October 26, 2011 was a sad day for the fight for LGBT equality. What seemed like a progressive movement towards equal rights was shaken when Shorter University, a small private Christian Baptist college in Georgia, forced its faculty to sign a Personal Lifestyle Pledge that required they reject homosexuality.
The pledge that Shorter University made their 200 employees sign had them promise that they would reject homosexuality, premarital sex, adultery and drugs and that they would be active members in their churches and not drink in front of students. If an employee failed to sign the pledge, they would be at risk to get fired.
In an interview with Atlanta’s WSB-TV, Shorter President Don Dowless affirmed, “I think that anybody that adheres to a lifestyle outside of what the biblical mandate is would not be allowed to continue here,” and added, “Anything that is not biblical, we do not accept.”
In a statement made explaining the decision to enforce the pledges, the school said, “The ‘why’ is really simple: What you stand for matters. Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us to ‘Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding’… If we acknowledge Him, He will make this university’s path straight.” Apparently, leading the university into a “straight” path means rejecting homosexuals.
Now, I understand that Shorter University is a private institution, meaning that it does not receive federal funding and therefore that it has not violated any laws. However, that does not make their Personal Lifestyle Pledge OK. Granted, the bible does not condone homosexuality, and can be seen in several passages in the New Testament including 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 which reads, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Since Shorter University is a private Christian Baptist college, they are allowed to shape their school around those beliefs.
What the university fails to recognize is the next passage, 1 Corinthians 6:11, which states, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,” meaning that all of those people, including homosexuals, can inherit the Kingdom if they accept Jesus Christ.
The university also seems to forget Luke 6:37, which states, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” It would appear from looking at some of these biblical passages that the university is picking and choosing which passages it will base its university around. By rejecting homosexuality, the Personal Lifestyle Pledge requires signers to judge gays and lesbians, which are all supposed to be our brothers under God. If Dowless and the rest of the administration enforcing this pledge do not condone “a lifestyle outside of what the biblical mandate is,” then it would only seem hypocritical that they judge people and discriminate against faculty for their sexual orientation or their beliefs on homosexuality.
I am a Christian myself but the acts of Shorter University disturb me. There are plenty of mainstream Christian denominations that support the LGBT culture, like Presbyterian More Light, Lutheran Reconciling in Christ and Methodist Reconciling Congregationalists. I understand that the university has the right to hold its own beliefs and values and to act on those values but the Personal Lifestyle Pledge that they are forcing onto their faculty is extreme.
One anonymous employee of Shorter University admitted to the Georgia Voice, an LGBT newspaper, that he would likely leave Shorter now that they have implemented the pledge because he believes that “witch hunts” will occur. “We now live in fear that someone who doesn’t like us personally or someone who has had a bad day will report that we’ve been drinking or that we are suspected of being gay,” said the employee.
Not only has this pledge created discrimination within the university, it has also created fear among its faculty. The purpose of universities is to promote higher education and having faculty members sign pledges that require they reject homosexuality does not aid in the education the university provides. Discrimination of this kind is archaic and such a step back in a country where motions are being made to slowly but surely promote equal rights for all.
University of Tampa sophomore PK Creedon, an openly gay student who was raised Catholic and currently practices Christianity, felt strongly on the forced pledges. “Since the school is private, I can in no way say they are unjustified in running the institution as they wish. However, the percentage of students returning to the school and prospective admission numbers will inevitably fall as society continues to evolve in its attitudes towards homosexuality. The school has underestimated today’s changing society by implementing the pledge that is nearly blasphemous in itself. These religious members of the Shorter University in Georgia are those to blame for the lack of individuals who proudly identify themselves with a certain religious affiliation,” Creedon said.
Assistant Professor of sociology, Sarah L. Jirek believes that the Shorter pledge is an issue rooted in social problems. “Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the civil rights, feminist, and gay and lesbian movements, discrimination on the basis of social identities, including sexual orientation, remains a widespread practice within some organizations and institutions in contemporary U.S. society. This instance highlights a tension that exists in the U.S. between individual, human rights and societal ideals regarding religious freedom,” said Jirek.
At the end of the day, Shorter University can and will do as it pleases. What it is doing however is discriminating and their actions are no better than those of the Westboro Baptist Church. Actions such as these are only adding more barriers to the ongoing fight for equal rights for all in the U.S.
Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@spartans.ut.edu.
I too graduated from Shorter University in 2010. The faculty there has helped me to become who I am as a person. This was all before the downfall. I belive in the bible and that you should love everyone. I do not belive that you can get a well rounded education from an institute that shelters you, and demonizes all things that it doesn’t fit into thier life style. Please do not hold this new presidents actions against its faculty and alumni. They are mere victims of this mans close minded ignorance. God is a loving God who sent us here to save, not to hide ourselves from differing opinions. This new persident has taken the same ideals as a former tyrant who killed millions of people who didn’t fit his mold. Extreme, yes. Acurate, yes.
Great article Ms. Keesee. I graduated from Shorter College a few years back, and I was very proud of my accomplishment. I am a Christian and would have recommended this school to anyone, but now, I would not. The quality of education a student receives should have nothing to do with bible verses, or a Personal Lifestyle Pledge . The hard core Baptists can misuse the bible to hate other groups of people if they like, but it will only turn away both prospective students and qualified teachers at Shorter University. How about all the federal funds that many students receive to attend this school. I do not think that Shorter University students should receive any federal funds to go to school, since this school discriminates against anyone who does not share its hard core beliefs.
Shorter University will go backwards as an educational institution by “forcing” these changes. They should have waited and changed there name from “Shorter College” to “Shorter Bible College,” instead of wasting thousands of dollars on Shorter University. This is simply poor misguided leadership on Shorter’s part, and represents the far right of Christianity. I hope this institution gets what they deserve in the years to come!
Broad thinkin’, there pres… The purpose of religion is to bind all people in acceptance of diferences. It’s sad to think that people who have never been absorbed by Christianity are more like Jesus than those who are generations deep. I hate to use this one but the bible also tells you to turn the other cheek and to love your brother…I can tootally see why he’d want to “convert” the gays. Can anyone please tell me what the bible says about ignorance? I have a feeling it may go hand in hand with the reason churches become hate groups. Just a hunch…
http://www.smilespedia.com/monkey-experiment/
Several points are involved here. Of course, there is a freedom of association which isn’t merely a personal freedom. It becomes meaningless if people cannot choose to assemble with those who are like-minded. The church is a select group called out from the mainstream of the world and joined together by its common faith. Church institutions, like colleges, should be able to instill those beliefs and those examples into their curriculum and into their culture. They should not be expected to support financially those holding contrary views. In a society as diverse as America, the students at Shorter will be exposed to different points of view daily. Unless they desire to be assimilated into the mass without distinction, they must establish a clear identity with clearly understood reasoning behind that difference. A few hours in each day, the students would be saturated with the views held by those providing the financial and spiritual support for the school. The rest of the time, they would be able to test the ideas learned at Shorter against the prevailing views of society at large. Freedom actually declines when every view is seen as having an entitlement to be represented in every forum. It grows when all views have a marketplace of ideas available. Apparently, you assume that a privately funded university should be that diverse marketplace instead of being able to more strongly inculcate the views of its donors. I suggest that it might be better for you to establish one to support your own. Of course, that would be unnecessary because that’s what state universities already do at the expense of taxpayers, like those supporters of Shorter who disagree.
Westboro Baptist Church spreads its hate through picketing in our streets, provoking attacks, with abusive language and flag desecration, attempting to create a confrontation. This is not a church, this is a hate group. This is not about protesting, freedom, or God. They are in it for the money and the press; this is a family law firm. They are not a “church.” It is a scam. They go after anything that can get them in the news. This is a family of lawyers using this “god hates you” thing to make money. It is time for this scam to end.
Disgraceful behavior at an institution that claims to be for the purpose of higher learning. Our role as faculty is to broaden and enlighten our students understanding of the world, and diversity is an important way to reach that goal.