Items included for this subject area come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
A state-by-state look at proposals dealing with LGBT rights: Legislation has been proposed in states across the country addressing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including some proposals that critics say would legalize discrimination. Many of the proposals would protect clergy, businesses and those who decline to employ or serve people based on […]
Will the waning Barack Obama administration rewrite religious hiring rules? Veteran religion reporter Richard Ostling overviews two advocacy position documents on social service organizations, government funding, and religious hiring. His article serves as a quick inventory of topics and issues.
Title VII defendants can recover attorney’s fees without prevailing “on the merits”: The Supreme Court has unanimously held that a defendant seeking attorney’s fees can be a “prevailing party” even without obtaining a favorable judgment “on the merits.” This will allow defendants to recover attorney’s fees from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) even without a […]
WELS School “Discourages Gay, Transgender Enrollment”: This local news piece may prompt some discussion about how local church and church school personnel select their words and expressions about controversial issues that intersect with Biblical teachings, doctrine, practice, and theological traditions. Do church district offices and colleges need to assist these busy people with some written […]
Student’s Complaint Over Expulsion From Catholic High School Dismissed Under Ecclesiastical Abstention Doctrine: A Texas state appellate court held that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine requires dismissal of a breach of contract lawsuit against a Catholic high school brought by a 16-year old student who was expelled and by his parents. “We conclude that St. Thomas’s status as […]
Catholic school, gay man settle discrimination lawsuit: A food services applicant who lost a job offer from a Catholic high school when administrators learned he was in a same-sex marriage has received a settlement in the case, his lawyers announced Monday. The school had argued it was exempt from the state’s nondiscrimination laws because of its religious […]
Seventh-day Adventist College Fracas: Every week, yet another Christian college is in an uproar over clashes between doctrine and 21st century culture. It’s easy to tell a story along the lines of the familiar narrative of conservative-Christian-college-is-trampling-down-academic-freedom. But the reality is a bit messier. We need more details than the Chronicle of Higher Education delivered.
Religious College Title IX Exemption List Now Online: After being petitioned by the Human Rights Campaign for LGBT rights, the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office has published online their list of colleges and universities that have requested or requested and received exemptions from compliance to LGBT policy and practice requirements. World Magazine characterizes […]
Gordon College professor sues: Gordon College philosophy professor Lauren Barthold is suing her employer for allegedly breaching her free speech rights and retaliating after she publicly criticized the Christian school for its policy of not hiring sexually active gays and lesbians. A Gordon College statement on the suit says other Gordon employees have critiqued the school’s policy on sexuality […]
A university moved to fire a professor after he defended a student’s right to debate gay marriage. Now he’s suing: A tenured professor and a legal institute are suing Marquette University, claiming a breach of contract for the suspension imposed after he publicly criticized an instructor for stifling debate in class.
