Gay coach hired, fired, then offered his job back...at a Christian school

A Christian school in New Zealand fired a man whom they discovered was a homosexual. He was their netball coach and had been working for the school for a short time. The news today shows that the school was sanctioned, and as a result had to pay the homosexual coach an undisclosed sum, apologize, and take diversity classes. Here is one link/headline and the article's first paragraph:

New Zealand school sanctioned after firing sports coach for being gay
A New Zealand Christian school has been ordered to pay undisclosed compensation and apologize to a sports coach it fired because he was gay. Board members of Middleton Grange School in Christchurch — on New Zealand's South Island — will also attend courses on human rights awareness, school principal Richard Vanderpyl said Thursday.

This is a shame. Not only do organizations have the right to hire and fire, they have the right to fire people who do not meet their employment standards. Homosexuals do not meet the standards at a Christian School because Christian schools adhere to biblical standards. The bible's standard for same-sex unions are that they are an abomination to the Lord. You don't tell the children to maintain purity in opposite sex relations after marriage, and then set those standards aside and hire a homosexual who actively violates them. That is nonsensical.
The headmaster said, "We're thinking of the impact on him," Vanderpyl said. "We care for him and respect him."
The school was required to take a diversity class despite already having respected his "human rights" by hiring him, and they respected his human rights again by proclaiming to the world that he is a nice person and respected by the school. The school simply had an opinion on his chosen lifestyle, and was penalized for it, while the coach had an opinion on the school's culture, and was rewarded for it. This is a double standard.

And why does diversity only go one way? If gays are allowed to express their opinion in the workplace as to the appropriateness of their lifestyle, why was the homosexual man not required to take diversity training in order to better understand the Christian lifestyle? And ... why, knowing that the school was Christian and that it held to certain moral precepts, did the homosexual coach even apply for a job there in the first place? It's like a man applying to a women-only gym, and then suing for discrimination that he was denied entry. Or attending a vegetarian restaurant, ordering tofu fry, and then suing because hamburger isn't on the menu.

Other questions: Did the coach tell the hiring committee at the interview initially that he was gay? Or did that information come to the attention of the Administration later? If the coach hid the information from the hiring committee, then the coach is a liar.
The coach is quoted as saying, "It's hard enough to go through finding yourself and accepting yourself and being 'out' in the first place. Having to go through discrimination doesn't help," he said.
If it's so normal to be gay then why do the gays themselves have such a hard time with their orientation? Why does it take a lifetime to "accept one's self" if same sex sexual conduct is perfectly moral? And failing to meet Christian standards or morality is a perfectly legitimate basis for firing, otherwise, so many municipal charters, constitutions, oaths, and contracts would not state grounds for separability on moral turpitude. Many places, such as Michigan University, have for conditions of employment moral conduct and state as a matter of policy grounds for dismissal based on immoral conduct. Many contractual morals clauses can prohibit, for example, "actions violating societal norms," among other statements. Ask Tiger Woods.
"It is understood that the school board made the decision that he could not remain based on Christian teaching that homosexuality is a sin." He was pleased the people behind the decision had attended a human rights session "so they are aware what they did was wrong and don't do it again".
What they did was not wrong. Homosexuality IS a sin. In the legal world, morals clauses are written into employment contracts all the time. In the Employment world, you do not want someone who is morally decrepit to continue in employ. If the school had hired a teacher on the basis of having attained a Master's degree and it was discovered later that the information was presented falsely, that person would be fired. They lied. If an organization had hired a teacher on the basis of having attained a high GPA in college but it was discovered they had earned all A's from cheating on tests, they would be known to be a cheater and summarily fired. Willful and unrepentant sin of any kind should not be allowed to run rampant anywhere, but never in a Christian school of all places.

As for homosexuality, the demographics show that in Australia 2-3% identified themselves as homosexual in a survey conducted in 2006. In Canada in 2003, 1% identified themselves as homosexual. In the US, only 4% claimed homosexuality as their chosen sexual orientation. This article states the demographics problem well in discussing homosexual marriage: "Given that mentality, it is easy to understand the driving force behind this demand for gay marriage: the idea that people have some moral (and should therefore have some legal) right to state recognition for their personal identity. This is the heart of the matter because of its implications for democracy. Every democracy, by definition, consists of both a majority and one or more minorities. To argue that life is intolerable merely by virtue of being in the minority, in this case expressed by the exclusion of gay people from marriage, is to undermine the very foundation of democracy, especially in countries that supposedly celebrate their many minorities and promote cultural "diversity."

In America, 80% claim Christianity. Yet why are Christian voices increasingly dismissed in "diversity" discussions and human rights classes? Because Christians are increasingly censored. Anti-Christians want Christians silenced in the workplace. Christians who voice their opinion about the sinful practices are increasingly penalized, and that includes even within Christian workplaces and organizations!

Remember, Jesus said that believers will be mistreated, all the way from unfairness to persecution to martyrdom. We also know that the Christian standards will be increasingly trod upon as deception becomes the way of the world in the end time. (Mt 24:10-12). Christian, be prepared with an answer if you are asked in the workplace about any of the bible's standards for behavior, including homosexuality. Stand up for Jesus in decrying sin, but do so lovingly and with a spirit of humility and forgiveness. But be truthful, and be bold. His Word is true and we must live it, loving Him and hating sin. Don't be afraid to say what you stand for if you are asked, without fear or favor! He is with us:  "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." (Proverbs 1:33)

Comments