-Department of Education ‘Shame List’: The Beginning of Government Persecution of Christian Colleges?
by Dr. D ~ May 2nd, 2016
The Obama administration’s Department of Education recently published a ‘shame list’ of Christian colleges seeking a religious exemption to federal Title IX ‘anti-discrimination’ laws. Here’s the story from the Blaze:
According to the list, more than 230 schools have received exemption from Title IX as of April 1, with more than 30 requests still pending. The number of schools seeking Title IX exemptions for religious reasons has climbed since December….
According to Title IX, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” …
Title IX also offers a specific exemption for religious schools if they find that the law demands that they violate their religious beliefs.
“Title IX does not apply to an educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization to the extent that application of Title IX would be inconsistent with the religious tenets of the organization,” the religious exemption reads.
The Obama administration has argued, however, that only colleges affiliated with a denomination deserve to be granted exemptions.
Response: I believe that this is the beginning of governmental persecution and discrimination against independent Christian colleges and universities in America.
Nearly all colleges and universities receive a huge amount of indirect funding through federally guaranteed student loans and Title IX legally applies to all institutions receiving those funds. If the government declines to allow Title IX religious exemptions for independent Christian colleges, which is what President Obama is pushing for, then independent Christian colleges will be forced to adhere to the Title IX laws or no longer be qualified to receive federal loan money. In effect, they would cease to exist as they now are.
Nearly all private Christian institutions have codes of behavior for teachers and students which reflect Biblical standards when it comes to sexual behavior including homosexuality and transgender identity. Title IX would make those theological codes illegal without a religious exemption. If President Obama and LGBT activists have their way, independent Christian institutions with Biblical codes of behavior will no longer be qualified to receive federal student loan money which would put many of those institutions out of business or in serious financial difficulty at the very least.
Already LGBT activist have petitioned the NCAA to bar colleges and universities with religious exemptions from organized sports. Next up look for the activists to sue all of the Christian institutions on this ‘shame list’ and ask the courts to end the religious exemption altogether. *Top
May 2nd, 2016 at 11:14 am
It is foreseeable that the argument by the activists will be that allowing an exemption from the law for certain Christian institutions would amount to an “establishment” of Christianity (or at least Evangelical Protestant Christianity) as a state-religion. Therefore, there can be no “opt out” provisions in order to “protect” the First Amendment. This will, of course, turn the First Amendment on its head.