TUESDAY
APRIL 25
2000
TESTING THE FAITH
Tufts shuts out
Christian group
Religious club de-funded in secret meeting
because it wouldn't accept lesbian leader
By Julie Foster
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
Tufts Christian Fellowship was stripped of its
official "student organization" status in a secret,
midnight meeting because the group would not
allow an admitted homosexual to hold a
leadership position.
Though Tufts University administration says
Tufts Christian Fellowship has not been
"banned," organizers of the group -- an affiliate
of international college ministry InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship -- say the decision to
de-recognize TCF has the same effect as a ban.
In fact, TFC is no longer allowed to refer to itself
as "Tufts Christian Fellowship," it has been
stripped of its student organization funding,
meetings may not be held in regularly reserved
rooms and the group may not advertise its
meetings or events on campus.
The decision to divest TCF of its organizational
rights came from a student-run governing body
called the Tufts Community Union Judiciary.
Tufts' administration gave the TCUJ authority to
recognize student groups; however, no student
group has ever been derecognized.
According to a statement from the office of Tufts
President John DiBiaggio, "the Tufts Christian
Fellowship has ten days to appeal the TCUJ
decision to the Committee on Student Life. The
Committee on Student Life has members of the
faculty and undergraduate students."
"The Tufts Christian
Fellowship has indicated,
through its counsel, that it
will file an appeal. While the
matter is proceeding through
the students' judicial system,
it would be inappropriate for
the administration to
comment on the case," the
brief statement concluded.
The TCUJ's decision was
prompted by a complaint
against the Christian club by
Julie Catalano, who claimed she had been
discriminated against because of her sexual
orientation.
Catalano sought a leadership position within
TCF and asserted her belief that homosexual
practice is a biblically acceptable lifestyle.
Current leaders in the club, who choose leaders
for the next academic year, did not consider
Catalano, saying her beliefs do not reflect the
"religious tradition" of the group.
Curtis Chang, TCF's leader and affiliate chaplain
at the university, told WorldNetDaily, "TCF's
religious tradition ... believes the Bible is clear
on the topic of homosexual practice. It is listed
along with a long list of practices that are
deemed to not be in accord with God's wishes
for human relationships."
Chang noted "the TCF senior leadership's
position on homosexual practice does not stem
from homophobia. [Leaders] have consistently
affirmed their desire for homosexuals in
general, and Julie in particular, to be members
of the group. They affirm the dignity and worth
of every human being, created in God's image.
They also distinguish between homosexual
orientation and homosexual practice."
According to TCF's chaplain, no one from the
group's leadership was invited to the
"emergency" meeting called by Tufts
Community Union Judiciary chair Jessica
Branco to answer accusations of discrimination.
However, campus media were present at the
two-hour hearing, which began around 10 p.m.
on April 13, and TCF was notified by voice mail
of the decision at 12:39 a.m.
"But more importantly than the secretive and
rushed nature of the judgment," said Chang,
"the ruling threatens the freedom of all campus
religious groups to practice their respective
faiths."
"The TCUF has essentially acted to legislate
religion on campus," he continued. "Barring
religious groups from using religious-based
values in leadership selection is the same as
prohibiting them from practicing the religious
nature of their group. It is a fact that, in general,
the senior leadership of a group shapes the very
beliefs and practices of that group."
"What if the Democratic Club demanded that
they be represented in the Republican Club's
executive committee?" Chang asked. "What if
some very liberal student activists insisted that
'The Primary Source's' senior editors must all
write the same liberal views which they held?"
"The freedom of groups to live out their beliefs
rests in their right to set the criteria for
leadership. This is why the TCF constitution has
the outgoing senior leadership select next year's
leaders. This process of leadership selection
was approved by the TCUF last academic year
and is similar to the way that many student
organizations insure ongoing consistency with
their underlying purposes."
Campus publication "The Tufts Daily" reported
that neither Catalano nor TCF membership was
present at the "officially open" meeting.
Branco is quoted in the publication, defending
her decision to hold the hearing without
notifying the parties involved.
"They both submitted documents," she said.
"The documents are standing for themselves.
While their presence is welcomed, it is not
required."
The TCUJ is authorized to take action without a
formal hearing "in situations where an accused
individual or group does not deny an
accusation or where the evidence available is
irrefutable."
"We're obviously going on the appeal part of
the [regulation]," Branco continued. "If we feel
that the nature of the situation is endangering
the Tufts community and this is a special
circumstance, we can prevent the Tufts Christian
Fellowship [from] using Tufts' resources."
Hadley Arkes, a jurisprudence professor at
Amherst College, wrote a letter to Chang after
the decision was handed down.
"What the University has done is nothing less
than declared orthodox Christianity and
Judaism -- and Islam -- as illegitimate, as
religious traditions that should have no
legitimate place in the life of the University, or
in the lives of the students collected there," he
wrote.
"That is, altogether, a remarkable position for
anything that calls itself a University, for the
universities usually pride themselves for being
enclave of free discussion" Arkes added.
Branco did not return repeated calls from
WorldNetDaily.
Julie Foster is a staff reporter for WorldNetDaily.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_fosterj_news/20000425_xnfoj_tufts_shut.shtml
--
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