Earlier this month, the Southern Illinois University case was allowed to move forward with the Christian Legal Society operating as a fully sanctioned club in the interim, despite their discrimination in official membership. And yesterday, a case involving a high-school Bible club in Seattle, that wished to exclude non-Christians was heard by a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Their plan was to study the Bible, associate with other Christians and "express the love of Christ and his soul-saving grace through character, speech, conduct and behavior," according to court briefs. But for official membership and voting rights in the club, students would have to swear allegiance to Jesus Christ by signing a statement affirming "the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God." At that, Kentridge's Associated Student Body drew the line, and without a charter, Truth was denied certain fundraising, yearbook and advertising rights, though it could meet on campus.
"The district has no problem with religious clubs," said Chuck Lind, a lawyer for Kent, who attended the hearing and pointed out afterward that the district has two other Bible groups, open to all students. The difficulty, he said, was Truth's exclusive, Christians-only criteria for membership.
Is there a difference between the responsibilities at the grade school versus the University levels of administration? That's an honest question. Typically, we allow school boards considerable discretion in maintaining order and decorum.
On another, completely irrelevant point to the legal discussion, I seem to remember high school as being pretty exclusive socially (no, I'm not bitter) all on its own, without having official limiting rules keeping people out of this club or that club. I would think, of all groups, a Bible club dedicated to Christian love and all, might be the best place to allow all comers to feel welcome and participate as full members. Could be the 2 young girls that started the club and insisted on the signing statement of allegiance were just following the lead of adults they've watched….just a thought.
