Recently there was a job posted on Careerbuilders for a publisher position with a Ventura county book publisher. I read through the twenty or so qualifications and requirements, and it matched almost perfectly with my over ten years experience in the publishing business.

I was about to apply for this job, until I read the last requirement under education and experience which read: #3; A strong Christian commitment is required, and again #5 A bona fide occupational qualification of this position is to have a Christian commitment. Although I have a great deal of experience in marketing and publishing, I'm not a Christian and, as such, don't have a “strong Christian commitment”.

With the renewed media attention placed on employment discrimination cases brought about by the nomination of Sotomayor and her decision in the Ricci case regarding race, and sex-discrimination class-action lawsuits filed against Wal-Mart and State Farm and age discrimination in the case of Pittsburgh-based PPG, it seemed that this job requirement could lead this publisher wide open for possible litigation. While someone of the Jewish, or Muslim, or Buddhist faiths can certainly have an educated knowledge of different biblical texts, and an ability to work with companies of different faiths, but no matter their education and publishing experience, it is impossible for anyone but a Christian to have a “strong Christian commitment.” In other words, anyone of a different faith need not apply.

There is another side to this issue which, as a libertarian minded individual, I have to support. I firmly believe that any employer should have the right to decide who they employ without the government forcing them to hire those whom they do not wish to work with; be that women, old people, fat people, those of a different religion, or a different skin color. Which is a very noble position to take, except when it pertains to finding employment yourself, and you are not given the job because you are a fat, old, African-American Jewish woman! (Obviously, I'm being sarcastic).

So, where do we draw the line? Affirmative action has been debated on both sides, but there is no argument that when one person is given a job, a promotion, or a college education because they qualify as a “minority”, someone else loses that opportunity. The more government tries to legislate morality, and dictate employer's hiring decisions, or regulates cities' promotion criteria, the more our society loses.

With unemployment reaching record setting numbers, employers are being inundated with resumes, and on-line job applications, are finding it a great deal easier to weed out those individuals who they might not want to employ, and discriminate on matters of race, religion, or sex, by just simply responding, if they respond at all, they hired someone else.

If employers were free to post who they really want, or don't, and not have to adhere to the “EOE” rules, many job seekers would take their experience and qualifications elsewhere. Customers and clients who are against discrimination would take their business to a competitor and the company would either have to change their hiring practices, or go out of business. This would be a much easier and less costly way to enforce “affirmative action” than in a court room.

As a Libertarian, I feel the company has every right to hire only those who follow Christian doctrine, and as someone looking for employment, I am free to apply elsewhere.