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February 2, 2006
Birmingham University Bans Christian Group
In yet another appalling example of political correctness serving as cover for attacks on Christianity, the Evangelical Christian Union has been kicked off the campus of Birmingham University because it refused to amend its constitution to allow non-Christians or atheists to become voting members.
Although all students are welcome to attend their meetings, the Union — being a Christian organization — restricts membership to people who profess faith in Jesus Christ.
This same sort of discrimination is often seen on football teams that restrict membership to football players, and choirs who won't let you join if you're not willing to sing.
I'll quote this next part verbatim from CNSNews.com so that no one thinks I'm making it up:
The union also objected to demands to remove the words "men" and "women" from its charter in order not to offend transsexuals.
You just don't know whether to laugh or throw up.
Posted by Van Helsing at February 2, 2006 6:47 AM
Comments
Now that they're not allowed to be an official campus group anymore, I wonder if the campus atheist of GLBT groups would let them become voting members.
You know . . . because those groups would obviously allow that, right?
Posted by: Hal at February 2, 2006 8:13 AM
These "fine" folks are going to have to answer for this type of behavior--and I'm guessing sooner rather than later. You know--birth pangs and all....
Posted by: nikko at February 2, 2006 11:35 AM
Sadly, Hal, in my experience GLBT groups DO permit practicing Christians and others to become voting members. Not necessarily because they actually agree with the idea (though some of these groups, to their limited credit, actually seem to) but because they know that's the first line of defense brought by their adversaries in the courtroom. They permit these voting memberships as a bulwark to strengthen their position - it's just that not many practicing Christians, Jews or Muslims choose to be a part of these organizations (for obvious reasons).
But I'm still stuck on the part about removing the words "men" and "women" from the charter. You know, none of the organizations I belong to mention YAKS in their charters. I feel a lawsuit coming on...and I'm bringing Ferdy (the conservative cat) along for the ride. If you can't mention men or women, you shouldn't be "peopleist" either...
Posted by: The Random Yak at February 2, 2006 12:46 PM
Don't stop at people or animals...what about polyhedrons? What else can a cube do but get a lawyer and sue for inclusion ;-)
Posted by: cube at February 2, 2006 1:16 PM
This is actually an ongoing concern for many campus Christian groups since universities have decided that their version of tolerance (which isn't actually tolerance, but inclusion and the acceptance of others' beliefs as true even if you think they're false) trumps freedom of religion and freedom of association - you know, the ones the First Amendment explicitly protects.
The problem is that colleges have adopted these incredibly broad non-discrimination policies and people hostile to Christianity or to the groups use the policies against them. Here's a good detailed article I came across on the issue. Birmingham University is hardly the only place where this sort of thing is happening.
The ironic part, of course, is that by derecognizing a group because it will not allow gays or athiests to be leaders, which they claim is discriminatory, the schools are de facto discriminating against the groups because of their religion, which is supposed to be against the policies.
Posted by: Dangerous Dan at February 2, 2006 11:07 PM
