The University of Idaho Argonaut

Since I’m graduating in a year, I’ve started looking into volunteering and internship opportunities with non-profit organizations, specifically those that help resettle refugees in cities like Spokane. I have discovered a theme in these organizations in that they are heavily tilted toward religious affiliation. I say affiliation, but it is also engrained into the fibers of their entire organization. On their applications they ask you to be committed to their values, which include dedication to the mission of Jesus.

One of the applications for an organization called World Relief had an entire section on their application titled “Spiritual Assessment,” asking about the applicant’s present spiritual relationship with the Lord. They wanted the applicant to describe a situation where they had to be fully reliant on the Lord, and what areas they feel they could continue to grow spiritually. While I understand this particular organization is geared toward missions for church members, it is one of two refugee-oriented groups in the area, leaving those not affiliated with a church little to no options.

I am not against organized religion, nor do I hold anything against those who believe in God. That’s not the reason things like this bother me. I come from a Seventh-day Adventist and Catholic family, I went to church camp when I was young, and over the course of my life I decided it wasn’t for me. I’m not bothered by those who still believe in it, that’s their choice as much as it was mine.

What does bother me is not only the fact that there should be more non-religious organizations, but also that the message and perception given to those who want to volunteer and aren’t religious is basically one of exclusion. I feel a commitment to service and a dedication to helping people who are less fortunate than me, but I do not see my service as a service to God. Therefore, I cannot honestly say on an application that I fully agree with their mission and values, so I can’t sign their forms. It is very disappointing to want so badly to be part of these organizations knowing I am just as passionate and committed as anyone else, but to feel like I have to convert to a certain religion in order to get there. It’s sort of like joining the military but being forced to hide your sexual orientation in order to stay in the military. Changing a part of who you are should not be a requirement of service.

Regardless of whether or not the organizations are trying to target people of faith it is important to remember that service is not just something people should do in the name of their commitment to Christianity, or whatever their faith may be. Service should also be something people do in the name of the common good — and those who see it only in that light should not feel judged or excluded from opportunities because of it.

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	1. 10-02-2010 19:45
	Employment Specialist, International Res World Relief has filed specifically as a religious organization and is the only Refugee VOLAG to do so. Because of this they are legally allowed to hire only people who meet their religious requirements. While many other VOLAGS are associated with religious groups none of them filed specifically to operate as a religious organization. Registered

Lana Whiteford