CNN Picks Up Where DYNAMO Left Off With Vandy Students’ Battle for Religious Freedom
Earlier this year, DYNAMO_politics published a post in response to the crushing injustice of a Vanderbilt University rule forcing Christian worship groups to accept non-Christian members in leadership roles. The rule, which requires students to accept club leaders who are intolerant of or downright hostile to their beliefs, immediately drew fire from religious organizations around the country.
The calls to repeal the rule have grown louder and louder, with each protest, demonstration, and speech piling pressure on the school administration to back down and put the students back in charge of their organizations. But while the fight raged on in Nashville and its environs, the mainstream media has remained largely silent on the issue. In fact, the press mostly shied away from the entire controversy, deciding to focus on more politically correct material.
But where the media was afraid to tread, DYNAMO_politics walked in boldly. Thanks to the help of Drew, a Vanderbilt student, DYNAMO was able to sound the alarm. Concerned Americans voiced their disapproval of the regulation in ever-swelling numbers. And now, perhaps bowing to the inevitable, the media is finally beginning to pick up on this ugly but important issue.
CNN, a network known for its (ahem) progressive point of view, always tries to stay on the side of political nicety. So when the news giant decides to post an article about a thorny issue like religious freedom, something must be up. Indeed, today, this article about the students’ battle popped up on the cnn.com home page. Hopefully the other major news networks aren’t far behind in picking up on this important story.
Because of the hard work and determination of the valiant Vanderbilt students, liberty-loving Americans, and the readers of DYNAMO_politics, the national dialogue is being changed for the better. Citizens are beginning to wake up to the dangers of an inept and intolerant authority, latching on to the ideal of a free America that is sure to reshape the political landscape in the months to come.
If you want to fight to defeat this overt threat to the existence of religious student groups at Vanderbilt University, pay a visit to the Vanderbilt College Republicans Facebook page, like ‘em, and post on their wall. Spreading the word would be the biggest help of all, so share this article around! If you have any more questions, hit us up in the comments below…
Romney Isn’t the First: Our History of Non-Christian Presidents
I was at a softball game with a few of my friends a couple of days ago. The election came up, as it has a tendency to do, and I asked them who they would vote for. I got a Romney and an Obama, and one kid who said he wasn’t going to vote. He said didn’t like Obama, but Romney wasn’t a Christian, and for him that was a deal breaker.
He’s right one thing. Mormonism is no more Christianity than Scientology. But the assertion that Romney wouldn’t be a good president because he’s not Christian is simply false. In fact, we’ve already had several presidents who many would not consider Christian.
Aside from the distracting rumors of Obama’s secret practice of Islam (Only 14% of Alabama primary voters thought Obama was Christian according to a recent survey), the United States has already seen at least three religiously “deviant” presidents, if that is the appropriate term. What’s more, all three were Republican, and at least one was one of the best presidents we’ve had ever.
Both Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon were Quakers, a cult known for strange worship ceremonies that involve members literally quaking with the Holy Spirit. Some Quakers are atheist; all reject the sacraments as a part of the faith. In many parts of the Christian world, Quakers are not considered Christian.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians either. In the words of a former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses states, as a member of the cult:
“[You] will not be taught the gospel of the bible. Your new gospel, or good news, will be that Jesus Christ returned to power in 1914 and established his heavenly kingdom. Your new gospel will involve telling people about current world problems and conditions, and how these conditions will eventually culminate with the coming of Armageddon. And finally, your new gospel will consist of telling people that the Watchtower Society is God’s only mouthpiece, and that they must obey everything the Society teaches in order to survive Armageddon.”
Actual Christians reject these teachings as deceptive and blatantly false. And yet one of our most beloved presidents was a Jehovah’s Witness. Dwight D Eisenhower, war hero and champion of capitalism, grew up as a “JW” and even had his house used as a meeting place. Few on the right would reject him as successful leader, and some would even say Nixon or Hoover did a good job as well. The point is that, while the religious right has been trying to paint Romney as unworthy because of his religion, we have in the past elected tremendously strong non-Christian presidents, and quite a few terrible Christian ones as well (James Buchanan or Jimmy Carter, for example).
While Romney isn’t Christian, everyone can see he has incredibly strong family values, unlike the Catholic Mr. Gingrich, for example. More importantly, he has the financial and administrative background to turn America around, something no one else in the field can claim – and for that reason alone, he has my vote.
Will Candidates Wear Ashes in Debate?
Happy Ash Wednesday everyone!
This article just came across the wire. I thought you Catholics out there might find it interesting, and maybe you non-Catholics (Protestant AND Orthodox) might find it informative.
The article basically is a discussion about whether or not, as Catholics, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich will wear their ashes on stage at the debate. My guess is Santorum will, especially if he wants to really shake up the race some more. Gingrich probably won’t, since he didn’t even receive ashes today. But that’s just my guess. Read the article and let me know what you think in the comments: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/21/will-they-or-wont-they-wear-ashes/?hpt=hp_t2&hpt=hp_c1
Must Watch: College Denies Freedom of Religious Association to Student Groups
Kudos to my friend Drew for bringing this issue to my attention. Vanderbilt University has decided that sharing the beliefs of a religious group can no longer be a requirement in being elected for a leadership position for the group. In other words, a Christian group must allow an atheist to join and run for a post, or a Muslim group must allow a Christian to run for its president. The policy represents a total misinterpretation of what it means to be a religiously free nation, state or college. There is no law that says that a religious group must accept people of differing belief – doing so would make the organization itself pointless. Maybe this is the goal of the administration…
Above you’ll find a video showing a Q-and-A session between some faculty members and the student body. Notice the arrogant responses of the Provost – “you need to trust us and try this policy out for a year.” The assumption that a bureaucracy knows whats best for everyone is a core tenet of big-government liberalism and an idea that no conservative can bear to hear espoused by a group of people who are supposed to be educating young Americans. These people, the faculty of the school, are supposed to be role models for students, not poster-children for hypocrisy. What response could be more hypocritical than “I am a Catholic, but can you imagine what it would be like if I allowed my faith to effect my decision-making?”
If this decision has you as mad as me, let us know in the comments below, or send us an email at dynamopolitics1@gmail.com. Let’s work together to make what’s happening at Vanderbilt into a national issue, so that no religion ever needs to be threatened by an oppressive authority.
