Title: UK SU bans Christian group
Description: at my uni!!
Hannoir - February 2, 2006 10:02 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
A UNIVERSITY Christian Union has been suspended and had its bank account frozen after refusing to open its membership to people of all religions.
The Christian Union, an evangelical student organisation, has instructed lawyers and is threatening court proceedings against the Birmingham Guild of Students.
The Birmingham Christian Union has more than 100 members who attend meetings regularly and has been functioning at the university for 76 years.
Members claim the actions have been taken against them after they refused on religious grounds to make “politically correct” changes to their charitable constitution, including explicitly mentioning people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.
The Christian Union was advised that the use of the words “men” and “women” in the constitution were causing concern because they could be seen as excluding transsexual and transgendered people.
Difficulties arose after the organisation Christians in Sport, whose supporters include Jonathan Edwards, the Olympic gold medallist, attempted to book a room in the name of the Christian Union. After checking the union’s constitution, the Guild of Students objected to a number of clauses.
Andy Weatherley, Christian Union staff worker in Birmingham, said: “The guild insists the Christian Union constitution must be amended to include mandatory clauses, insisting on more control by the guild and open membership to those who would not call themselves Christians.”
At a recent guild meeting Matthew Crouch, of the Christian Union, appealed against derecognition. He said: “All guild members can attend our meeting but only members can vote,” but Stuart Mathers, a guild vice-president, said that all student groups have to follow guild council policy. Birmingham University Christian Union is affiliated to the University and Colleges’ Christian Fellowship. Pod Bhogal, its communications director, said: “We support the Birmingham Christian Union. We would not dream of telling a Muslim group or a political society how to elect their leaders or who could or could not become a member. The same applies to a Christian Union. |
so, what do we think? the group have now been banned from doing activities that were planned for not sticking to the rules of the Guild of Students (our SU), as they provide funding and affiliation etc...
SheDevil - February 2, 2006 10:08 PM (GMT)
Interesting, AUSA banned VCM for 10 years because they had ties with a cult in the US. But I think most groups here on campus welcome different religons and sexual identities, unless you're talking bout the hardout fundies, of which I do not know of?? I'd like to think that the Christian groups on campus would welcome all people with open arms but if I heard otherwise I would definatley move to fuck them over/ban them.
Fez - February 3, 2006 12:25 AM (GMT)
ahahahaha thats hilarious
Tony Montana - February 3, 2006 03:00 AM (GMT)
I'm opposed to to the actions of the Birmingham Students Guild.
This Christian group is being persecuted for its beliefs. The group did not take a political stance against transexuals and homosexuals, it did not attempt to incite violence against them, and it did not try to impose its own views on the wider campus community. So what if the constitution impliedly excludes transsexual and homosexual people. Teh Christians have a right to associate with whom the wish to associate, and it is not the place of the student's guild to impose their own morality on them.
Archie McRiff - February 3, 2006 04:25 AM (GMT)
It does seem like a largely academic issue, as transgendered/sexual people wouldn't want to join this club anyway, given that once members, they would obviously be subject to ostracism and other bullshit from the Christians.
However, it's more of a principle thing - if the club constitution implies that TS people can't join, which the article doesn't show evidence of - then that could be a human rights issue. I'm not too sure whether that's one of the grounds you can't discriminate on in England... but if it's not open to people of different religions then that would definitely be one (although the article doesn't show evidence of the religion thing either).
I don't know, it's a fairly stupid issue. I say ban the Christian club, they all have their heads up their arses anyway. Or each other's arses.
I agree with most of Tony's second paragraph - except for the "So what" sentence. If I want to join a group, I shouldn't be prohibited from doing so, even if for me to do so would be idiotic - e.g. joining a group with which my beliefs don't coincide at all.
the oob - February 3, 2006 04:30 AM (GMT)
Intolerance of the intolerant... I like it.