Religious Tolerance

In September 2014, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was “derecognized” by the 23 public California State University schools because the Christian organization requires its leaders to hold Christian beliefs. Tina is a volunteer leader of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at a particular public university. The new university policy requires that recognized campus groups have a nondiscrimination policy that says an organization cannot require its leaders to hold any particular beliefs (Stetzer, 2014). Being a recognized group is important to Tina, since it affects such circumstances as free access to meeting rooms, advertisements at University sponsored events, and official engagement with faculty and students. Tina believes that student leaders must hold to essential Christian beliefs for the sake of the group’s purpose, though InterVarsity has always welcomed anyone from any faith background to be a part of the group. Yet the University system requires all recognized campus groups to sign a state-mandated nondiscrimination policy stating that both membership and leadership positions are open for anyone, whether they support the beliefs of the group or not (Winston, 2014). How should Tina respond to the university leadership, if at all? What changes should Tina make to her chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, if any?

References

Dawkins, R. (2014, August 21). Abortion & Down syndrome: An apology for letting slip the dogs of Twitterwar [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://richarddawkins.net/2014/08/abortion-down-syndrome-an-apology-for-letting-slip-the-dogs-of-twitterwar/

Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. (n.d.). Human trafficking: The facts. Retrieved from https://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/issues_doc/labour/Forced_labour/HUMAN_TRAFFICKING_-_THE_FACTS_-_final.pdf

May, W. E. (2010). The social costs of pornography. Retrieved from http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/may/may_17pornographycost.html

Stetzer, E. (2014, September 6). InterVarsity “derecognized” at California State University’s 23 campuses: Some analysis and reflections. Christianity Today. Retrieved from http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/september/intervarsity-now-derecognized-in-california-state-universit.html

Winston, K. (2014, September 10). InterVarsity, college Christian group “de-recognized” at California State University campuses. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/09/intervarsity-sanctioned-california-state-university_n_5791906.html

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