Christian Hiring Practices

The American Philosophical Association, APA, is the professional organization of university philosophers, much as the AMA is the professional association for doctors and the American Philological Association is for Classicists. The following is the policy of the APA for colleges and universities to post job positions in its Jobs For Philosophers.

The American Philosophical Association rejects as unethical all forms of discrimination based on race, color, religion, political convictions, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification or age, whether in graduate admissions, appointments, retention, promotion and tenure, manuscript evaluation, salary determination, or other professional activities in which APA members characteristically participate. At the same time, the APA recognizes the special commitments and roles of institutions with a religious affiliation; it is not inconsistent with the APA's position against discrimination to adopt religious affiliation as a criterion in graduate admissions or employment policies when this is directly related to the school's religious affiliation or purpose, so long as these policies are made known to members of the philosophical community and so long as the criteria for such religious affiliations do not discriminate against persons according to the other attributes listed in this statement. Advertisers in Jobs for Philosophers are expected to comply with this fundamental commitment of the APA, which is not to be taken to preclude explicitly stated affirmative action initiatives.

The APA Board of Officers expects that all those who use the APA Placement Service will comply with the letter and spirit of all applicable regulations concerning non-discrimination, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action.

Charles Hermes from the University of Texas at Arlington has started a petition, now over 1400 names strong, calling on the APA to enforce its policy or to mark in the Jobs For Philosophers listing those institutions that are deemed discriminatory. The petition states that any institutions that adhere to hiring standards that require those hired to commit to refraining from engaging in homosexual acts count as engaging in discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It goes on to list Azusa Pacific University, Belmont University, Bethel University, Biola University, Calvin College, Malone College, Pepperdine University, Westmont College, and Wheaton College as institutions guilty of such discrimination.

Already there is some reaction against this petition, but the point I want to make should be fairly clear. Major Christian institutions...Biola, Calvin, Wheaton...and others are coming under attack for following the teachings of the Christian faith in their daily operational structures. If this petition were to accomplish its stated intent, these institutions would suffer greatly from being unable to post, or able to post only under black list, for professorial jobs.

Let us stand in prayer for our besieged sister institutions. May they, and we, never yield when it comes to the truth revealed through the One Who is Truth, Jesus Christ.