Tufts allows group that bans gay officers to remain funded

[Buzzard]

http://www.tufts.edu/

Tufts is a small liberal arts University just outside of Boston. Its consistently ranked highly, and is known to be a pretty liberal place. They pride themselves in maintaining an open environment on all levels, to include international students so that everyone learns from the world, not just our view of it.

This fucking floors me...

The university prides itself in the depth of student activities and funds everything from a capella groups to a moustache club. The only rule is that you CANNOT DISCRIMINATE. Enter "Tufts Christian Fellowship." They set up a charter and a group, get funding, use university space and the name... and publish their constitution, as is required:

http://sites.tufts.edu/christianfellows ... stitution/

with this little gem tucked in

Section 4.

Once the next year’s Vision and Planning Team has been selected, the new Vision and Planning Team shall meet and determine whether subcommittees will be required for the following academic year. If the new Vision and Planning Team decides that subcommittees will be required, then the new Vision and Planning Team, in consultation with the outgoing Vision and Planning Team, TCF’s affiliate chaplains, and TCF’s membership, shall select subcommittee members. Prospective subcommittee members may be recommended by TCF members, by the affiliate chaplains, or by the current Vision and Planning Team. While all members of the chapter and the affiliate chaplains may provide counsel and advice during the subcommittee selection process, final decisions shall be made by two-thirds agreement of the new Vision and Planning Team. No student may serve as a subcommittee member without receiving the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the new Vision and Planning Team. Any student who is a member of TCF is eligible to apply for positions on the subcommittees.

Section 5.

If, during the leadership selection process or during a leaders’ term in office, disputes arise regarding the meaning of the Basis of Faith and Purpose of the organization – specifically, disputes regarding the precise meaning of biblical authority, member eligibility for leadership, and leader adherence to traditional evangelical Christian norms of moral behavior – then such disputes shall be resolved by at least two-thirds agreement of the Vision and Planning Team. The Vision and Planning Team’s decision shall be final.

Ie - teh gayz and teh wimmenz. Now, a little deeper... TCF is funded by the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship intervarsity.org. We've talked about these fucktards a few times before. They have a fuckton of money that they throw at schools to hand out chick tracts and remind everyone that you need to be "christlike"

TCF is dedicated to understanding and celebrating the basic Biblical truths of Christianity. We believe in:

a. The only true God, the almighty Creator of all things, existing eternally in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–full of love and glory.

b. The unique divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and authority of the Bible.

c. The value and dignity of all people: created in God’s image to live in love and holiness but alienated from God and each other because of our sin and guilt, and justly subject to God’s wrath.

d. Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, who lived as a perfect example, who assumed the judgment due sinners by dying in our place, and who was bodily raised from the dead and ascended as Savior and Lord.

e. Justification by God’s grace to all who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

f. The indwelling presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all believers a new life and a new calling to obedient service.

g. The unity of all believers in Jesus Christ, manifest in worshiping and witnessing churches making disciples throughout the world.

h. The victorious reign and future personal return of Jesus Christ, who will judge all people with justice and mercy, giving over the unrepentant to eternal condemnation but receiving the redeemed into eternal life.

They've been in the news before...

http://www.ubspectrum.com/news/intervar ... L-wcuQ0WSo

(University of Buffalo)

http://blog.cardinalnewmansociety.org/2 ... uspension/

(Marquette)

http://thecollegeconservative.com/2012/ ... -campuses/

(Vanderbuilt) - but this one is a THERE PERSECUTING MEEEEE post

IVCF will not come out and say NO GAYS because, well, then every school would kick them out. What they WILL say is "we let them stay in our membership and get closer to god" and other shit like that, but not in their leadership. Their belief statement (above) pretty well sums it up. "Your behavior is sinful... here, let me show you how to do it right!"

So, Tufts today issued a ruling allowing the group to stay, use facilities, the name etc while they argue why the departure from the non discrimination policy is needed.

http://uss.tufts.edu/studentaffairs/han ... nition.asp

Explained better here:

http://blogs.tuftsdaily.com/?p=8807

Dear Tufts, FUCK YOU. There is no such think as a "Justified Departure" when it comes to discrimination. Not in the real world and not in the bubble a university likes to be. The students are just getting settled with who they are, what they believe, and who they can be. Condoning and supporting (forgetting funding) a group that says a student can stay in the room and listen to their indoctrination, but not lead unless they believe it is disgusting. This group is an international evangelical powerhouse, not a bunch of kids sitting in a dorm room. This is a NATIONAL group telling kids that its NOT ok to be who they are, the complete and total opposite of what every university stands for.

This group has no place on any college campus with the blessing of the administration. If they want to fund themselves, then so be it, but not with the dollars of those they deem unworthy to aspire to lead.

I dont have time to look deeper into the group but I trust you guys will find some additional dirt on them. I'm just waiting for dougie or comfort to show up in this controversy somewhere.

Oh, and BTW - the boston globe thinks they should stay... http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/edit ... story.html

[Guest Anonymous]

I recognise the exact wording of that quote from the Constitution of Bristol University Christian Union, which was featured on another thread for banning women from speaking at its meetings.

IVF and UCCF must belong to one and the same organisation.

Bristol University and the Students' Union won't take any crap from them now it is out in the open but the problems have gone on for years.

[Buzzard]

Interesting. I hadnt seen that thread. I'll have to look into it and see if they're related!

[Guest Anonymous]

Yes, it looks like the two are sister organisations. If all of the Christian Unions in the UK have the same basic constitution then none of them should be in receipt of National Union of Students funding. Many CU's opt-out before they are kicked out, but there are probably quite a few flying beneath the radar right now.

[mystikchick17]

Fuck me, the Christian fellowship at my undergrad (not Tufts, but very similar profile, same region, etc) was run by Intervarsity. It was where ALL my international Christian friends hung out, and I went on a trip to NOLA with them over spring break. I realized at that point it was run by Intervarsity and wasn't just your average ho-hum campus Christian group, but the leaders were all nice people. I had NO IDEA they were freaking affiliated with the bizarre conversion tracts. Fucking A.

No wonder they used to boycott the openly gay Protestant minister on campus. When he retired and they replaced him with a nice, safe, straight black lady, attendance skyrocketed. I had friends admit privately that the reason people didn't go is because they were discouraged from doing so due to the pastor's orientation. He was an amazing, amazing man and he changed my life with his love, wisdom and support, and finding out all this is linked (even though my school isn't Tufts) makes me even more fucking angry.

*Apologies for the gratuitous use of the word "fuck," but also, fuck you, Tufts. Don't be wishy-washy on this.

[Buzzard]

Fuck me, the Christian fellowship at my undergrad (not Tufts, but very similar profile, same region, etc) was run by Intervarsity. It was where ALL my international Christian friends hung out, and I went on a trip to NOLA with them over spring break. I realized at that point it was run by Intervarsity and wasn't just your average ho-hum campus Christian group, but the leaders were all nice people. I had NO IDEA they were freaking affiliated with the bizarre conversion tracts. Fucking A.

No wonder they used to boycott the openly gay Protestant minister on campus. When he retired and they replaced him with a nice, safe, straight black lady, attendance skyrocketed. I had friends admit privately that the reason people didn't go is because they were discouraged from doing so due to the pastor's orientation. He was an amazing, amazing man and he changed my life with his love, wisdom and support, and finding out all this is linked (even though my school isn't Tufts) makes me even more fucking angry.

*Apologies for the gratuitous use of the word "fuck," but also, fuck you, Tufts. Don't be wishy-washy on this.

It seems that intervarsity has their tethers in most of the major universities in the country. I'm seriously not understanding how this has remained under the radar for this long, and how even the most liberal of liberal arts institutions have permitted them to receive funding and operate with the university's name. Whats even more disheartening is that there doesnt seem to be an appropriate outcry from the alumni base about the whole thing.

[FaustianSlip]

There was an Intervarsity group on my college campus, as well (large, public school in the mid-Atlantic region). The sign they had outside of the house where their offices were based announced that "Christ is LORD of this University." Oh really, now?

They got into a bunch of hot water at one point for pestering people in line to fill out a questionnaire that asked all kinds of super personal questions like whether you believed in God, whether you were a Christian, what religious denomination are you, et cetera. People filled out the form thinking it was something being done by the university, writing in their contact information, and were subsequently stalked for weeks by the IVCF. There was a big outcry, lots of letters to the school paper, et cetera, and I think they got a talking to by the administration. My school had a sizable Jewish population and a fair number of Muslims, Catholics and other non-evangelicals, which I think helped curb some of the worst behaviors. If they were like that when they're grossly outnumbered, I can only imagine what they're like at a school where they feel like they can operate with impunity.