The article reports:<\/p>\n
All student groups must register next month. As part of the registration, they must sign a statement of affirmation that they will abide by the nondiscrimination policy.<\/strong><\/p>\n Vandy Catholic — a student group with some 500 members — has decided it cannot agree to the policy and will be leaving campus in the fall. PJ Jedlovec, the president of Vandy Catholic, says it was a difficult decision, one made after much prayer and discussion.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe are first and foremost a Catholic organization,” says Jedlovec. \u201cWe do, in fact, have qualifications \u2013 faith-based qualifications for leadership. We require that our leaders be practicing Catholics. And the university\u2019s nondiscrimination policy — they have made it clear that there is no room in it for an organization that has these faith-based qualifications.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The article also mentions that these requirements do not apply to fraternities and sororities on campus.<\/p>\n The article concludes:<\/p>\n As a private university, Vanderbilt is allowed to make rules that might not pass muster at a public institution. In fact, Tennessee lawmakers are working on legislation <\/a>that would specifically prohibit state universities from extending nondiscrimination policies to student religious groups.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In another attempt to change the school administration\u2019s mind, other religious groups on campus plan to sign the statement of affirmation, then submit charters that clearly outline a faith-based criteria for leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n That will likely provoke another confrontation with Vanderbilt leadership — one that may see more religious student groups leave.<\/strong><\/p>\n Religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of our country. If it is not taught and modeled in our colleges, we will lose it within a generation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Does an organization have the right to set standards for its leadership? For example, if a school starts a ‘scholarship club’ to encourage students to get better grades, should it require its leaders to be honor roll students? Would it … Continue reading ![\"Enhanced](\"http:\/\/img.zemanta.com\/zemified_e.png?x-id=86b4f366-08ab-4f96-b7ae-9d1c23b463ce\")
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