Several Christian student organizations are being removed from college campuses because their leadership positions are filled with Christians. Groups are now being forced to sign anti-discrimination statements at several universities allowing any student - regardless of their religious background or affiliation - to be a leader of a Christian organization.
Fox News recently interviewed Todd Starnes about his latest book, "God Less America: Real Stories From the Front Lines of the Attack on Traditional Values," which focuses on the removal of Christian religious liberties in the United States of America. Starnes is adamant that Christians are being attacked by the leftwing, and that the suppression of the freedoms of speech and of religion are infiltrating college campuses.
Starnes cited the recent case where InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Michigan was asked to sign an anti-discrimination policy stating that they cannot require leaders of their organization to be Christian. "In other words, if an atheist wants to be the leader of your group, you have to at least consider that individual or else you're going to be discriminating against atheists," Starnes says. InterVarsity Fellowship declined to sign the anti-discrimination policy, and were told that they could no longer be an officially recognized student group. This meant that they were denied access to available student organization funding and to campus facilities for meetings and for worship.
Bowdoin College denied the Bowdoin Christian Fellowship recognition as a student organization for similar reasons, and more than a dozen student groups were forced to leave the college campus at Vanderbilt University because of an anti-discrimination policy as well. One Christian student organization was even asked to remove the wording "personal commitment to Jesus Christ" from their leadership qualifications.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas and the University of Florida have exempted religious-affiliated student organization from their anti-discrimination policies.
The New York Times reports that these schools are likely trying to eliminate bias among students, especially against those who practice homosexuality. While Christian organizations often welcome any student to join their organization - regardless of sexual practice or religion - many believe that it is unreasonable for universities to insist that non-believers have opportunity to be involved in the leadership of Christian organizations.
