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"Once upon a time, American universities encouraged students to create community around common interests and protected the right of student organizations to operate in a manner consistent with their beliefs. But a rising tide of resistance to religious organizations on college campuses, allegedly aimed at reducing intolerance, ironically advances it, fostering an unwelcoming and hostile learning environment for many students and threatening the very existence of religious student organizations."
"In the fall of 2010, Vanderbilt University began investigating the constitutions of every religious organization on its Nashville, Tenn., campus after a discrimination complaint was filed against a Christian fraternity. During the investigation, the university changed the student organization handbook to remove a section protecting religious association."
...and the Students' are fighting back! (Good for them!)
"The Vanderbilt College Republicans have produced a new video (viewable on the “Restore Religious Freedom at Vanderbilt” web site) that showcases student reaction to the university’s non-discrimination rules — regulations that forbid student clubs from requiring leaders to hold specific beliefs."
"The clip opens with individual students discussing, one-by-one, the nation’s history of religious freedom. They go on to utter the first portion of the First Amendment — “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” while reiterating the Founding Fathers’ words about faith."
“Our new so-called non-discrimination policy threatens to destroy the integrity of each of our religious organizations,” one student proclaims."
This is clearly an attempt to stifle religious freedoms. Why should a Muslim Religious Group be forced to allow a Christian Student to be their leader? Or vice a versa? I would be pulling my child out of that University if they don't retract this ridiculous rule.
The pathological Christian persecution complex raises its ugly head again.
A student organization can't accept university funds and then discriminate about which students can and cannot be in that organization. Want to discriminate? Have at it. Just don't take funds from the university. Simple as that.
The pathological Christian persecution complex raises its ugly head again.
A student organization can't accept university funds and then discriminate about which students can and cannot be in that organization. Simple as that.
Not simply joining the organization, but heading it. Big difference.
Not simply joining the organization, but heading it. Big difference.
Joining an organization is about having equal opportunity to participate. You can't limit certain kinds of participation to only some members. It's discriminatory. But if the organization doesn't like it, all it has to do is not accept university funds.
Conservatives are so anxious about advancing their dogma that they would undermine one of the finest Universities in this country and fly in the face of the Constitution to get their way. Why should any state supported university encourage the practice of religion - any religion? As I understand it, that is the job of church groups and other religious entities. Why should tax payers - whom conservatives claim pay for far too much for everything already - have to pay for religious groups of whatever stripe using university meeting rooms, including the costs of heating or cooling and lighting these rooms while the groups are using them, the expense of having janitorial staff come clean when the meetings are over, etc., etc.?
The America I grew up in had actual churches and synagogues that people attended in order to worship the God of their understanding. I didn't go sit in some dreary lecture hall to further my understanding and the practice of my faith. We had ministers and deacons and Sunday School teachers for that. And these people were not hired by the University I attended, nor did I expect tax payers in general to pay for me to practice my religion. I and the members of my church did that. We called it tithing. That's the America I grew up in.
You people aren't Christians. You are just a bunch of freeloaders who are filled with indignation that the rest of the Country doesn't all believe the way that you demand that they do. Try attending a Church Service next Sunday and put something in the collection plate. Attend a Bible study group that meets at your church - not some university chem lab.
And stop whining about everybody else being yellow bellied. Maybe its time you took a look in the mirror and actually studied the Bible to gain a better understanding of God instead of complaining that the Government doesn't pay for you to do what you should be doing for yourselves.
Joining an organization is about having equal opportunity to participate. You can't limit certain kinds of participation to only some members. It's discriminatory. But if the organization doesn't like it, all it has to do is not accept university funds.
So if a guy wants to join the university pro-choice club and use the club funds to print pro-life literature and distribute it, you're cool with that? If other members try to stop him, you're going to defend him from being discriminated against?
If I try to become President of the French Club on a platform of only allowing Spanish to be spoken at club functions, that's cool with you?
I can join the campus Darwin Society and claim discrimination if they don't bring in speakers on Intelligent Design?
And why aren't the members of the football team playing more basketball, huh? That's what I'd like to know. After all, university funds are supplying their equipment.
Basically your position leads to there being no clubs at all since under your rules no organization is allowed to have any viewpoint, goal, or interest which may conflict with any other viewpoint, goal, or interest.
Unless, of course, you're limiting this "must allow people of other viewpoints to participate" thing to religious organizations. But wouldn't that be discriminatory?
So if a guy wants to join the university pro-choice club and use the club funds to print pro-life literature and distribute it, you're cool with that? If other members try to stop him, you're going to defend him from being discriminated against?
If I try to become President of the French Club on a platform of only allowing Spanish to be spoken at club functions, that's cool with you?
I can join the campus Darwin Society and claim discrimination if they don't bring in speakers on Intelligent Design?
And why aren't the members of the football team playing more basketball, huh? That's what I'd like to know. After all, university funds are supplying their equipment.
Basically your position leads to there being no clubs at all since under your rules no organization is allowed to have any viewpoint, goal, or interest which may conflict with any other viewpoint, goal, or interest.
Unless, of course, you're limiting this "must allow people of other viewpoints to participate" thing to religious organizations. But wouldn't that be discriminatory?
Ahhhh, the anarchy!!!! What ever could be done to head it off? I know. How about the organization have a mission statement, policies, rules, procedures, elections? Maybe things like these could keep the nightmare of the president of the French Club passing the spanish-language only law from coming to pass? My god, the horror!!!!
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