Puyallup, Washington: Employees Sue!

"Woodcreek's founder tells employees of the company's Judeo-Christian principles and Warns them not to embrace conflicting or diverging views."

This from KING:

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_070507WAK_forced_to_pray_KC.49108721.h tml

This is despicable. There are some people who are open about their religious affiliations, beliefs, and practices; this in itself is OK. However, when people resort to intimidating "infidels" and to trying to make them feel guilty for their "hellbound" ways, as these Woodcreek employees did, I really start to doubt that they actually care about the welfare of the "infidels." I think that more likely, they are bullies who use this religious act to stroke their own egos. I'm glad that they are getting sued!

I often wonder if people who push their religion on others, have something in their past they're trying to hide and amend with God.

"If I can bring just 10 people to know You. To Worship You, maybe you'll go easier on ME. Just look at the souls I SAVED for You."

I once worked somewhere where this kind of thing was happening. Not quite this bad, but it was bad enough for me to have trouble with it.

Work late, get something done and what did I get? "Thank the lord". No, thank me! God didn't miss time with his kids to save some hosed up project from the brink. Office policy was to allow radios, until I worked there. Rather than actually have something playing that was not getting the word out 24/7, no radios were permitted.

(yeah, it was KNRK)

This is why we have the ACLU. I gotta be honest. If that were me, and I worked there, and that crap actually was said, I would not play nice.

DAMN BIBLE THUMPERS!!!!!

Disgusting.

My understanding is that Shilo Inns will not hire anyone who co-habitates without marriage. This keeps them from dealing with gay employees, and heathens who love each other without a license to screw. Other very pointed questions in the hiring process deal with spiritual beliefs, and race, but in an only slightly more subtle way.

Of course, Mark Hemstreet's standing as a "Man of God" is questionable for solid reasons. When asked "WWJD?" his actions have included tax evasion, poaching wildlife, aggressive assaults on the rights of workers, Union busting, and drug possession. Okay, Jesus might have smoked pot too.

A Californian, he is the second biggest beneficiary of Oregon's lottery dollars. In addition to that fleecing, he tried to swap a bit of worthless private land for a pristine public wilderness area. A multi-millionaire, he had the audacity to sue Wallowa County for $350,000. Praise the Lord.

Wanna work for Shilo? Here is yet another condition of employment that has gone on for more than a decade:

"Two years after Shilo adopted its alternative dispute resolution policy, company officials declare it's been a resounding success. The policy requires employees to forgo their rights to sue the company as a condition of employment."
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/1996/06/17/story3.html

The Devil has a special place in hell for this gentleman. Satan believes in "affordable excellence" too.

"The policy requires employees to forgo their rights to sue the company as a condition of employment."

Most of those agreements don't even say that upfront, having some sort of legal header and/or buried in employment application packet paperwork.

I married a former "bible Thumper." She even met my dad before we were married and found out he listened to secular rock and roll and read Billboard magazine and he was a pastor to boot. In her eyes at that time he was going straight to hell.

However those ideals began to unravel as she looked at how screwed up things were around her. She recently told me about something I said early on in our dating that she had a hard time dealing with initially.

We've said it before in many posts but it's all about fear from those in authority. Really sad.

God is creative and offers life and wants us to live life and enjoy it. I read or heard somewhere a pastor put it this way. He/She said, and I paraphrase: "God will ask you 'did you enjoy the life I gave you?'"

I know of a Christian owned company that wouldn't allow it's employees to watch R rated movies or be seen drinking alcohol in public. However if you read your bible, particularly the Old Testament, plenty of X-rated language. Jesus drank wine during meals and celebrations like weddings.

How some Christian companies/owners feel the need to make scripture their personal power play is beyond me. Certainly not biblical as far as I can see.

Chris, I am convinced the root of this lies in some people confusing truth and conviction.

From that position, a lot can be justified that would not otherwise be.

There is a reason it is called faith. One primary reason is to differentiate it from known truth and the implications for that, where justification for ethical actions are concerned, are obvious. (should be obvious, but we've run astray in this)

***As usual, faith is good, healthy, necessary, etc... It's just not known absolutely true, that's where conviction comes into play.

If one is convinced their faith is the right one (and I'm not sure how it could be otherwise and make any sense), then one has what it takes to possess strong conviction. Acting on this, living by it, engaging in advocacy about it, is all good and necessary expression of said conviction.

Forcing this onto others really is a lie. Conviction comes from personal acceptance, see above. Oppressing people to "help" them reach this acceptance is neither true, nor just. They may reach it, but it's for the wrong reasons; namely, the primary one being acceptance is more worth it than living ones own beliefs. This scenario, at it's core, is false period, end of story.

Hardly the kind of work any self-respecting follower of any solid God would be caught doing.

Why?

Given a belief that rings true, living it should be all that others require to want to know more. Defensible beliefs, that ring true, are catchy. Others, perhaps confused, perhaps unsatisfied, will want to know more because it appeals, not because they are oppressed. This is being a witness, doing Gods work, helping others to see the light, etc...

(all good, IMHO)

This basic idea should be taught in every Sunday School in the country. We would all be a whole lot better for it.

I just don't understand this behavior either. Maybe it's an insecurity thing. People are scared they might not be right and having to live all that crap might be a waste of time, or that they are worried they are not doing enough for God.

Maybe it's a selfish thing. The feel good that comes from "convincing" others breeds a sense of self-importance.

Maybe it's just profound ignorance that comes from swallowing a bit too much dogma.

But doesn't it FEEL like those who have used fear-based arguments or are motivated by feeling self importantce are losing ground? I mean, collectively. It seems like the harder they cling to some of those ideals and the desire to implement them onto the rest of us, the further away from it they get. It gives me hope in humanity to see it from afar. But I have an altogether different reaction when it is presented in a direct manner - like here - but I choose to be here. So I can't be a hypocrite and even desire that it wasn't here for me to see. It FEELS like they are losing ground and much of it is backfiring. Those that are getting caught up in that backfiring and the like will claim that they are being persecuted or that we are Godless - yeah - that sounds like last throes in an attempt to hold on for as long as they can.

This era of my life has been so full of exposure of things that have been done int he dark for so long. The scandal-happy nation aside, there is a LOT of good that comes from shining a light on all of this crap.

I don't know what the Hell I am talking about but I do have a point in there somewhere.

So CJ...how goes the internet radio war? Any news on the bill to kill internet radio? Wasn't that due out by now?

Move to the middle east, those wackos do this kind of thing everyday.

DT, We've got a delay. Which is good for now. Cooler heads are prevailing - at least they are being heard AND understood now.

No solution at hand yet though. I'm now streaming through 3 companies and waiting to see how it ALL shakes out until I formally launch Salemfm.com or salem.fm or hero.fm or sean.fm or releasethekraken.com or youresuchapotsie.com