UNC rejects religious fraternity
 

Read The Article Here

Interesting. Wonder what everybody think about this?

Too lazy...can you copy/paste it here please.

UNC is such a silly place...

On another note...

GO WOLFPACK!!!

NC Lawmaker Vows to Stop Anti-Christian Bigotry at UNC-Chapel Hill

By Jim Brown and Rusty Pugh
August 13, 2004


(AgapePress) - A North Carolina congressman is calling for an investigation into a decision by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to deny recognition to another Christian student group.

UNC recently froze funding to the Alpha Iota Omega Christian fraternity, claiming the group's desire to limit its membership to Christians constitutes "discrimination.">

"This is unacceptable -- and I would say that if this was a Moslem group," the lawmaker emphasizes. "But it seems to me that young people of the Christian faith are being singled out, not only at the University of North Carolina but at other institutions of higher learning."

The North Carolina lawmaker believes UNC is engaging in blatant anti-Christian bigotry. Alluding to complaints lodged by the group Americans for Separation of Church and State against a Catholic bishop and against two Protestant churches, Jones perceives the UNC situation as "an extension ... of the extreme left in this country trying to undermine the Judeo-Christian principles of America." Such anti-Christian actions, he says, occur at universities as well as outside of academia.

Jones is expecting a report this month from the Department of Education's Civil Rights Division. He says he will do everything in his power to make sure the discrimination at UNC is stopped completely. "This office that I have the privilege to represent will shortly be looking into this and notifying the proper federal authorities that they need to look at this situation," he says.

IVF: Another UNC Case
In February, Jones urged state and federal officials to investigate a female professor at UNC who harassed a Christian student because of his biblical opposition to homosexuality. And in December 2002, the school refused to recognize another Christian group, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, because it wanted to restrict its leadership to Christians.

InterVarsity Andrea McAleenan says chapter leaders on every campus must be Christians -- but everyone is welcome.

"Our fellowships are very inclusive," she explains. "We have students from all religious backgrounds, and we also encourage people who are just looking for answers about their own spiritual journey and people who want to explore and think through that with other students who are, again, looking at those deep issues of life."

McAleenan says without Christians in leadership positions, InterVarsity chapters could not maintain their identity and mission.

"We feel that the leaders of the organization -- people who would be a chapter president, for example -- really need to be able to say that they believe in a Christian faith," the IVF spokeswoman says. "To not have that as an undergirding would [make it] pretty difficult ... to be the head of a chapter."

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has chapters on hundreds of college campuses around the U.S.

UNC
 

Wow...these people sound like they have nothing better to do than cause trouble.

If this were an NPC or NIC group saying that they would only take people of a certain religious preference they would be off campus with no question. we've had many disscussions here about that same topic. I think what's problematic is that the groups say they are "only open to christian members". If you open your doors to everyone and then educate them before inviting them to join that you will only be disscussing, enjoying, christian ideas, you will likely only have people who are interested in that type of fellowship stick around anyway. We have religious/cultural groups on my campus such as the Black Student Caucus, and the Jewish Student Union, that work, study, and enjoy projects that support those communities/religious beliefs, but the groups are open to anyone who is interested. There are a few white and latino members of the BSC and a few non Jewish members of the JSU. They celebrate thier ideals, they just aren't exclusionary...and that's the problem.

I believe private organizations should have the right to determine their own membership.

Clubs and GLOs are not the same thing. One of their many differences is that GLOs determine their own membership. Also, student clubs are often times a "necessity".....cultural and religious organizations were established as support and advocacy groups. Membership in a fraternity is not a necessity. Being denied membership on the basis of religion, in an explicitly Christian fraternity, does not seem unreasonable to me.

the group is not banned from campus, they are simply barred from receiving student fees. no greek organization on our campus receives student fees either because they are exclusive by nature. would it be fair for a girl who was released from every house during npc recruitment to have to financially support the groups that denied her membership?

if this group wants to be selective in its membership, it needs to collect dues like every other similar group on campus. as a non-christian person, i do not want my hard-earned student fee money going to a group that would not have me as a member simply on the basis of my religion, just as i'm sure that students of other faiths would not want their student fee money going toward a group that constitutionally rejected everyone who was not of my faith. as a public school and therefore taxpayer-supported institution, unc cannot condone such a group. i do agree that private groups, such as my sorority, should be able to limit their membership exactly as they wish. however, i do not believe such a group should receive money from the students against which it discriminates.

practically speaking, trisigmaAtl is correct. if this group had just signed the non discrimination notice, thereby permitting them to receive student fees, and then proceeded to make perfectly clear the groups activities, objectives and ideals, i highly doubt that many non-christian students would even be interested in joining. and if they did, what would be the harm in that? generally, college students are not going to waste their time pursuing membership in an organization that does not align itself with their personal objectives. i support my school in its efforts to make the university of north carolina a welcoming and inclusive place to members of any group, and giving student fees to a naturally exclusive organization is not the way to do that.

TARHEEL GIRL: ditto on everything you said!!!

GLO's can receive money legally from the University. Usually we do so through our umbrella organizations -- IFC and NPC.

I believe that if a student organization wants to receive money from a public source, they cannot discriminate based on religion or race. I don't believe there is necessarily some rule that says you can't be selective.

at unc, one can be an officially recognized group but not receive student fee money (which is legislatively appropriated by student congress). most greek organizations are officially recognized but receive no funds.

from the unc student organizations website:

"Requirements

* The majority of the organization's members must be registered, full-time students of UNC Chapel Hill.
* All major officers must be registered, full-time students of UNC-CH.
* The organization must have an advisor who is a full-time faculty or staff member of UNC Chapel Hill or UNC Hospitals or extended the privileges thereof.
* The organization must provide a Statement of Purpose or Constitution and Bylaws.
* The organization must initial a statement of openness to full membership and participation and include such a statement in its Constitution and Bylaws or Statement of Purpose.

Privileges

* Officially recognized organizations may use specified University facilities, property, services, or equipment pursuant to the Facilities Use Policy.
* These organizations may use the University's name in their titles, so long as sponsorship or endorsement by the University is not implied or stated. If used, the title should follow one of these forms: "The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill," "UNC-CH," or "Carolina." Note: UNC is unacceptable
* These organizations may apply for funding from the Student Activities Fee, which is legislatively apportioned by Student Congress.
* These organizations may obtain assistance from the Division of Student Affairs, including leadership training, educational workshops, general organizational advising, major event planning, publicity, and reference materials.

Notes:

* Official recognition does not mean that the University endorses the viewpoints of the organization.
* Tax-exempt status is not extended when groups receive recognition."

in spite of my best effort, i cannot find the chart of how the student congress appropriated this year's money; however, i do know that exclusive organizations (not including performance groups that base membership on auditions) received nothing or very close to it. i know that young democrats and college republicans always receive a lot of money because they bring speakers and hold events that the whole campus can attend. however, student government didn't decide to freeze this group's funds (I assume they had appropriated a sum to them), the university did because they would not agree not to discriminate. that is really the bottom line.

as far as panhellenic and ifc, at unc i believe they collect dues from each member organization rather than drawing student fee money, although i may be misinformed.

I agree, but private groups don't have a right to public money.

$$$?
 

Why would UNC be giving money to student groups?

If you are a registered group, do they give you money?