The Student Room Group

Banning the Christian Union

The former Archbishop of Canterbury has given his support to the University of Exeter Christian Union. We reported earlier that the CU is seeking to take legal action against the university. Now Lord Carey has given written testimony to the High Court supporting Exeter University Christian Union.


Taken from the front page of thestudenthouse.co.uk

Is the university right in disallowing the CU because they only accept Christians? Or is this against their human rights for free speech etc?

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Are all other unions allowed to discriminate on who can join? If so, then so should the Christian one. Although why any non-Christians would want to join a christian union is beyond me.
_jackofdiamonds
Are all other unions allowed to discriminate on who can join?


I presume not, that's sort of the point.

And I'm another that doesn't really see the problem here. The CU has no need to discriminate on membership, and gains nothing from it. Of course, it very much depends if they're being asked to stop physical discrimination or philosophical discrimination. I can hardly assume it's the latter.
Reply 3
Blue!
Taken from the front page of thestudenthouse.co.uk

Is the university right in disallowing the CU because they only accept Christians? Or is this against their human rights for free speech etc?


I don't see why the CU would seek to ban non Christians from coming to their meetings. In fact, I'd have thought they'd be welcomed. Not much point preaching to the converted.
FullLeatherJacket
Of course, it very much depends if they're being asked to stop physical discrimination or philosophical discrimination. I can hardly assume it's the latter.


Well for example if someone comes into the socialist union, could they be turned away for not being a socialist...I mean to an extent you just have to just trust that when someone says they are a socialist or a christian they're telling the truth.
Reply 5
The University guild decided to suspend the CU because the group asks members to sign a statement of religious belief. You allowed to attend meetings if you are not a Christian, but you cannot become a member. I do also question why non-Christians would want to join such a group. The university argued that it could not give funds to the union because it discriminated against non-Christians.
Again, what business is it of the union what its members believe? More than the obvious. I wasn't aware that Christianity was something you had to sign off on.

They receive money from the SU for providing a service to the student base. Not to start their own little cult.

As far as I can tell, they appear to be trying to cause a conflict for their own gain. PC gone mad and suchlike. Drop the stupid "statement of beliefs" thing, and the problem is gone.
Reply 7
I guess, but I can't help but feel that an athletics group gets money for people who like athletics, what about those who don't like being sporty?
But I also agree that the CU should not force them to sign a declaration of belief.
Reply 8
Blue!
The University guild decided to suspend the CU because the group asks members to sign a statement of religious belief. You allowed to attend meetings if you are not a Christian, but you cannot become a member. I do also question why non-Christians would want to join such a group. The university argued that it could not give funds to the union because it discriminated against non-Christians.


I thought it was only office-bearers that had to sign the statement of belief...
Howard
I don't see why the CU would seek to ban non Christians from coming to their meetings. In fact, I'd have thought they'd be welcomed. Not much point preaching to the converted.


I dont think the CU is just about preaching to "unbelivers" and trying to convert them. I should think it is more of a social group for people who hold a common intrest.
Reply 10
CU members should not be required to sign.
Reply 11
I have no problem with this at all.

The CU should just disaffiliate from the students' guild.
Reply 12
Lib North
I have no problem with this at all.

The CU should just disaffiliate from the students' guild.


Exactly. No massive loss is it?
Reply 13
Societies really should stop taking the couple of quid bribes that they get for affiliating with students' unions and just go it alone. If anything has been highlighted of late, unions (thankfully not mine, it's run by Tories) are corrupt, disturbing and supremely anti-liberal organisations.
In my opinion no university society should ever restrict membership, or committee membership, to a particular group of people.

And surely TSR ought to regard "The Student House" as a grave threat to its global interests.
Blue!
The University guild decided to suspend the CU because the group asks members to sign a statement of religious belief.


Well if someone was determined to get in they probably wouldn't have much problem signing it. What are they going to do?
"Hello, police? I have a man here who told me he thought Jesus was god but now he says he's only a prophet..."
Reply 16
_jackofdiamonds
Well if someone was determined to get in they probably wouldn't have much problem signing it. What are they going to do?
"Hello, police? I have a man here who told me he thought Jesus was god but now he says he's only a prophet..."


It is more complicated than that. The union would ultimately be the ones legally responsible if someone were to sue any of its societies, and thus they have created a policy which they believe they can defend in court. If they were to remove the clause that requires societies to be open to everyone, or make exceptions to it, then they could potentially have to defend that policy, so I can understand if they don't want to accept that other societies violate union policy by asking their members to sign a statement of belief.

Furthermore, why is the CU the only religious society that feels they need to require peopel to sign a statement of belief? I have heard about this sort of thing before ( and the CU here at Warwick also run into similar trouble ) and it always seems to be the CUs that trigger this. We have another christian society here at warwick that sees no need to ask their members to sign anything of this sort, and they seem to do just fine. The Jewish and Muslim societies seem to be fine without it as well. To me it really does seem as if the CU is just trying to stir up a scene.
Agent Smith
And surely TSR ought to regard "The Student House" as a grave threat to its global interests.


So should we invade it on a flimsy pretext, then? :wink:
Reply 18
Lib North
Societies really should stop taking the couple of quid bribes that they get for affiliating with students' unions and just go it alone. If anything has been highlighted of late, unions (thankfully not mine, it's run by Tories) are corrupt, disturbing and supremely anti-liberal organisations.


The SU has ALWAYS been this way.
Reply 19
Is not the whole point of a society to collect like minded people together?