In what the Christofascists and professional Christian crowd will likely describe as more "persecution" of Christians, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges has given anti-gay Gordon College a year to review - and apparently change - its anti-gay policies. The accreditation board has indicated that Gordon College's policy on homosexuality may be in violation of accreditation standards. Would that similar accreditation boards would take action against Regent University in Virginia Beach and the always foul Liberty University in Lynchburg. Obviously, if these "Christian" colleges begin to lose accreditation, students may find themselves hindered in getting scholarships and their graduates could find it difficult to get into graduate schools or find employment. Personally, I'd love to see that trend. The Boston Business Journal looks at the situation. Here are highlights:
The regional body that accredits colleges and universities has given Gordon College a year to report back about a campus policy on homosexuality, one that may be in violation of accreditation standards.
The higher education commission of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges met last week and "considered whether Gordon College's traditional inclusion of 'homosexual practice' as a forbidden activity" runs afoul of the commission's standards for accreditation, according to a joint statement from NEASC and Gordon College.
The commission asked Gordon College to submit a report next September. The report should describe the process by which the college has approached its review of the policy “to ensure that the College’s policies and procedures are non-discriminatory,” the statement said.
NEASC placed Gordon College on its September agenda after news broke in July that Lindsay had signed a letter with other religious leaders supporting an exemption from an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
That led to scrutiny about the now infamous Gordon College policy, which it calls the life and conduct statement, that prohibits a range of activities such as sex outside of marriage, drinking and smoking on campus or at college functions – and homosexual practices.
The members of the working group include trustees, faculty, administrators, staff and students, Sweeney said. At least one of the students is gay, Sweeney said, and some of the faculty members on the working group have been vocally opposed to Gordon College’s life and conduct policy. Asked if the working group will consider eliminating the policy entirely, Sweeney said he believes this will be among the options the working group considers. “There will be a very balanced perspective,” he said.
As I have argued before, far right Christians and their discriminatory - and often racists - beliefs need to become unwelcome in decent society and their schools and colleges that indoctrinate students in hate and bigotry truly should not be counted among accredited institutions that pursue education and knowledge since their basic tenants reject knowledge and intellect and embrace ignorance and bigotry.
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