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Imagine my shock at learning, via the American Family Association, that the vaunted economic stimulus package is written to require colleges to evict Christian student groups!
The package includes substantial funds for the renovation and repair of colleges and universities. These grants can be distributed to almost any school . . . unless . . .
As Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (the Christian version of the ACLU), explains:
Allow me to provide an example:
Let’s say you are the facilities manager for an Ivy League “secular” school (other than Stanford, these were all started as religious schools — look it up). Your campus has a chapel from the Old Days; it’s not eligible for these funds, under part (i). Fair enough.
You also have a student union, in which student organizations can use meeting rooms for their clubs. You want to accept funds to do some renovations, because the roof leaks, there’s mold, the carpeting is in tatters, and the wiring is aluminum . . . it has resulted in several small fires already.
Your school’s clubs include the chess club, french club, audio/visual club, Students for a Democratic Society, Collegiates for Cthulhu, Goths for Gumby, and dozens more. One of them is a Christian Bible study group.
Now, you’re not a religious school, so you don’t fall under part (i). But, the facility would fall under part (ii),
Don’t believe me? Well, you don’t have to!
Not only does Mr. Sekulow concur with this position, but Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel agrees!
The package includes substantial funds for the renovation and repair of colleges and universities. These grants can be distributed to almost any school . . . unless . . .
As Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (the Christian version of the ACLU), explains:
There’s a specific prohibition on two things. One, if the university itself is a religiously based or faith-based institution, it does not qualify. And if the facility that is being renovated allows religious worship to take place, it also does not qualify.
More specifically, the legislation prohibits the following:. . . modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities — (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission.
As you can plainly see, reader, this will force any school to evict Christian groups from their campus, or pass on much-needed renovation funds!Allow me to provide an example:
Let’s say you are the facilities manager for an Ivy League “secular” school (other than Stanford, these were all started as religious schools — look it up). Your campus has a chapel from the Old Days; it’s not eligible for these funds, under part (i). Fair enough.
You also have a student union, in which student organizations can use meeting rooms for their clubs. You want to accept funds to do some renovations, because the roof leaks, there’s mold, the carpeting is in tatters, and the wiring is aluminum . . . it has resulted in several small fires already.
Your school’s clubs include the chess club, french club, audio/visual club, Students for a Democratic Society, Collegiates for Cthulhu, Goths for Gumby, and dozens more. One of them is a Christian Bible study group.
Now, you’re not a religious school, so you don’t fall under part (i). But, the facility would fall under part (ii),
in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission.
Yes, that one group out of dozens using your student union for weekly meetings means that a “substantial portion” of the facility’s function is for a religious mission!Don’t believe me? Well, you don’t have to!
Not only does Mr. Sekulow concur with this position, but Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel agrees!
In order to receive stimulus money our public schools will have to expel after-school Bible clubs and weekend religious meetings. People who want to speak about their faith will be unwelcome in public places.
[It seems that President Obama's idea of "faith-based initiatives"] is to remove all faith from initiatives.
Sekulow plans to file suit the day Obama signs the bill, unless the provision is removed.[It seems that President Obama's idea of "faith-based initiatives"] is to remove all faith from initiatives.
We’re going to look at filing an application for a stay of this provision, trying to get it declared unConstitutional through a restraining order.
Are you as appalled by this as I am?
and others like him in mind:
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