by Caesar, and one cannot serve two masters.
I realize this is a gross simplification of a complex problem that overlooks the extent to which such institutions are dependent on the greater web of relationships and infrastructures of civil society, but it’s the best I can do while accepting the existence of an overly-centralized system of governance that imposes far too many moral compromises on individuals.
Torontonian -World Vision Australia has a similar core value statement to Canada. The UK statement is also similar to Australia/Canada.
I work at World Vision and I’m responding here with the hope that I can shed some light on how this issue has been approached inside the organization. I do think it’s great that you and the others responding are giving this thought. The role of Christian organizations like World Vision, how they are structured and staffed is an important issue for the church and Christians at large.
Leadership at WV has prayerfully and thoughtfully considered the details of this issue for many years and will continue to for many more, I’m sure. It is really important to the organization, as you can see in the statements of faith, core values and media statements we’ve made, that we stay true to our Christian calling and that we protect our ability to stay Christian by hiring Christians. That’s why it’s gone to court cases in the US and other countries from time-to time. We don’t want to wind up describing our organization as having started out Christian then dropping that when the pressures to hire people outside the faith or conditions of funding pushed us to drop our faith. I’m sure everyone reading this blog can think of organizations that have gone that way. We also want to be sensitive to the contexts in which we work; and open and welcoming to people we work with and provide aid and development support to. That aid is given to people of any faith, background or gender.
This is all further complicated by the fact that both employment laws and cultural contexts vary drastically from country to country, and we work, and employ staff in more than 100 countries. As you point out many of those staff aren’t Christian. We don’t have any plans or desire to change that.
I can tell you a bit more about the details of the situation of the employees involved in the court case mentioned here. They decided together to stop going to chapel services and to hold their own, alternative-to-Christian, meetings at the scheduled time. They were asked to reaffirm their commitment to the organizational values at that time and decided that they couldn’t do that.
You know, when you’re accepting money from people of all walks of life and all beliefs… I wasn’t asked to sign anything saying I was Christian before I sponsored a child in need), I find it strange that you wouldn’t consider hiring people whose religious beliefs are different than Christian.
I really thought that Christians believed what Jesus said: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” I also was brought up to believe in the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And therefore I support a child through World Vision Canada. If I’d thought for one second that World Vision Anywhere only wanted to hire Christians, then I would have drawn the conclusion that World Vision Anywhere only wanted Christian sponsors and I would decline World Vision Anywhere to sponsor another child at Foster Parents Plan of Canada, who do not hire based on religious belief.
After all, aren’t we donating our money to help children in poorer places, children who need our help regardless of what our religious beliefs are? If that’s not the case, then I need to rethink donating through World Vision entirely.
This is a big world, where there are lots of people who need help from others… I do not support an organization that excludes people who have different beliefs and faiths, nor a corporation that goes to court to solidify its right to discriminate. It’s simply not the Christian thing to do in my humble opinion.
If we consider that that the truth of our stories is proportional to the quality of the relationships they engender –between us humans as individuals, between human communities, and between the larger human community and the natural world– the question becomes, does this policy engender healthy, respectful, loving relationships?