"The Commission has no problem with a corporation having religious values," he says. But Holman does have a problem with a corporation using religious values to make hiring decisions. Holman and the EEOC are representing an Oklahoma man, Edward Wolfe, who says he was denied a job at Voss because he wasn't Christian enough. "It's unique," Holman says. "I haven't seen anything like it since I've been here."

Edward Wolfe says he saw the position advertised on a church website. His first interview went well, but in the second one he was asked questions about his religiouis beliefs and practices. He was asked to identify every church he had attended over the last few years, when and where he had been 'saved', and the circumstances that led up to it. Because, as everyone knows, that's how you improve your lighting fixtures sales quotas.

He was also asked whether he'd have a problem coming to work early (without pay) to attend Bible study. But, the managers were willing to (so thoughtfully) give him a break on his choice of church:

The lawsuit recounts an alleged conversation in which one of the managers purportedly told Wolfe that the majority of Voss' employees were Southern Baptist, "but that it wasn't required that you go to a Southern Baptist Church. As long as you were a 'born-again' Christian, it didn't matter what church you attended."

Of course he'd go to some church, right?

In their response Voss Lighting says the person they hired had more lighting related experience:



The EEOC claims that the same manager expressed "overt agitation and disapproval" to Wolfe's responses to the religious line of questioning and that Wolfe was ultimately denied employment on the basis of his religious beliefs. Steve Sanderson, vice president and general manager for the Lincoln, Neb.-based company, sent the Tulsa World a written response to the lawsuit on Wednesday, saying: "Voss denies that the charging party was not hired as a consequence of his religious beliefs. The individual hired by Voss had more lighting product experience and was more qualified than the charging party. Voss looks forward to a judicial determination of the rights of the parties."

No doubt he was more qualified. To try and convert customers to their version of religion, I'd venture to say. How can they think they can get away with asking these kinds of intrusive questions in job interviews, so blatantly not even trying to hide it. Don't these people have lawyers? The hubris is breathtaking. I'm hoping for a severe smackdown back to earth.

The suit is filed under Title VII, part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion.

The EEOC is seeking damages in the lawsuit and a court order prohibiting Voss from discriminating against job applicants on the basis of religious beliefs.