"Honesty is the Best Policy"
In the Washington Post's On Faith page, Honesty is the Best Policy:While politicians are certainly justified in saying their personal religious beliefs are nobody else's business, I had an unusual reverse experience in my church. (Yes, I do belong to a church. I joined the local Unitarian Church in Charleston after I was invited to give a sermon on "Positive Atheism," and a significant number of congregants told me they agreed with what I said.).
At this church, a search committee invited members of the congregation to interview a new candidate for minister. At a private discussion with the candidate, I asked him about his personal theology, and was quite surprised when he told me he remembered at least eight of his past lives. I mentioned this in a discussion about the candidate by the congregation, and many of them were also surprised. But the search committee said the candidate had met other important criteria, and they didn't feel it would have been appropriate for them to ask him about his religious beliefs. I didn't vote for this honest minister, but he was hired, once again confirming that honesty is the best policy.
I just recently applied to be on my church's search committee. I happened to put on my application that HONESTY is an important quality in a minister. It could prove interesting.
At this church, a search committee invited members of the congregation to interview a new candidate for minister. At a private discussion with the candidate, I asked him about his personal theology, and was quite surprised when he told me he remembered at least eight of his past lives. I mentioned this in a discussion about the candidate by the congregation, and many of them were also surprised. But the search committee said the candidate had met other important criteria, and they didn't feel it would have been appropriate for them to ask him about his religious beliefs. I didn't vote for this honest minister, but he was hired, once again confirming that honesty is the best policy.
I just recently applied to be on my church's search committee. I happened to put on my application that HONESTY is an important quality in a minister. It could prove interesting.