World Vision Statement Regarding Today's Ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez

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Jun 28, 2010, 12:02 ET

WASHINGTON, June 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, while disappointing to World Vision and other faith-based organizations, does not represent an erosion of authority regarding religious hiring rights.

The court's 5-4 ruling addressed the insular environment of a public university, not the hiring practices of private nonprofit religious organizations. For the setting of a public university, the court ruled that the government's interest in promoting access to campus activities by all students outweighed the right of a religious student group to express its religious beliefs through its selection of leaders.

As a result, this decision does not have any direct impact on the rights of private, faith-based organizations to hire people of the same religion or to receive federal funds to deliver their social services.

World Vision will continue to vigorously defend its constitutional and statutory freedom to remain faith-based through its staffing decisions, as do other religious organizations, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish or Christian.

SOURCE World Vision U.S.