I've been out of the office since last Wednesday, and now reading
these exchanges. Ordinarily I don't bother to respond to this sort
of thing, but this one troubles me. There seems to be so much
resentment of the acknowledgement by Regent that it has an
"evangelical perspective."
Intolerance is always negative in my view, however the level of
evangelical intolerance perceived by non-evangelicals (I suppose I
could substitute 'gays' and 'straights', or 'Christians' and 'non-
Christians', or just about any other controversial labels) is not
always warranted.
I was, at one time, quite fearful of lesbians, until I became
acquainted with and then close to, a couple on the other side of my
duplex apartment. My fear was rooted in perceived intolerance. I
thought these two women would have little use or even disdain for me,
in that I am who I am. I was wrong, although I still fight
intolerance in both myself and others from time to time. But I have
since had the pleasure of many friendships with persons of different
orientation than my own, and I have seen some surprising changes in
attitudes among friends who were once more homophobic than I care to
recall.
Regent was tactful and honest in this announcement. Perhaps they are
indeed opening this job to the broadest pool of applicants that feel
comfortable working in an evangelical, Christian setting. That may
well include someone who is gay, believes it to be wrong, and seeks
to pursue that belief by working in a setting that supports it.
Whether one agrees with such a perspective is not relevant to the
question of honesty. It is much more a matter of tolerance. To
be tolerant of other people first requires accepting them, and only
then is the willingness to help (by sharing your perspective)
beneficial.
> On Fri, 10 Jun 1994, Rich Hunter wrote:
>
> > Director of the Law Library
> > Regent University School of Law
> >
> > Regent University is a non-denominational Christian graduate institution
> > with an evangelical perspective and is affiliated with the Christian
> > Broadcasting Network. Regent University is and Equal Opportunity Employer.
> >
Then Micheal Saint-Onge wrote:
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Equal Opportunity Empoyer according to whose definition? Isn't it
true that you have to be a heterosexual, practising born-again
christian to get the job? You might at least mention this fact to
keep people who don't fit these categories from wasting their time
applying.
I don't mean this in a vindictive way, I just think you should be honest.
Michael Saint-Onge
Coudert Brothers
San Francisco
(All opinions are mine and do not represent Coudert Brothers')
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Claudia Driver
Assistant Law Librarian
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701
(501)575-7506
cdriver@mercury.uark.edu
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