Campus Stifles Religious Organization

Vanderbilt University has placed the Christian Legal Society, a university-funded campus group, on probation because the group’s bylaws regarding leadership positions fail to adhere to the University’s non-discrimination policies.

Vanderbilt claims that CLS violates the University policy prohibiting groups to “preclude someone from a leadership position based on religious belief,” according to Vanderbilt’s Director of Religious Life, Rev. Gretchen Person. CLS bylaws provide that chapter officers “subscribe to the Christian Legal Society Statement of Faith.” For Vanderbilt, such a religious requirement by a religious organization discriminates against those who disagree with the group’s core beliefs but may still want to run for office of the group.

A quick look at the Statement of Faith will reveal that it is nothing less than reasonable and that it is highly unlikely for any CLS member – particularly one who wants an officer position – to reject the Statement. The controversial Statement of Faith is basically a truncated version of the Nicene Creed and proclaims one’s belief in the Holy Trinity, in the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary, in His death for our sins, in His resurrection, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the Bible as the Word of God.

As CLS understands it, chapter leaders are not coerced into any belief set. No one is forcing chapter leaders to believe anything they do not want to, and no one is forcing anyone to run for office. Group membership and holding office are entirely voluntary actions. Furthermore, CLS is not barring some students from running for office. If while in office, someone violates their conditions of officership, it is perfectly fine for the group to file an impeachment of sorts. Any term of employment comes with conditions. It is not the place of a university to dictate what those conditions may be as long as the conditions do not physically harm students.

Furthermore, one of the points of any group is that group members share and further a certain set of core beliefs. To have group leaders who do not ascribe to the group’s beliefs would counter the purpose of having a group. Religious organizations are centered on religious belief, and therefore it is completely reasonable for a religious group to require officers to abide by the beliefs of the group.

While Vanderbilt’s policy that groups should not discriminate against religious beliefs seems sound, the policy may force religious groups to contradict their actual mission statement. Just because secular groups cannot (and should not) discriminate because of religious beliefs, does not mean the same rules should apply to religious organizations. Although this may seem like a double standard, allowing religious groups to require certain religious beliefs in order to hold leadership roles simply recognizes the difference in purpose between religious and secular groups. For a secular group’s message to thrive, the religious views of the leaders are irrelevant. But for a religious group’s message to survive, the religious views of the leader can make all the difference.

Vanderbilt’s placing of religious groups such as CLS on probation violates those groups right to the free exercise of their religious beliefs. By dictating who can and cannot lead religious groups, the University inhibits the group’s ability to express their religious beliefs, thus violating the group’s right to free exercise.

Vanderbilt, in seeking to create an environment welcoming to all students, has created an environment hostile toward religious organizations. It is not the religious organizations that should be put on probation and forced to change their bylaws. Rather, Vanderbilt’s policy should be updated to recognize the free exercise rights of religious groups.