The Battle of Vanderbilt: The Tennessee Legislature Comes Through

National Review Online - The Corner ^ | May 1, 2012 | David French

[C19fan]

For some time I’ve been commenting on a critical front in the battle for religious liberty on campus, the fight for religious liberty at Vanderbilt University. For those who haven’t been following this case, a summary: In the name of a particularly empty-headed and hypocritical brand of “nondiscrimination,” Vanderbilt is requiring campus Christian groups to be open to non-Christian leadership, even as it protects the special prerogatives of its large (and powerful) community of fraternities and sororities.

[C19fan]

Am I the only Freeper not comfortable with the state of TN telling a private university what its policies should be regarding on-campus organizations. The same freedom that should protect Churches from Sibelius and Obama is the same freedom for Vanderbilt Univ. If Vandy wants to treat Christian students like dirt they have the right to do that and these students should transfer to a more supportive university.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The sticking point... is it only private in name only? Does it in fact get a lot of state support? Vandy should definitely be named and shamed, but I’m not sure whether any leverage except for state support can be constitutionally applied to it.

[Timocrat]

Am I the only Freeper not comfortable with the state of TN telling a private university what its policies should be regarding on-campus organizations.

Were it not for the fact that Vandy has had hundreds of millions of dollars from the State of Tennessee I would agree with you. It would appear from the article that the bill requires that all fraternities and sororities be treated like the Christian Associations i.e. leadership positions are open to all which seems fair to me, all associations are or should be treated equally.

[Mrs. Don-o]

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[Malesherbes]

If Vanderbilt were Hillsdale College, I would share your concern. Hillsdale deliberately takes no public funds and can legitimately be called a private institution.

However, I believe that Vanderbilt sucks on the public nipple big time. Therefore, tax-paying Christians should have the same rights at Vanderbilt as members of fraternities and sororities.

Perhaps the best result of all this is that Vanderbilt’s hypocrisy is getting national publicity.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Punking the Islamic Society there, say, ought to bring this policy to a screeching halt.

[donna]

Well, can I smoke there?

[rigelkentaurus]

If Vandy truly wants to be private, as in take no government money, then, I would agree that they can do whatever they want as long as it is not violating law.

However, I believe that is not the case. Vandy does take considerable taxpayer money.

My thoughts are when you take handouts and subsidies, you are beholding to the person providing the money and have to do what they demand. If that doesn't work, stop taking the handout.

[DannyTN]

TN didn’t tell Vandy what their policies should be. They simply told them they couldn’t discriminate and apply one policy to Christians and another policy to other groups.

TN left it up to the university to decide whether to apply the all comers policy to all groups, or swallow their pride along with their stupidity and do away with this stupid rule.

[C19fan]

Then Obama has the right to tell Catholic Universities they should have free abortion and birth control clinics on campus since these Universities accept tax payer money whether student aid, research grants, etc.

[C19fan]

Then Obama has the right to tell Catholic Universities they should have free abortion and birth control clinics on campus since these Universities accept tax payer money whether student aid, research grants, etc.

[DannyTN]

And yes, so far you're the only freeper that has a problem with TN's actions.

I still think that the Baptist Student Union, Intervarsity Christian Association, and FCA along with any other christian groups on campus, should ban together and methodically start taking over all the other clubs on campus, using the All Comer's rule.

Vandy's leaders would be screaming for protecting freedom of assembly after the first club fell to Christian domination.

[DannyTN]

"Then Obama has the right to tell Catholic Universities they should have free abortion and birth control clinics on campus since these Universities accept tax payer money whether student aid, research grants, etc."

Except that Obama doesn't get to create law. As Chief Exectuive he is duty bound to implement law as written and only as written.

[Socon-Econ]

Private property rights have never been absolute under state laws. State anti-discrimination laws do not allow private entities to discriminate against people for being black or female, so why should they be allowed to discriminate against people who are religious? If we are going to go libertarian and allow colleges like Vanderbilt to discriminate against the religious, let’s go all the way and allow them to ban blacks, gays, etc.

[Dr. Sivana]

Then Obama has the right to tell Catholic Universities they should have free abortion and birth control clinics on campus since these Universities accept tax payer money whether student aid, research grants, etc.

My alma mater, Christendom College, like Hillsdale, accepts NO federal aid. No fed student loans. No nothing. That college is affected by the Sebellius mandate.

[rxtn41]

I live in Tn. My question is -—Where and who in the administation did this come from..the adminstration told the students of Christian Organizations on Campus. they must accept anyone into their organizations regardless of their bylaws..even if they were a Christian..or even if they we Muslim....so where or who did it come from????????

[rxtn41]

I live in Tn. My question is -—Where and who in the administation did this come from..the adminstration told the students of Christian Organizations on Campus. they must accept anyone into their organizations regardless of their bylaws..even if they were a not a Christian. or even if they we Muslim....so where or who did it come from????????

[sportutegrl]

I’m a meat eating vegan. Can I join the vegan student association?

[NonValueAdded]

The only purpose I can see for such a rule is for a reactionary group to infiltrate an organization and by force of numbers take over its leadership and alter its purpose. This is a clear violation of the group’s Constitutional right of Freedom of Association. Legislative action should be unnecessary.

[Gopher Broke]

bill.haslam@tn.gov

[cradle of freedom]

How can we get all of these communists out of the deans’ chairs?