For the reason of stance on sexuality – as seeing homosexual behaviour as sinful and forbids those who are in it from holding leadership positions, Young life Christian group was rejected as a Christian group through unanimous vote by The Duke University Student Government senate.
CBNNews reported, In its Statement of Faith , the organization views any kind of sexual activity outside the bonds of heterosexual marriage in the same way.
However, it’s the policy against homosexuals holding official leadership positions in Young Life that has drawn the ire of the student government.
According to the student newspaper, The Duke Chronicle, the senators believe that policy violates the requirement that all Duke student groups include a non-discrimination statement in its constitution.
Arguing against admitting the group, one student senator said Young Life has the opposite of Duke’s requirement, “They don’t have a non-discrimination clause in their constitution; they have a discrimination clause.”
It is very clear on the group statement of faith that no there is no discrimination on who attends their meetings;
“We do not in any way wish to exclude persons who engage in sexual misconduct or who practice a homosexual lifestyle from being recipients of the ministry of God’s grace and mercy as expressed in Jesus Christ. We do, however, believe that such persons are not to serve as staff or volunteers in the mission and work of Young Life.”
The group will have to continue to meet off-campus as there is no official recognition from the Duke’s Student Senators.
In July, CBNNews reported how Wayne State University de-recognized the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter on its campus because the group required its student leaders to actually share its Christian beliefs.
Wayne State called that policy discriminatory and effectively kicked the group off-campus, greatly hampering the club’s activities. InterVarsity took the University to court.
Lori Windham, senior counsel at Becket, a religious liberty law firm, said the university allows other clubs to select leaders based on their beliefs, and InterVarsity should have the same right.
“The college Republicans can require their leader to be a Republican. The college Democrats can require their leader to be a Democrat so I don’t understand why it’s suddenly a violation of university policy for InterVarsity to ask its leaders to believe the Bible,” she said.
InterVarsity is still pursuing the lawsuit to affirm that right of choosing leaders who embrace its belief, despite been recognize as campus club.
According to CBNNews, A similar situation arose at the University of Iowa where the university actually “de-registered” student clubs that did not have a proscribed “non-discrimination” clause in their governing documents.
“De-registering” them meant they could no longer operate as an official campus organization with privileges like meeting space and access to campus activity fairs to recruit students.
As reported by CBN News, University of Iowa student group, Business Leaders in Christ, took issue with this non-discrimination clause because it would force the group to allow any student, no matter their beliefs, to become a club leader.
Aphorism CITY 