Really quite a simple agreement:
http://www.shorter.edu/about/personal_lifestyle_statement.pdf
Personal Lifestyle Statement
A. Christian Commitment and Membership in a Local Church
Shorter University will hire persons who are committed Bible believing Christians, who are dedicated to integrating biblical faith in their classes and who are in agreement with the University Statement of Faith. Moreover, employees are expected to be active members of a local church.
B. Principles of Personal Conduct
I agree to adhere to and support the following principles (on or off the campus):
1. I will be loyal to the mission of Shorter University as a Christ-centered institution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention.
2. I will not engage in the use, sale, possession, or production of illegal drugs.
3. I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality.
4. I will not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and I will abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic beverages in public (e.g. in locations that are open to use by the general public, including as some examples restaurants, concert venues, stadiums, and sports facilities) and in settings in which students are present or are likely to be present. I will not attend any University sponsored event in which I have consumed alcohol within the last six hours. Neither will I promote or encourage the use of alcohol.
I have read and agree with the Personal Lifestyle Statement and will adhere to it in its entirety while employed at Shorter University. I understand that failure to adhere to this statement may result in disciplinary action against me, up to and including immediate termination.
____________________________________________________ ______________________
Signature Date
That’s do-able for me, except I’m not in any Church at the moment. I occasionaly drink while gambling, but I guess I could refrain from them when offered, and stick to my iced tea while dining.
Seriously, if you teach at a Christian university, it just goes with the territory that you should be acting like you are at church when there. I mean, wouldn’t that be part of the joy of being there? And if you weren’t a Christian, why would you want to be there?
You’re right, there is nothing onerous about the agreement.
I wonder why the article didn’t print it? Because, if you are teaching in a Christian college, there really isn’t anything there to offend you.
I would be put off if I were asked to sign such a thing in any other context, but in this context it only makes sense.
Granted, anyone can sign it and not mean it; indeed, if you don’t agree with it and are teaching in a Christian college, you are already a bit of a fraud.
The alcohol portion of it might put off people from some backgrounds, but its a Baptist college and so the alcohol ban wouldn’t surprise any one expecting to teach at a Baptist college. If you want to teach at a Baptist institution, its reasonable to assume you are in agreement with Baptist thinking.