Posted on 11/18/2006 4:36:21 AM PST by Man50D
A civil rights organization has joined forces with a Christian student group at Brown University in an attempt to find out why the school has banned the Christians from meeting on its campus.
"A university that respects its students cannot capriciously suspend student groups," said Greg Lukianoff, the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. "Suspension of any student group is a serious matter and should be accompanied by a serious explanation. Yet Brown has consistently skirted questions about the suspension, calling into question both the university's motives and the legitimacy of the punishment."
FIRE said the members of the Trinity Presbyterian Church campus fellowship had sought from school officials an explanation for the punishment. After being offered varying and shifting reasons, they sought help from FIRE in trying to obtain the information.
As WND as reported, the move by Brown comes just weeks after Georgetown University notified a group of evangelical Christian organizations, such as InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, they would no longer be allowed to operate on campus. The university said it was going in another "direction" but never explained more fully.
The Alliance Defense Fund wrote a letter to Georgetown asking for reconsideration of its ban on several Christian groups. Officials said no response was received.
Those in a position to know have reported that the Christian groups were booted from campus for being too evangelical, because student clubs promoting Muslim and Jewish beliefs were allowed to continue existing within the formal campus structure.
Now comes the move by Brown to eject the meetings involving nearly 100 students, and the varying explanations the school has offered, according to FIRE.
The first apparent word of trouble was in September when Janet Cooper Nelson, of the school's Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life, sent the fellowship's leaders an e-mail explaining it was suspended because of "non-compliance with University policy and procedure."
She alleged Trinity Presbyterian Church, the sponsoring body, "has withdrawn its sponsorship."
The difficulty there was that Trinity Senior Pastor David Sherwood immediately responded that the church "has not, in any sense, withdrawn its sponsorship." In fact, he said, the group's leaders and students "do a fantastic job of equipping the rising generation of student leaders."
Then Allen Callahan, an associate chaplain at the school, explained that a form that was submitted late meant that the group "had not been a 'recognized student organization' since the fall of last year."
However, officials also noted there was no suspension in place at that time, and in fact the group retained the right to reserve meeting space throughout the school year.
Callahan then offered the accusation that the group "had become possessed of a leadership culture of contempt and dishonesty that has rendered all collegial relations with my office impossible."
So the students asked for an explanation of the "culture of contempt and dishonesty" but did not get a response.
On the FIRE website, Tara Sweeney wrote that student groups "should not exist at the mercy of administrative caprice… Brown University encourages its students to forge their own path, famously telling them that at Brown, 'you will be challenged to define liberal education for yourself.' But students whose definition includes membership in this evangelical Christian fellowship are just out of luck."
When FIRE got involved, the civil rights group got a statement from Russell Carey, an interim vice president of campus life, that he would personally "mediate" the issues, "with the goal of ending the suspension.:
"Over the years FIRE has seen too many examples of administrators treating religious groups in an unjust manner. All students – religious and otherwise – deserve fair treatment," said Samantha Harris, the organization's director of legal and public advocacy.
"We hope that Brown will take seriously its promise to revisit the suspension and reach a decision that shows respect for students of faith."
"It's the students who lose out in this situation," said Pastor Sherwood. "It's hard to imagine that anyone's involvement in this organization could be anything but beneficial."
A number of other universities also have taken action to dismiss various Christian organizations, and have faced legal action because of their decisions. Most of those cases have had to do with the Christian organizations failing to follow school "diversity" plans because they require their leaders to be Christian.
FIRE is a nonprofit education foundation. It works with civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists and others on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression and academic freedom at colleges and universities across the country.
There are a lot of newer "Christian" universities
being started or are expanding...My guess is that
with the decline of morals/standards, and intellectual
honesty being seen at the major public universities,
the Christian private universities will get larger and
harbor more students percentage wise. I would guess that
the public universities may not be needed as much
anymore due to the internet/overabundance of Ph.D's/
and ease in dissemination of info, and research. Don't
really need the great public institutions, just need
honest, caring teachers/researchers...
"...they will hate you, and persecute you because of my name." -Jesus the Christ (circa 30 A.D.).
5.56mm
Muslims at Rutgers...jeesh.
Lions are soooooooo barbaric....Syringes and vacuums are 21st century.
This is a pretty broad brush stroke you drew here, from your post #31. People described as evangelical comprise quite a large proportion of Christians. If you will withdraw your broad comment, I will withdraw mine.
Ah! This is the post which elicited the comment. I missed it entirely. I would think few evangelicals actually believe this. Few, as in next to none. If they do, then "Houston, we have a problem."
"Yesterday, an evangelical Christian told me that he was raised a Catholic, but became a Christian last year. I asked him what he meant by that and he said, "Catholics are not real Christians, and that many of them are pagans and dabble in witchcraft." He then went on to explain why Mary is not a Saint. (I stopped paying attention after the witchcraft comment so please don't ask me to explain why he thinks Mary is not a Saint.) If this is the way evangelical Christians think, then I applaud Georgetown University's decision to toss these nut jobs off campus given Georgetown's position as a Roman Catholic college that is run by the Jesuit order."
That's why I phrased my statement using the word "if." I don't know whether the person I encountered reflects the majority or minority view among evangelicals, and if it is a minority view, is it a significant majority or so small that it really is meaningless. BTW, do you believe that Roman Catholics are Christians? Do you view Roman Cathoics as pagans?
I often wonder why the left hates Christianity so much.
Could it be because the left loves homosexuality so much and that the left thinks that Christians are against it?
That reason can't work, since the left loves one particular religion from the middle east which murders homosexuals.
Any means neccessary to enforce the constitution, legally. Let not just some voices be heard, but ALL! Protest, picket, boycott, rally and do it together with one voice. It's about time we show these prix what a protest is really all about.
You know what it's going to come down to eventually don't you? If the secularist try to take away rights by activist judges usurping our law then by all means there will be civil war because I will not allow my FREEDOM to be lost to a bunch bigoted, racist, secularist, heathens who have no regard for the laws and freedom that has been given with lives and limbs by those before us.
I dislike the current practice of Evangelicals claiming exclusive title to the word "Christian". We have Catholics, various Protestant sects, and various Eastern Orthodox denominations, all of whom have objective claim to be "Christian"
I'm glad to here there is enough room for all of us. :-)
I'm glad to here there is enough room for all of us. :-)
I would be delighted to compile a resource list of high schools and colleges that deserve the "Millstone Award" complete with grades -- of the administrations who are unsupportive of the constitutional rights of ALL students and who humiliate their staff. I'd be happy to publish that information on my website of the most religiously 'intolerant' in the nation, but I will need FReeper help (with supporting links of course).
Good golly he must have been talking about my cousin!
I am wondering whne a Jew will be elected as head of the Muslim organization.
Sorry to break the bad news to you my fellow Catholic, but some Catholics aren't Christian at all. They are CINOs. Being baptized and raised in the church is no guarantee of salvation IF a person believes in abortion rights, does wicked deeds six days a week and rests on Sunday, and their priest never calls them on it. Look to Ted Kennedy and John Kerry as stellar examples of non-Christian Catholics.
This reflects either collosal ignorance or arrogance. I haven't decided which. Personally, I have never heard anyone express the idea that a Catholic is not a Christian.
BTW, do you believe that Roman Catholics are Christians? Do you view Roman Cathoics as pagans?
I believe that anyone professing belief in Christ Jesus as Savior and Son of God is a Christian. Now, let me ask you: Do you believe that anyone not a Roman Catholic can be a Christian?
I did. Very interesting. Thanks.
"The university said it was going in another "direction""
To a warm place in a handpowered vehicle, apparently.
Brown is a lovely campus and mostly has fun students, I've taught there. Not its finest hour.
Yes, but we'll have to convince ALL the attendees at the Million Man March of that,...and that means BOTH of them!
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