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Adidas Bans Scientology

Dissolution

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According to German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, any football player sponsored by Adidas who joins Scientology will have his contract with them terminated.
It sits alongside similar clauses for drug convictions and joining organisations that are monitored by the intelligence services.
This particular example was noticed in an unspecified Bayern Munich player's contract.

Adidas have apparently claimed that it's a standard clause in their contracts and that Scientology is at odds with it's fundamental values of diversity and tolerance.

Is this a bit of a slippery slope or is it an acceptable stance?
 
pgwenthold said:
Of course they can. But that doesn't mean Adidas needs to sponsor them.
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No, but having a clause to immediately end the sponsoring should you decide to follow a religion that doesn't suit the sponsor puts you on much shakier legal ground, even if it is Scientology we're speaking of.
 
Belz... said:
I disagree strongly with any religion but shouldn't people be free to believe whatever they want ?

There's more to this, I presume.
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Just free as Adidas are free to offer their sponsorship money wherever they want.

It does seem oddly specific, but then Scientology isn't recognised as a religion in Germany.

Wiki says "The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion. It views it as an abusive business masquerading as a religion and believes that it pursues political goals that conflict with the values enshrined in the German constitution".
 
Rasmus said:
No, but having a clause to immediately end the sponsoring should you decide to follow a religion that doesn't suit the sponsor puts you on much shakier legal ground, even if it is Scientology we're speaking of.
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The reasoning is clear - Scientology does not adhere to the Adidas ideals of diversity and acceptance. How can you force Adidas to support something they don't support?
 
pgwenthold said:
The reasoning is clear - Scientology does not adhere to the Adidas ideals of diversity and acceptance. How can you force Adidas to support something they don't support?
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What if adidas ecided to not support Catholicism, or interracial marriages?

It would turn out, and rather quickly, that those clauses of the contract were illegal, and thus void. adidas is a producer of sports gear, their business is not the promotion of beliefs or values - thus, they are restricted on the types of beliefs and values they can force on other people. (If adidas was a church or a political party, this would be different.)

I believe the situation is not quite as clear as the English speaking Wikipedia makes it out to be - whether Scientology is a recognized religious belief is very much up for debate, and I'm not aware of an authoritative decision on the matter. (I might just not be up to date; wouldn't surprise me in the least...) But as of now, Scientology has not been banned. It operates legally in Germany, and it is perfectly legal to join them, too.

It might turn out that sponsorships deals can be terminated for reasons that, e.g. normal employment could not, or that adidas, specifically, is in the buisness of promoting values - but none of that is obvious.

Nobody can force them to support anyone, of course. But they might not be entirely free to step back from their contractual commitments for whatever reasons they chose.
 
Dissolution said:
Would this still work?
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Works for me. The key is that they do not discriminate on the basis of Christianity, but that they will not support anyone who promotes...whatever issue.

The problem is finding something sufficiently monolithic. For example, you can't say "gay marriage" because Lutherans are ok with it.
 
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Jack by the hedge said:
Just free as Adidas are free to offer their sponsorship money wherever they want.

It does seem oddly specific, but then Scientology isn't recognised as a religion in Germany.

Wiki says "The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion. It views it as an abusive business masquerading as a religion and believes that it pursues political goals that conflict with the values enshrined in the German constitution".
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I wonder how they feel about Amway.

:boxedin:
 
I think it's because $cientology is not a good image for the company. It doesn't sell shoes. I'd hope that if Christianity got to the excess levels of $ology the same would apply.

Right now I'm of the opinion Christianity largely has but one thing protects it: sects. Christianity is not one thing - it's a moving target. Give $ology time, its shedding squirrels*. Each little acorn may grow a new form of Teh Stupid one day.



*Squirrels - $cientology term for those who leave and continue to promote the "Tech"**
** I'm not gonna explain or there will be an acronym recursion implosion.
 
Jack by the hedge said:
Just free as Adidas are free to offer their sponsorship money wherever they want.

It does seem oddly specific, but then Scientology isn't recognised as a religion in Germany.

Wiki says "The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion. It views it as an abusive business masquerading as a religion and believes that it pursues political goals that conflict with the values enshrined in the German constitution".
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The crux of the issue. It can't be religious discrimination if it's discriminating against something that's not a religion.
 
Belz... said:
Can they have a clause excluding black people ?
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Tricky problem. Just for people who "become black"?:rolleyes:

...any football player sponsored by Adidas who joins Scientology will have his contract with them terminated.
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I wonder if they would have a problem with a Christian who becomes an atheist or a Jew, or a player who joins Islam or the Hell's Angels, or the democratic party.

I think contract terminations should be determined by behavior. Proselytizing or religious bullying subsequent to joining a religion can be terms for dismissal or contract terminations, but it's difficult to justify them in the case of prior restraint types of rules such as prohibitions on joining clubs.

ETA: I overlooked that this is a German thing. If Scientology is not a religion Germany, I guess all bets are off.
 
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What about someone having a sex change?
Alternatively, what about someone becoming a Mormon?
 
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