Scenario:

Dakota Wesleyan University indicates in many places in its public documents that it is a college which "affirms its relationship with the United Methodist Church" while at the same time maintaining a significant degree of independence from the church. It has a policy of inviting students and staff from a wide variety of religious perspectives to be part of the college's community, as part of its commitment to "fostering diversity in an inclusive atmosphere." Over the course of many years, a variety of issues and differences of judgment have occurred regarding the role of religion at DWU. This assignment asks you to reflect on some of those issues in the light of ideas discussed in the assigned readings on religious discrimination.

Question:

Given that the college has historically maintained a degree of independence from the church, do you think it would constitute religious discrimination in the legal sense if the college adopted a hiring policy for professional staff (a part of whose job is to be a role model for students) which explicitly excluded anyone who was not a Christian? Briefly explain your judgment, referring to concepts from the readings. (Historical note: No such policy currently exists, but some "stakeholders" have from time to time suggested such a policy.)