Policies driving some religious groups off campuses

[rug]

10:19 AM, Apr 2, 2012
Written by Bob Brenzing

NASHVILLE (USA TODAY) - One of the largest student religious groups at Vanderbilt University is leaving campus in a dispute over the school's non-discrimination policy that bars student groups from requiring their leaders to hold specific beliefs.

Leaders of Vanderbilt Catholic, which has 500 members, says the rule make no sense. P.J. Jedlovec, the group's president, says their meetings are open to all students, but only people who share the group's beliefs can be leaders.

"If we were open to having non-Catholics lead the organization, we wouldn't be Catholic anymore," Jedlovec says.

Vanderbilt Provost Richard McCarty says religious groups are free to choose their leaders but must allow any student to be a member and to run for office, no matter their beliefs.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/207287/14/Policies-driving-some-religious-groups-off-campuses

[lastlib]

1. Which is where they belong...

...if it's a public university, or if they get government funding.

if it's private( no gov't funding), it's a matter of the university's discretion.

[rug]

3. In this case, Vanderbilt is private.

[FarCenter]

14. According to their web site, in 2009 they received $521 million in external research funding.

While some of this may be corporate, a large amount would be government grants and contracts. Government funding typically requires that you be in compliance with an array of government policies.

[CBGLuthier]

2. do we even have to do word substitution any more?

Religion-based bigots should just do what the color-based bigots and the ethnicity-based bigots and the gender/sexuality-based bigots do. Let them in and vote them down.

[rug]

4. Am I following you correctly?

Do you mean, for example, a white person running for president of a black student alliance, a straight person running for head of a LGBT student organization, or a man running for head of a feminist student organization?

"Let them in and vote them down." Conversely, if they win, is that all right?

[immoderate]

11. It's a problem for democratically controlled organizations.

You would think that organizations would have the same protections as groups here at DU. OTOH we're not a public accommodation, and we live under an iron fist.

I don't see how any group can be democratic and not face the anomalies you present, which all could happen. (The head of the NAACP was white for many years. But he didn't turn black, so they got a different guy.)

I don't see a way out for organizations that have to maintain some standard of "purity." Then who will judge, and who will appoint the judges? Frankly I don't see how apostates would maintain control over an organization whose values they won't promote.

--imm

[CBGLuthier]

13. I was being facetious and suggesting they use the same tactics other bigots use

No, I do not approve of the tactics of bigots.

I do like to lump bigots together regardless of their reason.

[immoderate]

5. My friend's father joined the Masons so he could play in a poker game...

During the frat-like induction ordeal they asked if he believed in god, and he said, "No." So someone whispered to him, "You have to say "yes" to get inducted."

So he said, "I meant 'yes.'" So he got inducted and played poker there for many years.

--imm

[rug]

7. I hope he won.

[immoderate]

12. He never spoke on the subject.

But I suspect small stakes.

--imm

[dmallind]

6. Ah irony

"If we were open to having non-Catholics lead the organization, we wouldn't be Catholic anymore,"

So apparently Greek is no longer expected for a sound educational grounding for those interested in religion.

[rug]

8. As an academic pursuit, you should.

As an extracurricular activity, meh.

[cbayer]

9. The one case they mention hear appears to be about LGBT discrimination. If that is the bottom

line here, then they should leave.

Good riddance.

[Dawson Leery]

10. Bye.

There are many schools with religious affiliations in this country.
They do NOT need to use the back door to transform the public schools into religious ones.

[pepperbear]

15. so what non-Catholic would join a college Catholic group and want to lead it?

[cbayer]

16. Good question. Looking more closely at this, it appears to be an argument over principles

more than anything that has actually happened.

This and several other organizations had been placed on probation for refusing to alter their policies. The University said they had to sign something saying they wouldn't discriminate based on beliefs, and they refused.

[trotsky]

17. That's the the first thing that I suspected when I read this story.

This isn't about group requirements, it's about supporting discriminatory practices and beliefs.

I'm sure FOX news is proud of their spin though.