RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Jesuit university bans Christian groups
2006-SEP-06

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Protestant chaplains at Georgetown University, a Jesuit institution, are believed by some to be so intolerant of the messages of their Fundamentalist and Evangelical student groups that they have banned them from campus life. The suggestion is that the university is intolerant of what they perceive of intolerance.

According to LifeSite News:

"University campuses are increasingly becoming the flashpoints of the battle over freedom of religious expression. The latest battle is at Washington’s prestigious Georgetown University, a Jesuit school with a long list of illustrious alumni, where the campus protestant chaplains have ousted a group of 'conservative' Christian organizations with no explanation."

"One of the banned groups includes one with a large Catholic component of its membership, the well-respected InterVarsity Christian Fellowship."

"David French, a senior legal counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom at the Alliance Defense Fund says the reason for dumping the groups is that they hold the Christian creed as true and the bible as inerrant. Reason enough, says French, not to tolerate their presence."

"Georgetown, in its notice to the groups said that after 'evaluating many areas of Protestant Ministry’s mission,' the university’s 'Protestant Ministry has decided to move in another direction."

"The university said the Affiliated Ministry’s activities would be banned entirely from campus. All websites linking the ministries to Georgetown University are to be 'modified to reflect the terminated relationship. Your ministries are not to publicize in any literature, media, advertisement, etc. that Georgetown University is or will be an active ministry site for your ministry/church/denomination'."

"Georgetown includes Catholic, protestant, Jewish, Orthodox Christian and Muslim chaplains on campus. The issue, says French, author of Guide to Religious Liberty on Campus, is not a matter of religious conflict, but of ideological bias."

"French writes, 'The real problem at Georgetown is the same problem that has plagued campuses across the country: an increasing intolerance for religious students and student groups (regardless of whether they are Catholic or Protestant) who take the Bible seriously and seek to live their lives under the authority of scripture'."

"The affected groups include InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (Graduate), Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Georgetown Community Church, Crossroad Campus Christian Fellowship and Asian Baptist Student Koinonia."

"The Washington Post reports that the students have collected 400 signatures expressing dismay at the heavy-handed measure. The groups’ leaders have complained that the campus ministries have become increasingly 'controlling' in recent years and have asked for signed agreements not to evangelize. The groups are concerned with the implications for religious freedom."

"The Post quoted Kevin Offner who said, 'We want the Protestant groups to have the same rights as the Jewish groups or the Muslim groups'."

Against whom is intolerance being expressed?

We agree with David French when he refers to an "increasing intolerance for religious students and student groups..." However, we have a hunch that the intolerance is not directed against students  "who take the Bible seriously and seek to live their lives under the authority of scripture." After all, liberal and mainline student groups also take the Bible seriously and attempt to live their lives according to its authority. Rather, we are seeing a growing intolerance of students who interpret the Bible literally, and who promote certain ideas, such as:

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Hilary White, " 'Tolerant' Georgetown University Ousts Conservative Christian Groups," LIfeSiteNews.com, 2006-SEP-06.