Posted on 11/29/2011 1:07:42 PM PST by Graybeard58
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Four Christian groups at Vanderbilt University soon could be kicked off campus as school administrators quietly adopt a policy that prohibits student organizations from holding members or leaders to any standard of belief or behavior.
Representatives from Christian Legal Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Graduate Christian Fellowship and Beta Upsilon Chi are negotiating with school officials in hopes of persuading them to reverse their decision. But Jim Lundgren, director of collegiate ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, said they are preparing for the likelihood of becoming "third-class citizens" at Vanderbilt: "We all see the handwriting on the wall."
What's happening at Vanderbilt is part of a national trend. Last year, only two InterVarsity chapters faced challenges from university administrators over the groups' right to pick leaders, or remove them, based on their beliefs. This year, 15 chapters have run afoul of school nondiscrimination policies.
Faced with increasing opposition from school administrations, some Christian groups, including InterVarsity, are preparing for what they fear is an inevitable break with the official university system. Unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, religious organizations could soon be relegated to the fringes of college life.
Two cases, one decided at the high court last year and one that could end up there next year, are redefining discrimination and religious liberty on campus.
In CLS v. Martinez, which involved a chapter of the Christian Legal Society at Hastings Law School in California, the justices upheld the school's right to adopt an "all-comers" policy that forces student organizations to abandon all membership restrictions.
In ADX v. Reed, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the California State University system, which does not have an "all-comers policy," could prohibit membership restrictions based only on certain criteria, including religious beliefs. The Alliance Defense Fund, which also argued CLS v. Martinez, plans to ask the high court to consider the California case. Its decision will determine whether religious organizations can maintain their autonomy and their status as official school groups.
Officials at Vanderbilt, in Nashville, Tenn., began reviewing the constitutions of all official student groups last year when members of Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi removed one of the group's leaders after he revealed he was gay and engaged in a sexual relationship. During the review, administrators found 11 groups with constitutions that violated the school's nondiscrimination policy.
Only the four Christian groups remain in violation. They refuse to strike clauses in their constitutions that require leaders to agree to statements of faith or participate in specific activities, like Bible studies -- setting up a showdown with administrators who say official groups can no longer restrict their membership.
"In order to be a registered student organization -- which means using the Vanderbilt name, having the opportunity to apply for funding from student activity fees and access to university resources -- opportunities for membership and leadership must be accessible to all," said Beth Fortune, vice chancellor for public affairs, in a written statement.
When asked whether the school had any other option for the Christian groups as an alternative to revoking their official status, Fortune would only say that the administrators were still discussing that issue.
InterVarsity tried working with the administration to resolve their differences, but when efforts at private negotiations failed, the group appealed to alumni and friends of the school's board of trustees. A similar strategy of public pressure worked well for InterVarsity at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. School administrators reversed their decision to bar InterVarsity from campus after alumnae protested. In the Vanderbilt case, 23 congressmen have joined the campaign, sending a letter last month to Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos asking him not to discriminate against religious groups.
The Vanderbilt case has attracted the most media attention in recent months, but it's just one of dozens of cases playing out on campuses all across the country, said David Cortman, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. Most adults, who only know what college life was like when they were in school, have no idea how prevalent discrimination against Christians on campus has become, he said.
"The university is supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, but it ends up being the storefront of censorship," he said. "Rather than being wide open to all viewpoints, including some you may disagree with, [administrators] want you to agree with liberal orthodoxy just to maintain equal status on campus."
Cortman was surprised by Vanderbilt's decision to adopt what is essentially an "all-comers" policy since the Supreme Court decision in CLS v. Martinez does not apply to private schools.
Although he hopes the ADF will prevail in ADX v. Reed, InterVarsity's Lundgren is making contingency plans. In July, several InterVarsity staffers went to an evangelical student conference in Poland. The Americans gathered information about ministry strategies from groups in countries that prohibit Christian organizations from meeting on college campuses. Lundgren distributed a report detailing their findings to all InterVarsity's chapters. He is praying the Supreme Court will ensure they never need to use it: "Our hope is that [the court] will hear the U.C. San Diego case and clarify things in a way that will make this work."
All I can see them losing is "access to student fees and university facilities". It might be argued that Christians pay these fees as well as other groups do, in that case, ideally, they should be exempt from that part of fees that they pay. I know that we don't live in an "ideal world or I'd be exempt from paying that portion of my taxes that go for welfare.
I've long advocated that my church voluntarily give up its tax exempt status but believe me, I'm a "lone voice crying in the wilderness" on that issue.
By the way, the Catholic church in Washington D.C. had to give up the adoption portion of their works, not because they had to adhere to a non discrimination policy against queers adopting but because federal funds would be cut off if they didn't give those queers their "right" to adopt. They did the math and decided that it wasn't financially sound to continue. The Catholic church is far from being alone, all churches that run charitable endeavors are being squeezed.
I'm not Catholic but I'm a donor to my local Catholic Charities because they are the only organization in my area that is doing anything positive about abortion. They counsel women not to do it and they counsel them in a positive way by offering positive solutions, such as financial help and adoption alternatives, which in my opinion is a lot more valuable than standing in front of planned parenthood waving placards.
So far the Sisters tell me that they aren't receiving any heat from the feds on a local level but they don't do the actual adopting out of babies either, they just pay for it.
“prohibiting the holding of members to any standard of behavior” sure worked out well at Penn State...
So a murderer of prostitutes could hold a leadership position?
Screw the universities. Start your organizations in your apartments, though I know that universities are going to start monitoring student’s private lives or attempt to do so at any rate.
“as school administrators quietly adopt a policy that prohibits student organizations from holding members or leaders to any standard of belief or behavior.”
Well, that’s certainly good news for the Young Democrats!
The ONLY reason to be on campus is to get university funding via the Student Senate or use the facilities. The groups should use church facilities and get out from under the umbrella of the university.
As far as I see it, Christians all over the US should rapidly yank their children out of these Godless universities and enroll them in faith based schools. If that were to happen, the athiests at the colleges will have far less money and far fewer students to worry about.
“school administrators quietly adopt a policy that prohibits student organizations from holding members or leaders to any standard of belief or behavior”
That jumped out at me...
Really? It’s “wrong” to hold anyone to a standard of belief or behavior? Don’t they see the irony of that?
What they really mean is, it’s “wrong” to expect anyone to adhere to CHRISTIAN standards of behavior.
(Indeed, it’s actually impossible to maintain that standard, but we’re forgiven anyway)
Students should vote with their feet and tuition. Find another college.
This is nothing more than whats been going on for some time....restriction of free speech for some. When those cases go to court guess who consistently lose? I think the orgs in question should warm their lawyers up.
Shake the dust off your sandals, kids. And have your folks put their money elsewhere.
>>>Perhaps these groups should voluntarily disaffiliate from these Universities. Christians are told not to be part of “the world” and aligning themselves with these increasingly godless universities is very much what that is all about. <<<
Please don’t take this as offensive, but this is the absolutely wrong way to take this.
Christians need to infiltrate and take over the organizations. If the rules state that all groups have to take everyone, then use that to the advantage of conservatives and Christians in particular. Remember Alinsky’s rule about this: use the values of the enemy against him. If there are complaints, loudly proclaim that they are being intolerant and judgmental. File lawsuits. Claim racism and sexual harassment. Protest loudly. Bang drums and sing hymns. Hold hands and say the Lord’s Prayer, and then call the resignation of anyone who tell you to be quiet. The time is long past using the tactics of the left against the left.
Simply laying back and accepting rape is no way to live. They want a fight; take it to them. Passive noncompliance will not work against the barbarians of the left. Fight, damn it!
So I guess at Vanderbilt it would be OK for a gay Jew to lead the on campus Muslim group.
It’s not just “Secular” Collages, it is TIME for Christian Parents to YANK thier Precious Children OUT of “Public Schools” too! A lot of “Christian” Parents are too GUTLESS AND COWARDLY to do that though.
Insane. They should all join the local liberal groups and elect themselves as leaders, lol.
“So I guess at Vanderbilt it would be OK for a gay Jew to lead the on campus Muslim group.”
LOL
That’s what I was thinking...
In other words, they want to allow in person atheist trolls in the Christian organizations just like the ones on the Internet that come onto Christian sites and chat rooms to cause trouble.
I wonder how many individual members of these "Christian" organizations are personal evangelists to begin with? I mean, how long would I have to walk around the Vanderbilt University before the first Christian would hand me a Gospel tract/pamphlet, or ask me whether I know Jesus Christ?
If these "Christian" organizations do not have a membership made up substantially of people who practice personal evangelism or soul winning, then I don't know that the "Christian" qualifications in their constitutions mean very much, or that the organization really has much Christian impact to begin with.
Voluntarily dissafiliating is exactly what they want. Just go away.
Nonsense. Use the left’s own tactics against them . .sue the bastards. This is clearly attempt to restrict their freedom of religion in general, and Christianity in particular
Lawsuits expose the perps as defendants. It keeps their names and the issue in the headlines. It brings to the attention of donors who are Christians who may be out of state and/or not paying attention, unaware of this.
And I wouldn’t just sue the colleges. I would also see if the individuals themselves could not be targeted as well. Enough is enough. Never surrender to these bigots. Instead see to it they’re in the unemployment lines and bankruptcy filings.
Funny how the colleges and universities want to enforce their standards of student conduct and selectivity for student enrollment, but don’t want to allow the same for other organizations.
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