Do Whistleblowers Suffer Economic Hardship?

Eugene Shubert

Is it human nature to overlook unconscionable behavior in the workplace because it's instinctively obvious to everyone that institutions and corporations tend to hire yes-men and fire whistleblowers? Do you have to play politics at your job or church? Are you a team player?

Do conscientious individuals ever suffer economic hardship for acting responsibly? Are whistleblowers respected?

I know that I have suffered financially because of my propensities for conscientious behavior. I believe in whistleblowing and have been automatically barred from jobs that I desperately wanted, and needed, but I was not even permitted to apply for, because of my religious convictions. I have requested and was denied permission to explain the extenuating circumstances behind my criminal record. It was out of the question.

I wonder about how many other jobs and missed opportunities have passed me by because of the job applications that do ask for explanations for convictions of misdemeanors and felonies. My predicament is that I have no way to clearly explain my criminal trespassing conviction without hinting that I might fit the profile of an obnoxious religious nut or troublesome whistleblower. If most Christians despise my minority religious view, how greatly repulsed might secular nonbelievers be?

Here is my current explanation for having a class B misdemeanor that I give to potential employers.

Letter of Explanation

Current date.

To Whom It May Concern:

I have never been convicted of any crime, misdemeanor or felony, involving moral turpitude. I do have a criminal record that needs explaining. There was an incident in 1995 for which I was arrested for trespassing at a church. The church is in Richardson, TX and is part of a sisterhood of churches that I officially belonged to since the date of my baptism at the age of 13. I have never been disfellowshipped (or excommunicated) from any church in my denomination.

This denomination has an official list of doctrinal beliefs, all acceptable to me. Not all churches of this denomination approve of the official statement of faith. It’s acceptable to disagree with it. The Richardson church had teachers aggressively opposed to a doctrine called Christ’s substitutionary atonement. That’s a very ordinary thing in my denomination. I opposed these teachers and the church leadership in the most innocent ways imaginable. I would have given anything to have them follow the church rules and try to disfellowship me for my orthodox faith and Christian conduct. I believe that the true gospel would have been exalted in the process. Instead, they just conspired together and threatened to have me arrested for trespassing if I continued attending the church.

State law recognizes a church hierarchy as the owners of church property and, therefore, church clerics have a perfectly legal right to demand obeisance from church members. If you refuse to comply, these unscrupulous clerics have every legal right to appeal to the state and have you arrested for attending church (i.e., coming onto private property). Church law condemns all deception, secrecy and guile. It says that the congregation must decide on how to discipline members. I decided that it was needful for the church members to see the importance I attach to salvation issues and to protesting underhanded clerics who only profess to respect the gospel and the golden rule. I ignored the threats, returned to church and, as I expected, was arrested for trespassing.

As I see it, my choosing to be arrested for disobeying a decree of a head elder, to leave the property of a church for which I was a member, is just as commendable as the passive resistance of Rosa Parks, a black woman and paying customer, accepting arrest on a bus that was supposed to take her home. On that fateful evening of December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., Rosa Parks was ordered to give up her seat to a white passenger and she refused to do so.

Sincerely,

Eugene Shubert