It's not often that we at the Rationalist Association link to articles from specialist business industry publications (if you'd like us to do so more often, feel free to let us know), but it would be a shame to allow a recent blog post by Robert Jeffrey, senior editor at People Management magazine, to pass without mention.

Pondering the recent legal victory of Nadia Eweida, the British Airways employee who fought for the right to wear a cross on a necklace at work, Jeffrey considers the question of whether employers should be permitted to look favourably upon job applicants who hold a religious belief (and, by extension, unfavourably upon godless heathens).

Referring to "a weight of evidence" that suggests religious people tend to be more moral than the non-religious, including a 2011 Miami University study which "concluded that they have 'higher degrees of self-discipline and self-control' as well as being more agreeable and conscientious", Jeffrey concludes with a modest proposal:

"... would it be so wrong, when noticing a membership of organised religion in a job interview or on a CV, to quietly note it down as a point in the applicant’s favour, in the same way we might a position in the Reserve Forces or weekends spent serving at a soup kitchen? Each would seem to demonstrate commitment, perseverance and a certain moral purpose. Only one is deemed taboo in some parts of polite society."

One to consider, surely? Do share your thoughts.