California is taking steps to force religious schools to change their deeply held beliefs, or students will lose federal aid. Once again, it is the people’s own money which is being used to blackmail.
California Bill Would Ultimately Erase Religious Schools
California Senate Bill 1146 (SB 1146), which is slated for a vote Tuesday, seeks to limit the religious exemptions from federal Title IX regulations that colleges and universities use for hiring instructors, teaching classes, and conducting student services in line with their faith. Under SB 1146, a college would be eligible for an exemption only for training pastors or theology teachers. – snip –
This threatens religious institutions ability to require that students attend daily or weekly chapel services, keep bathrooms and dormitories distinct according to sex, require students to complete theology classes, teach religious ideas in regular coursework, hold corporate prayer at events such as graduation, and so on. In other words, it threatens every practice that makes religious institutions distinct from secular institutions.
“The most troubling provision of this bill limits the religious liberty to integrate faith and learning throughout the educational experience,” said Dr. Kurt Krueger, president of Concordia University Irvine, in a letter about this bill. “The bill effectively eliminates the religious exemption under current law that allows Christian colleges and universities to operate in accordance with their beliefs, including the freedom to hire only Christian faculty and staff.
The Bill is SB 1146. More here.
UPDATE: June 27, 2016
The Assembly Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hear SB 1146 on June 28, but the bill was pulled today. The bill will be heard on Thursday, June 30. The time of the hearing has not been released.
If you are available to go to the State Capitol on June 30 to register your “oppose unless amended” position, please contact Brenda Velasco at pr@biola.edu.
