Faith alone not reason to reject person from post

Religious discrimination is a serious charge, but that is the claim being made against a panel selecting potential members for the state's Independent Redistricting Committee.

Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, and Cathi Herrod, president of the family-oriented Center for Arizona Policy, said Monday that one nominee was rejected because of his involvement with a Christian group in Tucson. At least one member of the screening panel denied the charge, saying the applicant simply was not as qualified as other nominees.

Adams, however, told Capitol Media Services the rejection came after one panel member questioned whether the nominee could successfully support the idea of separation of church and state. The redistricting committee will be involved in realigning Arizona's congressional election districts next year after 2010 census data is released this month.

“People of faith have just as much right to the public arena as people without faith, or without a specific faith,” he said. “We should not be sending a message to people of faith that we don't want you in the public arena because you simply can't handle the separation of church and state.”

He is right, of course, that people of faith shouldn't be prevented from serving in the public arena, although it is not clear whether that was what happened in this case.

Singling out someone simply because of their faith is wrong and counter to the principles of our nation. After all, most of those in elected office or other governmental positions are people of faith. Faith alone and the private practice of it should not be a disqualifier for a public position.

But there is also an expectation that they will not let their faith — whether it be Christian or any of many other faiths —improperly influence their public functions. They are expected to fairly protect the interests of citizens of all faiths — and for that matter, no faith — in their public decision-making.