The Tufts University community should find a way to keep the Tufts Christian Fellowship among the university’s recognized student groups. The funds that the fellowship receives and its right to use the Tufts name are both in jeopardy after an arm of student government voted to “de-recognize” the group, on the grounds that its constitution contained discriminatory language. Any group that’s actually shown to be discriminating against students deserves no recognition. Yet the fellowship at Tufts is far more likely to be a helpful haven for evangelical Christian students — who are far from a dominant force at most Boston-area colleges — than a vehicle for exclusion on campus.
Like other campuses, Tufts strives for diversity, and supports a variety of religious-oriented student organizations. But no one should be surprised when those organizations emphasize their own beliefs.
Comments
Hopefully the Globe editorial staff spoke in depth to the leaders of this club to see how exclusionary they would or would not be. College clubs sponsored by the University should reflect learning and diversity of thought. Isn't that the very meaning of the word University? If the curious can not observe or more fully participate in the club this runs contrary to any such school's mission. If it is to take on the trappings of a stand alone church, it is no longer a school sponsored club. If a women's rights club formed on a campus males should also not be turned away. It is a way to show interest and support or even non support for ideas. By restricting who joins in a place of higher education it defeats any notion that one group should be able to expose their tenets and beliefs to another and also be willing have it scrutinized. It may be one of the last chances to so openly do this in one's lifetime. It is at the very heart of building a more tolerant nation. Evangelicals have chosen to put their beliefs in the public forum and that means it can be publicly tested.
Doubt they let people play frisbee in the football team or rap in the jazz club. This sounds a bit like religious persecution and would not be happening if this group were not Christian. Sounds like the group is toeing the line by inviting all. Bet there aren't too many white men on the African-American club...
It's not religious "persection." A christian could join a jewish group, a muslim could join a christian group, etc. It is unlikely that any of these faith-based groups would elect someone who is not of their faith into a leadership position, although it might be a wonderful world if they did!
It's not a difficult conflict to resolve and it's not "religious persecution." Clearly, the membership can choose its own leaders. Presumably it will choose one that accords with its views, and the candidates are free to take or make any pledge they want asserting their biblical beliefs, and those are the candidates the membership will choose to consider. There is no need to enshrine rules that Tufts cannnot support into their by-laws or constitution. The organization gets to choose its leaders (what they want), the University gets to ensure that it's money does not go to organizations with discriminatory language in their constitutions or by-laws. It's win-win.