Carolina Review author Anthony Dent faces the reality that the University’s inclusiveness policy as to student organizations has a profound effect on Christian and conservative student groups to define themselves:

On Friday, January 27th, I received notice of a meeting to review the university’s nondiscrimination policy as it relates to belief-based organizations (e.g., Young Democrats, Carolina Review, or InterVarsity). This committee was called after university administrators ruled that Psalm 100, a Christian a cappella group, did not violate the current nondiscrimination policy when they voted Will Thomason out of the group because of his views on homosexuality. Critics assert they voted him out because of his sexual orientation, not his views.

According to an email I received from a member of the policy review committee, there are four actions that they may take:

  1. Implement an “all-comers” policy where belief-based  groups cannot take a prospective members beliefs’ into account when  considering them for membership
  2. Implement a modified “all-comers” policy where you can  take their beliefs into account, but none related to “personal  characteristics” (i.e., “a Christian organization couldn’t require that  gay members believe homosexuality is a sin”)
  3. Require student leaders to sign a non-discrimination  statement or require student organizations to incorporate a  non-discrimination statement into their bylaws.
  4. Make no change.

The first two are highly problematic….

For larger groups such machinations probably aren’t an issue, but for smaller organizations like Carolina Review the chance that a few liberals could dominate the group is very possible. Recent actions taken against the Review by fringe organizations indicate that this could be a real threat….


 
 0 
 
 0