Baylor in same-sex marriage flap

[Pookie]

Baylor in same-sex marriage flap

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 Posted: 11:13 AM EST (1613 GMT)

DALLAS, Texas (Reuters) -- The president of the world's largest Baptist university Tuesday upbraided the school's student newspaper for publishing an editorial defending same-sex marriages, saying the opinion piece undermined "foundational Christian principles."

Baylor University President Robert Sloan said he is justifiably outraged over the editorial that ran Friday in The Baylor Lariat but would not take action against the student editors and writers.

Baylor, located in the central Texas city of Waco, has a policy that states a marriage between a man and a woman is the biblical norm. Baylor students are not allowed to participate "in advocacy groups that promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching."

"It (the editorial) comes dangerously close to violating university policy as established in the Student Handbook," Sloan said in a statement.

The editorial said it is not fair to discriminate against someone because of their race, heritage, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation.

"Taking into account equal protection under the law, gay couples should be granted the same equal rights to legal marriage as heterosexual couples," the editorial said.

The student newspaper's editorial board voted 5 to 2 to support the opinion piece, which backed San Francisco in its court suit in favor of same-sex marriages.

Larry Brumley, a spokesman for Baylor, said the university wanted to make clear that the voice supporting gay marriage was that of the five members of the editorial board and not that of the university. The students who wrote and supported the editorial will not be punished or disciplined.

He said that the core constituency of Baptists is against same-sex marriage and the students crossed the line by weighing in like an advocacy group with the editorial that ran counter to Baptist beliefs on the issue.

Several Baptist groups have been leading the charge against same-sex marriage, arguing that gay and lesbian marriages are a sin in the eyes of God.

Tony Pederson, the chair of the journalism department of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, who is also a Baylor graduate, said these types of disagreements over journalism and religion have happened before at the Baptist school.

"We, The Lariat editorial board, stand by our decision to address an issue at the forefront of national public debate. The editorial board's opinions reflect the views of the majority of its members, not necessarily those of the Baylor community," Lacy Elwood, the paper's editor in chief said in a statement.

Sloan has had a rough run as the head of Baylor over the past several months. One player in the Baylor men's basketball program was arrested and charged with murdering a teammate and an internal probe concluded the men's basketball team violated several NCAA rules.

In addition. faculty members have openly questioned Sloan on his ability to lead the school.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/03/03/rights.gays.baptists.reut/index.html

The indoctrination isn't working well at Baylor.

 

[thickspear]

hi pookster

this article reveals a fundamental shift in the thinking of christiaity...at least progressive christianity...

i was once a fundamental christian...but eventually i just couldn't continue to substitute belief for understanding..

with that said....this issue goes to a moment of introspection..that is:examining unexamined beliefs..

there's is a collorary (to me) of the fundamentalists in iran, iraq and other repressive societies...trying to fit the variety of humankind into a one size fits all morality...and trying to force the behavior of people into an outwardly prescribed ethos just doesn't work..

i'm actually surprised and encouraged by the large amount of support voiced in supporting the rights of gays to marry by those who identify as christian

ts

 

[DustyWolfe]

Well, considering that Baylor is "supposedly" a southern baptist institution I guess this goes without saying right? I was raised a southern baptist, went willingly until I realized I was gay. I agree with most of the doctrine but that's just me.

Baylor is an interesting school, they are already under some controversy since a couple of basketball players murdered another player.

And also there are those that are mad because they... heaven forbid..... allow dancing
Pretty campus, I feel sorry for Judge (the bear) though. He gets a lot of harrassment

 

[deezire1900]

I know it is a long way off...but someday 18 year old adults will have enough strenght to look at there parents and say...
I don't want to go to school there.

How much federal money do they receive?

 

[Kenthry]

I know it is a long way off...but someday 18 year old adults will have enough strenght to look at there parents and say...
I don't want to go to school there.

How much federal money do they receive?

Private schools do not receive federal funding it's why tution is so high