If you're like me, you might receive a message like this: e-mail and report from online An organization about research aimed at showing how Oregon compares to other states in various ways.
don't trust them.
According to recent reports, Oregon has the fifth highest rate of religious discrimination among the 50 states, and this issue has also come up in presidential politics.
Republicans have appealed to conservative Christians by claiming religious harm, and presidential candidate Donald Trump has even offered a declaration. christian visibility day If I win. Democrats say many of the victimization arguments have little support, but the Biden administration categorizes them as follows: Some regulatory changes in social services Designed to protect religious freedom.
The report lists five states at the top of the list: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington, and Oregon, all of which lean Democratic.
Isn't this another example of data being distorted to support an ideology?
Online publication “New American” headlined the results Regarding this point, it states that “states won by Biden in 2020 lead in complaints of religious discrimination.'' The article added: “Of the 15 states with the most complaints of religious discrimination, 11 are among the 15 most atheistic states.” I didn't mention that deep red Idaho State is in sixth place, right behind Oregon State.
But what exactly does this ranking mean? Core data comes from trusted sources. The state rankings were created by Duddy, Goodwin & Pollard, a Boston law firm specializing in employment law, based on underlying data. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In Oregon, these cases are supervised by police. Bureau of Labor and IndustryOregon has its own rules regarding religious discrimination.
but.
As the EEOC's references suggest, we are only talking here about employment discrimination: hiring, firing, terms and conditions of employment, harassment, and similar subjects. Other areas where religious discrimination could be claimed were excluded from the analysis, such as housing, education, health, and other areas.
Second, the study's rates were based on rates of all types of employment discrimination charges, independent of the number of religious discrimination cases alleged on the basis of population. So, for example, if Mississippi, which had the lowest rate on the basis of religion, had a high rate of other forms of discrimination, the rate for religion would decline, even if that number happened to be higher than Oregon. Masu.
The New American article even suggested another concern about the lack of data on religious complaints.
“How much of a problem is fashionable Christophobia today, and how much of a problem are these politically correct complaints (allegations of anti-Muslim bigotry, for example)? How does it differ from state to state?”
September 2020 analysis University of WashingtonThe No. 4 state said, “Muslims and atheists in the United States are more likely to experience religious discrimination than people of Christian faith, according to a new study led by the University of Washington.”
In addition, the sources of religious discrimination cited in the data are confounded by data from during and after the pandemic, when debates were boiling over over who needed to take protective measures such as vaccinations and temporary closures. and was confused. Church issues – issues that cut widely across cultural and political lines.
Of course, this does not mean that discrimination based on religion is irrelevant to Oregon. In fact, there have been several cases recently where discrimination was suspected. for example, In May 2023, state Sen. Cedric Hayden, R-Fall Creek, said the Senate president violated his right to be excused by attempting to attend a Saturday church service while Senate Republicans were leaving the chamber, according to state and legislative employment. I appealed to the bureau. To stop it. The case appears to still be pending.
And another example is cited by the Portland law firm Meyer Employment Law. I posted a list The most common discrimination incident in the state in recent years. The top three were about age, race, and sexism, while the fourth was about religion. In the latter case, City of Portland employees were awarded $14,080 in damages. It turned out that the city had allowed a hostile work environment with her. Citing a lawsuit filed against the city. A fellow employee said: “I'm tired of your Christian attitude…The next time I sneeze and you say 'bless me,' I'm going to file a complaint against you.”
There was also a religious discrimination incident at Brookings. Matters related to land use zoning laws and St. Timothy's Episcopal Church. Leaders say they regularly provide meals to homeless people in the area as part of their religious mission. But in 2022, the city passed an ordinance requiring food service permits. The church fought back in court, claiming religious discrimination, and won.
Does this mean that Oregon is one of the most religiously discriminatory states in the country?
Not likely. Data is not accumulated. But this incident shows that during high-stakes election campaigns, it pays to be skeptical of comparisons.
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