@romanigypsyeyes I don’t like it that my tax dollars support abortion either, but not a lot we can do about that.
It might not be seen as a Southern problem if Southern states weren’t in the vanguard of anti-same-sex marriage laws. Yes, there are other colleges with a narrowly religious viewpoint, but if they are in, for example, California, they are merely one viewpoint among many. It is when that viewpoint tries to portray itself, and in fact succeeds in portraying itself, as the majority one, with the concomitant right to determine the viewpoint for everyone else, that that viewpoint becomes problematic, and needs to be resisted. That is to say, if South Carolina were a state that habitually respected the line between religion and state, I could shrug off some small college’s decision to value a commitment to homophobia over Christ’s admonition to love one’s neighbor. But in a state in which elected officials often confuse their secular responsibilities with the dictates of their conscience, it seems necessary for persons who object to that value system to say so, lest they be seen as agreeing with it.
@albert69 go read about the Hyde amendment and come back and talk to me.
Different people whine about different things, but everybody can find something to whine about.
But back to the issue of a private school and rules.They are fine with people who don’t accept their rules not attending. Liberty allows no sex at all and has no student shortage, either.
Pell and direct loans are given to the student, not to the institution, so if you restrict students from using them at colleges you don’t like, you are restricting their freedom to choose. You could restrict government grants going to religious schools, but Georgetown and BC and BYU aren’t going to be too happy about that (or the students who go to them). If the government stops giving aid to religious businesses, then what about hospitals and summer camps and other quasi religious organizations going to do? Whether people like it or not, church and state are intertwined.
And this is where so many get it wrong and why what they say really misses the point when discussing religion.
That is, morals are not just ideas; they are beliefs, which are interwoven into a larger philosophical construct that cannot be just whimsically replaced with some other random thought or idea because that would be akin to replacing apples with oranges and saying they are same when interwoven with everything else.
More importantly, religion is not a hodgepodge of ideas determined by a popularity contest by people who do not even practice it. The true definition of something that is a hodgepodge of ideas determined by popularity is government - and we see what that begets.
Note the two implicit arguments, which are not accurate.
There is nothing complacent about rejecting students based on sexual orientation. That is a morally-based, concrete position. It is not done lightly or complacently; it is done as to not violate the tenets of one’s faith, which is one of the worst things one can do. Complacent erroneously implies the moral / belief is not as grounded as it is and does not have consequences if ignored.
No. Pell and direct loans are distributed to the university not given directly to the student.
Well, actually the Pell and Direct Loans are awarded to the student who, for convenience, agrees to direct them through the school of choice for the student. The money is, in fact, the student’s money.
To counter this retrograde news, I just found out today that two woman friends of mine who’ve been partners for 20 years are getting married this summer! Woot!
They can’t ban who you are.
But they can ban certain actions. As a private entity, that’s their right.
It is certainly the right of students to consider other schools if their philosophy doesn’t mesh.
Marysidney, this has nothing to do with southern and everything to do with religiousness.
“Is homosexuality a practiced behavior? Sure, but clearly it cannot be an equally life-building everyday activity of any heterosexual-based animal life-form if that life-form is to continue existing.”
So maybe it’s not. So what? Heterosexuals aren’t obligated to have children either.
Not sure exactly what prohibitions you are referring to, but I was just having a conversation with a neighbor yesterday, whose student athlete attends this school and who is most likely affected by this. Not only does SPU have a policy affirming respect and dignity for all, but they have an recognized LGBT club.
@JustOneDad
http://spu.edu/administration/student-life/handbook/behavioral-community-expectations/lifestyle-expectations
Also from SPU’s “Statement on Human Sexuality”
http://spu.edu/about-spu/spu-facts/statement-on-human-sexuality
Cherry picking your passages doesn’t really change things. The facts are that the university has a recognized LGBT club and you must have bypassed this part of the statement when you quoted.
"Because we are created in God’s image, people must be treated with respect and dignity by all institutions in society whether male or female, young or old, rich or poor, believer or unbeliever, homosexual or heterosexual. This priceless value constitutes the theological and anthropological foundation of our discussions regarding human sexuality. We, therefore, affirm the fundamental worth of all human persons, including those with whom we disagree. "
I absolutely did not skim it over, but thought that their statement that acting on same sex attraction (presumably even in the context of marriage) will result in disciplinary consequences says much more about how the university treats gays. This seems to be a love the sinner, hate the sin mentality.
For the record, BYU has a similar statement about homosexuality. You’re not going to seriously argue that BYU is welcoming place for non heterosexuals are you?
I don’t care one whit about BYU and it has nothing to do with any of my posts. However, I have lots of friends who attended SPU and have faculty friends there and your characterization of SPU as being ‘similar’ did not strike a familiar chord.
All this aside, if you are gay why would you go to a college that isn’t gay friendly? That’s akin to going to a Tech college with a desire for a humanities curriculum. Or a kid that chooses a college that is known to have a huge pot culture or drinking culture then complains because the college has a huge pot or drinking culture. You make choices based on known criteria. Why does every college or uni have to be “the same.” Legally they can’t deny someone their civil rights but if they are clear about their philosophy it becomes self selective. Buyer beware.
From the linked article:
“It will, however, make students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), including Juan Varona, who along with Drew Davis, was one of the two volleyball players who came out last year, feel unwelcome and disappointed.”
What a horrible statement for any college to make.
Logically, it sounds this way, but, rights, to some degree, do compete. And the right of religious freedom does run head first into secularism and its privileges and beliefs, and someone cannot be forced to practice something counter to his faith.
A person could choose not to partake in something, but that is quite different than being forced to accept or do something, which is considered a sin. Sin is above and beyond the purview of man and government. In this case, the school can be accepting of the person, but not accepting of the practice.