Religious Freedom under Fire on Campus

Anyone who spends five minutes on a public university campus knows that the school can be very different from the outside world. On campus, Christian principles and beliefs are ridiculed, while radical politics that advance a secular worldview are widely accepted. For a long time, campus apologists dismissed Christian complaints, believing they stemmed from narrow-minded attitudes exposed for the first time to true diversity and “critical thinking.” They would argue, “the campus environment is not hostile, but merely challenging.”

Now, after more than a generation of study and public scrutiny, we know the truth: The environment is hostile; the marketplace of ideas is closing, and few individuals face greater “challenges” than Christian students and professors. Here are just a few truths about college:

The majority of professors will dislike evangelical Christians
Jonathan Lopez and his classmates at Los Angeles City College were assigned to give an informative speech on a topic of their choice. Jonathan was giving his speech on faith and marriage when his public speaking professor interrupted his presentation and called him a “fascist bastard” in front of the class. The professor then refused to grade Jonathan’s speech and wrote on his evaluation, “Ask God what your grade is.” He later threatened to get Jonathan expelled from school.

Teachers are likely to attempt to indoctrinate their students in the classroom
Julea Ward, a graduate student at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Counseling, was told to change her beliefs or leave the counseling program when she refused to counsel someone about his same-sex relationship.

Students risk punishment if they present an alternative, Christ-centered worldview
Beth Sheeran, a student at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington, was told that she would have to include pro-abortion viewpoints as part of her club’s pro-life campus event or risk violating the school’s “Stop the Hate” policy – which could result in expulsion.

Unconstitutional Policies on Campus

Click here to read Emily's story.

Christian students and faculty members are under attack on multiple fronts, which is why ADF is directly challenging universities to create an environment where constitutional rights are freely exercised – not taken away.

• Speech zones and speech-restrictive policies are used to limit the ability of Christian students to speak freely on campus. This happened at Georgia Tech, where officials required students to use a small venue on campus for free speech activities.
• Student activity fees are denied to Christian student groups, while they are freely accessed by other student groups on campus. The University of South Carolina School of Law denied student activity funds to a Christian student group just because it was a “religious organization.”
• Speech codes are used to censor and intimidate expressions of faith. In Pennsylvania, university officials enacted a speech code that prohibited “acts of intolerance.”
• Nondiscrimination policies are used to undermine the abilities of student clubs to select members and leaders based on shared beliefs. University of Florida officials refused to recognize the Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) because it limited its membership to Christian men.
• Academic and employment retaliation is taken against students and faculty members who engage in legitimate, constitutionally protected speech and exercise of religion. Dr. Michael Adams was a rising star in the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s criminal justice department – until he became a Christian. He then became the target of numerous intrusive investigations on campus and was denied promotion to full professor, even though he excelled in all three areas of evaluation.
• Compelled participation is enforced on many campuses, which requires students and faculty to advocate views outside the classroom that are contrary to their beliefs. A Missouri State University student was told to write a letter to the state legislature expressing support for adoption by those practicing homosexual behavior. She refused, was brought up on academic charges, and faced the threat of having her degree withheld.

ADF Answers the Call

The Constitution protects the rights of speech, association, and access of all students, faculty, and staff on public university campuses.

 

Since its founding in 1994, the Alliance Defense Fund has been committed to protecting and preserving Our First Liberty – religious freedom – in America. In a proactive effort, we are leading the charge on university campuses and have dedicated significant time and resources to educate and empower the millions of Christian students and faculty who face censorship, reprisal, and punishment. Our goal is to help the next generation understand their constitutional rights and to speak up in defense of their fundamental religious liberties.

In more than 50 lawsuits and hundreds of other matters large and small, we have challenged university policies, defended the most basic constitutional rights of Christian students and professors, and confronted the radical university culture head-on. This battle has been waged in courts of law – from federal trial courts to the United States Supreme Court – as well as in the court of public opinion, and we are winning.

By supporting ADF, you can make it possible for more Christians to share their faith on campus. This means that more students who are bombarded with the politically correct mindset of the public university will have an opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

That is our mission: To keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel. With your support, we can win.