Discrimination is almost always still just discrimination, no matter how you package it.

The First Presbyterian Church in Downer’s Grove wrapped it neatly in the form of recently firing their music director of 13 years because of his sexual orientation.

At least that’s where Eastern alumnus Todd Diehl laid the blame.

Diehl, 43 and gay, said he felt forced to leave his music position after refusing to practice celibacy.

The Presbyterian church wouldn’t comment.

The church struck out in comparison to the strides other denominations are taking toward acceptance of homosexuals.

The Episcopal Church ordained its first openly gay bishop two weeks ago, making him the first to hold such a position in the world’s major Christian bodies.

The Presbyterians also don’t agree as a denomination.

John Besore, senior pastor with the First Presbyterian Church in Mattoon, said Diehl’s orientation shouldn’t have been a problem.

The denomination does not allow “self-affirmed” homosexuals to serve in ordained positions, a role Diehl wasn’t in.

“This was not an ordained position,” Besore said. “To say that you have to change to be on the staff is narrow-minded.”

Besore said Presbyterians are not closed-minded. Even if the Downer’s Grove church wasn’t concerned with his homosexuality, but his chastity, they had no right to pry into his personal life.

The church should have the right as a private institution to select various qualities it would like to see in its employees, but Besore said a situation like Diehl’s wouldn’t happen under his watch.

If the Mattoon First Presbyterian Church had a gay music director, he could still play piano on Sundays.

Besore said even if Diehl had chosen to be celibate, it’s an issue that is difficult to prove.

“The music director just couldn’t win,” Besore said.

The Downer’s Grove church didn’t choose to ask Diehl to leave because of his attitude, his lack of compassion or because he just couldn’t teach music.

The church didn’t exercise its right to choose who taught music right away. It waited 13 years, and did it because of orientation. By this time, Diehl had made an impression, taught music and piano and brought members to the suburban Chicago congregation.

Once Diehl left, members of the congregation said they were leaving too, according to an Associated Press article last month.

A lot of Christian religions view the homosexual lifestyle as immoral, so “I appreciate its a struggle for them,” said Doug Dibianco, music professor and faculty advisor for Pride, Eastern’s recognized student organization focused on gay, straight, bisexual and transgender issues.

But, “he’s been doing it for 13 years so what’s the problem?” Dibianco said.

Taking someone away from an institution they’ve been working at for years will leave a hole, especially if those they leave behind don’t understand the reason they left.

If an Eastern instructor was asked to leave, students would be left without someone that was put in that position because of what they had to offer. Students would be missing out.

It could never legally happen at Eastern, but students would be devastated if it did, DiBianco said.

Now, some kid in Downer’s Grove doesn’t have that familiar music instructor at a church he or she grew up attending. The congregation is missing out.