College employees must agree to no premarital or gay sex. No drinking where students might see them.
Shorter University employees must sign a Personal Statement agreeing to no premarital or gay sex or public drinking where students may see them. (Shorter College photo)
The AJC has been hearing from folks about Shorter University’s decision to require employees to sign a “Personal Lifestyle Statement” forbidding premarital sex, adultery and homosexual sex.
The Personal Statement also requires that employees be active members of a local church. And the employees must agree to not drink in public places where students may see them, including restaurants, concerts and sports events. Nor can they attend a Shorter function if they consumed alcohol six hours prior to the event.
As strict as these rules may be, the private Baptist college has a right to do impose them. I talked to AJC higher ed writer Laura Diamond who told me that a law professor who is an expert on religion explained that the policy is legal in Georgia and many other states.
(The school has had a policy since 2008 to hire Christians only who adhere to strict interpretations of the Bible.)
The policy does not impact students’ ability to get federal loans because the college serves as pass-through and the money belongs to the students not the college.
Its mission statements says: Shorter University is a Christ-centered liberal arts university dedicated to academic excellence within the context of a biblical worldview. As a Christian university, Shorter is committed to keeping an emphasis upon a biblically sound, integrated, faith-based education that promotes a zeal for academic, spiritual, and professional growth.
But not all alums of the college are happy with the new policy and are rising up in protest. There is now a petition to stop the policy.
Among the more than 1,331 alums who have signed the petition is one who wrote: “Both my wife and I are graduates from Shorter (2001). There was a time that I was proud to be a Shorter graduate. I definitely feel that I received a quality education. At the moment, I am embarrassed, and I am seriously considering mailing back my diploma.”
According to the AJC story on this issue:
Don Dowless, president of the Christian university in Rome, said anyone not signing the statement, which also requires staffers to reject premarital sex and adultery, faces termination.
“I think that anybody who adheres to a lifestyle that is outside of what the biblical mandate is and of what the board has passed, including the president, would not be allowed to continue here,” Dowless told Channel 2 Action News.
One person described as a longtime employee told GA Voice, a publication covering issues affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, that the new policy has some staffers fearful that a disgruntled co-worker could accuse another as being gay out of spite.
A student who didn’t want to be identified told Channel 2 that the university is judging others, contrary to what the Bible teaches.
New employees will have to sign the statement and existing employees will have to sign it to renew their contracts.
“Failure to adhere to this statement may result in disciplinary action against me, up to and including immediate termination,” the statement says.
Students, however, are not required to sign the policy.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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172 comments Add your comment
resno2
October 30th, 2011
1:00 pm
Somehow I don’t think we’d be having this discussion if a Muslim based college/university did the same thing. That is if it actually made the news.
Scott
October 30th, 2011
1:36 pm
I’m pleased that Shorter has the courage to stand up for their mainstream beliefs, rejecting obvious sexual sins including premarital sex and homosexuality, and also setting a good standard by not drinking in front the student body (of which most are not of drinking age). Still haven’t heard a valid criticism of their pledge. Pretty sure they didn’t claim this was an exhaustive list of sins. (Reminds me a lot of the Council of Jerusalem of Acts 15… James had a list of only 4 commands for the new Gentile converts).
If you don’t want to live by the most basic of Christian values, don’t work at a Christian school. Still a no-brainer. Personally, I’m not going to work at a bar or a strip club since it doesn’t match my values. Pretty reasonable to expect those working at Shorter to either conform or depart. Their choice.
I love teaching. I hate what it is becoming...
October 30th, 2011
1:39 pm
@jimmie “Speaking against something doesn’t mean you’re a hater or a biggot..”
No, but repeatedly making comments calling others “perverts” and “deviants”, suggesting they wear dog collars and crawl around on their knees for fun, and noting you would not shed one tear if they all disapppeared from the face of the earth, does suggest a touch of hatred and bigotry.
jimmie
October 30th, 2011
1:39 pm
Hmmm..point out the fallacies of liberals and the hissing mob retracts into the darkness..stay there
Lee
October 30th, 2011
2:42 pm
If any of you took the time to go to Shorter’s website, you will find the tagline “Shorter College, Transforming Lives Through Christ“.
http://www.shorter.edu/
Not sure why this is even a news story, other than the politically correct pathogens who run todays media simply cannot fathom how anyone can have a moral code based on a religious tenet. (Unless, of course, that religion is Islam, Buddhism, Hindu, Judaism, or a host of any other religions except Christianity.)
Good for Shorter for sticking up for their ideals. I’m sure the 3500 or so students who selected Shorter are quite happy with their choice of college and are receiving an excellent education there.
God has issues?
October 30th, 2011
3:05 pm
Good feels threatened by same sex couples? Who knew God had self esteem issues. And the whole no alcohol thing; is God a recovering alcoholic? (You know, sometimes those who overcome substance abuse get a bit highfalutin…)
DannyX
October 30th, 2011
3:24 pm
Hey jimmie, what are your sins?
jimmie
October 30th, 2011
3:29 pm
got a few sins mate. i eat too much and spend too much time worrying about the destruction of our society. god has promised that is in his hands and he’ll act when necessary (see sodom and gomorrah, see noah, see samson). my sins do not threaten the entirety of our nations moral fabric as the sins committed by homosexuals by all means do. i call spades spades (and pray) when i sense the moral backbone of america being challenged by satan and his subjects. go shorter!!!
jimmie
October 30th, 2011
3:31 pm
god has issue…yep, he does. he hates sin and what it has done to his initially perfect world..and i pray he acts quickly to snuff it out. cheers all..time to spend the rest of the day curled up with my female, hetero, red hot smoking wife..
DeKalbite
October 30th, 2011
3:37 pm
Shorter College has a right to do whatever it does as long as it is not dependent on federal dollars. It is disingenuous to say the least if your organization is dependent on fees from students who are using taxpayer dollars for those fees. “Pass through” dollars sounds like a euphemism for “money laundering” IMHO.
madaboutmath
October 30th, 2011
4:34 pm
Good for Shorter for sticking to their values. I can’t believe these people saying that students shouldn’t get federal money because of their particular standards. Just think what would happen if the money were taken away from these students because they go to a school with this particular set of standards that some people don’t like. Then it opens the door for the same thing to happen to other schools that have standards that certain parts of the population don’t like. I don’t happen to like communist ideology taught to my children, but I would be upset if students who choose to go to schools where this is taught were denied federal money. What you politically correct people are proposing would just take away our freedom. You are the ones always talking about how great diversity is. Yes, it is great. It’s great that I can believe the way I want to believe and go to a school that supports that belief, and it’s also great that you can believe the way you want to believe and attend a school that supports your belief system.
P.S. As a member of a church that does not interpret the Bible the way Shorter does, I knew not to even apply there. While I will never be welcome on staff at Shorter, I fully support their right to live by their standards as I expect to be allowed to live by mine.
bootney farnsworth
October 30th, 2011
5:29 pm
myself, I would never sign such an agreement. and I’m married and straight. my employer will never be able to have that much influence how I live.
that said, Shorter has the rigth to implement these rules if they wish.
no one has a Constitutional right to work at a private entity
if Shorter wishes to limit themselves to such a limited potential workforce .. only hurting themselves in the long run.
bootney farnsworth
October 30th, 2011
5:30 pm
where they’re gonna get themselves in trouble is when they try to enforce this on existing employees.
THAT could end up in court.
bootney farnsworth
October 30th, 2011
5:41 pm
the more I think on it, the more this stinks like bad fish.
Shorter is rolling in hyprocracy in this.
if they REALLY meant to follow what they claim to believe, they’d
do like BYU and hold the students to the same standards.
but students bring in money, and THAT seems to be what Shorter
really believes in — tuition
bootney farnsworth
October 30th, 2011
5:42 pm
and a special thank you to jimmie for personally modeling the 7 deadly sins for the community.
Reality Check
October 30th, 2011
6:49 pm
My understanding is that Shorter University is a Baptist college and the views about alcohol and sexual behavior correspond to Baptist doctrine, which is different from Catholic or Episcopal doctrine, all of which would claim to be Christian denominations. Good, well-meaning Christians disagree on many issues. I support the right of a private university to set standards for employees, particularly professors who have such a great influence on students. Students and parents who choose this university should not be surprised that they set standards that correspond to their affiliating denomination and would probably be disappointed if they did not. For those of you who find these standards offensive, you should exercise your constitutional right to attend or work for a different university that supports your values or lack thereof. If you believe that we should live and let live, as most of you critics would say you do, then allow Shorter to live the way they want and you can choose the same.
CJ
October 30th, 2011
6:57 pm
OLE Guy—damn the Christians again, huh? Have you ever heard of freedom of religion? Sounds like you are not contentto live in a free country, where private colleges are allowed to follow God’;s Word, so I would suggest trying a more secular, more progressive country, where you are jailed of you have a dissenting opinion. Heil government!!
jimmie
October 30th, 2011
7:41 pm
Hey Bootney. I call it like I see it. And how the majority still sees it. Way to go Shorter. Next, the students should sign! That way, they may not wind up in tents downtown when employers see what they have to offer and back away rapidly.
jimmie
October 30th, 2011
7:52 pm
Hey Bootney. I’d actually love for a workforce to pass that cut line of being christian, straight, ethical, moral, upstanding, not out partying (or doing other things) with the students other than showing them a great path to learning, peace and prosperity. I think they’ll do fine.
Archie@Arkham Asylum
October 30th, 2011
8:23 pm
@Lee: That truism is called “Murphy’s Golden Rule.” Whoever has the gold, makes the rules!
Cindy Lutenbacher
October 30th, 2011
8:35 pm
One thing I’ve never been able to figure out is how homosexuality threatens “the family.” Is heterosexuality so appealing that people who see a choice will run from heterosexuality in droves? How does anyone’s affectional orientation threaten someone else’s family construction?
In any event, Shorter is a private college that can make its own rules. I will, however, pray for it and its people, in hopes that they will come to understand the concept of spiritual love in a much deeper way.
Cindy Lutenbacher
October 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
Ooops. Meant to say: “Is heterosexuality so UNappealing that heterosexuals would run from…”
Roman Friend
October 30th, 2011
8:47 pm
bootney farnsworth says in part:
“if Shorter wishes to limit themselves to such a limited potential workforce .. only hurting themselves in the long run.”
Now, who says that the faculty at Shorter is limited, or even some future faculty will be limited? Sounds to me like you (and others like you) assume only homosensuals and their cohorts have any brains. I suspect that Shorter is as careful in selecting faculty based on academic qualifications as on morals. They have a right to select on both criteria.
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jimmie
October 30th, 2011
10:28 pm
Cindy, when you raise kids with two stay home dadies or mommies and society says thats okay, then the god ordained family union of one man, one woman is threatened. i dont think thats too hard to comprehend
Progressive Humanist
October 30th, 2011
10:39 pm
Religious belief, including Christian belief, is antithetical to education. Education is about learning real things about the real world; it’s about studying the most accurate current knowledge known to mankind. In contrast, basing “knowledge acquisition” on Christian beliefs is simply indoctrination into immoral, irrational, illogical myths. It is the very opposite of education. It’s training people to base their lives on Medieval fiction, which is a terrible thing for mankind.
As a private institution, I suppose Shorter has a right to impose their unethical code on those associated with it, but I don’t even view Shorter as a real college. Its professors have no credibility and neither do its degrees. I wouldn’t hire anyone with a degree from Shorter because the degree is no more real than the foolish beliefs they base their mission statement on.
V for Vendetta
October 30th, 2011
10:58 pm
Progressive Humanist,
Well said.
The amount of stupidity on this particular blog is overwhelming. I’m sometimes frightened by the narrow-mindedness in this country, especially considering that we’re fast approaching an important election. As always, I’ll be blunt:
Shorter is free to do as they please. However, anyone who would willingly choose to live and/or work under such an antiquated and bigoted code of “ethics” is a moron of the highest degree. People who attend shorter do it not for education; they do it to be further inculcated with baseless mysticism that has no root in reality as we know it.
Truth in Moderation
October 30th, 2011
11:01 pm
“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”
C. S. Lewis
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/words/pr/progressive207137.html#ixzz1cKBmiihi
Truth in Moderation
October 30th, 2011
11:16 pm
“However, anyone who would willingly choose to live and/or work under such an antiquated and bigoted code of “ethics” is a moron of the highest degree.”
@V
There you go again, speaking in an unscientific manner. The restraints put forth by the school actually comply with the law of nature and are therefore scientific. Homosexual behavior, in the scientific sense, is unnatural. Without a heterosexual drive, all human life would end. Homosexual behavior is against Darwin. Those who do not reproduce will die out. The only way this practice currently exists is through a parasitic relationship with heterosexuals. The school is just promoting “survival of the fittest”. Do you have a problem with that? Along that line of thinking, driving while drunk tends to shorten a life span as well. Babies born to unwed mothers tend to require a parasitic relationship, either with the mother’s parents or the government (AKA) taxpayers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Progressive Humanist
October 30th, 2011
11:41 pm
Moderation,
I think you may want to revisit your idea of what science is. While just about every 12-year-old knows that it takes a male and a female to reproduce, homosexual relationships are found throughout nature among many species. It is natural for living beings to have sexual desires, and those desires manifest themselves in many different ways across a variety of different species.
You seem to think science would dictate that if an activity or trait does not advance evolutionary development, then it’s not “scientific” and is unnatural. The very fact that homosexual behavior does exist in abundance in nature suggests that it is natural and would also mean that homosexual behavior falls squarely under the purview if science.
And you might want to learn more about Darwinism before speaking for what is for or against Darwinism. Homosexuality may not contribute to an organism passing on its genes, but because it can be observed in nature, which is how Darwin collected his data and formed his theories, it is certainly not “against Darwinism”; it’s just another natural behavior that scientists would seek to study and explain.
You are certainly free to form your worldview around whatever narrow ideology you wish, but please don’t claim that science supports that narrow-mindedness.
another comment
October 31st, 2011
12:14 am
Most of the Baptists including my daughter’s father and his whole family were a big bunch of hypocrites. I am sure that Jimmie is just as big of one. First how many grown men call them selves Jimmie. Second, God is always capatalized. It is not proper to start is off with a small g. In fact most Christians and Jews I know spelling that three letter word with a small g is a mortal sin.
Now lets get back to the bapstists I know being hypocrates. They say they don’t drink, but have that Vodka bottle stored in the pantry. Then they take the red plastic cup and pore the straight Vodka over ice. They tell Grandma they are drinking water. Sure!!!. But how do they explain the two DUI’s they got. Or that they drove straight, and ended up in a creek, they forgot to make the left on to 575. They only lived up off this road for over 30 years. Then they get drunk and you try to take away their Vodka bottle and they beat you. Breaking your ribs. But they are a good Baptist. No thanks!!!
Cindy Lutenbacher
October 31st, 2011
5:55 am
Sorry, Jimmie, but you are just repeating the same thing. Can you be more specific about exactly what is the threat? If ten percent of my neighbors have blue houses while the ninety percent have green houses, how do those blue houses affect the green houses? The fact of something existing doesn’t necessarily threaten the existence of something else, does it?
Truth in Moderation
October 31st, 2011
6:17 am
@Progressive
Nice try. Tell me, how can a homosexual “gene” be passed on? Are all so-called homosexuals mutants?
“The very fact that homosexual behavior does exist in abundance in nature suggests that it is natural and would also mean that homosexual behavior falls squarely under the purview if science.”
Oh, so now its homosexual BEHAVIOR. Of course, Darwin doesn’t address behavior, but GENETIC TRAITS, that are physically passed on. So you admit homosexuality is a chosen BEHAVIOR, that can be changed? Also, please cite your statistics for “homosexual behavior does exist in abundance in nature”. Who did the study? Where are the peer reviewed papers?
Jimmie
October 31st, 2011
6:53 am
How can one bring fire into ones proximity and not get burned. Sin is enticing Cindy that is why it must be repelled. And given over to god to destroy.
Cindy Lutenbacher
October 31st, 2011
7:38 am
Thanks, Jimmie. Now I do understand your particular perspective.
jimmie
October 31st, 2011
7:53 am
For the sake of our kids, we should revolt..against the same cycle that brought down sodom and gomorrah and, in Noahs day, the entire earth…”and God could no longer look upon his creation (man)”..and you know what he did next. I’d like to survive my generation..although the second coming of Christ is certainly not a bad option. Go Shorter!
jimmie
October 31st, 2011
8:14 am
Lets use another example. Lets take William Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, who with his wife attempted to bomb the Pentagon, I believe (google it if you’d like) to further his beliefs about REVOLT. Now, lets say, there are some edumacators who believe that his cause of attempted murder was just and lets say further these edumacators bring this belief into the classroom where the young minds are trapped (possibly without a contrarian point of view)..then they get the idea that Ayers was brilliant, that Ayers acts should be defended and even repeated..and another bright mind (hetero) goes to mush (homosexual)..but after all, how could one little terrorist sitting right down the street from our insanely liberal, biggoted, foolish president cause any harm to those around him…wake up and smell the coffee people. Sin, if left unchecked, will continue to spread!! Go Shorter! Fight back!
Truth in Moderation
October 31st, 2011
8:21 am
@another comment
“Now lets get back to the bapstists I know being hypocrates.”
Well, for goodness sakes! Why don’t you be decent and pick up the crate and give those baptists a hand? Where do you get YOUR morals?
Jimmie
October 31st, 2011
9:05 am
I see a potential opportunity for Marcus & Michele Bachmann to convert gay employees of Shorter U. This could be very lucrative for their faith-based homosexual conversion center.
Progressive Humanist
October 31st, 2011
9:13 am
Moderation,
You sound like a frustrated English major pretending you know something about science.
Homosexual behavior has been observed in birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish. Most objective observers would agree that that would consist of a large sample of natural life. Researchers such as Bagemihl and Bockman, among others, have documented this.
As to your question about how homosexual genes are passed on, junior, they’re passed on the same way all other genes are passed on. Even 10th grade biology students understand that genes do not replicate previous genes exactly and that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of genetic variations emerge in each individual organism. Every organism has “mutated” genes because that’s what genes do- they mutate (otherwise known as variation).
You also seem to believe that genetics and behavior are two separate things. They are not, and they are intertwined in the most complex fashion. Genetics are more often than not at the root of any organism’s behavior. And no one suggested that homosexuality was a chosen behavior (because as I said, genetics are often the cause of a behavior). The idea that homosexuality in humans is a chosen behavior is a primitive fairy tale that has been thoroughly debunked again and again, and I’m surprised that you would shine a light on your ignorance by even suggesting as much.
I would recommend that you put down all the fiction, whether it be English literature or the bible, and take some classes in science. Advancing your education will help you build a more realistic view of the natural world, one not so steeped in myth and mysticism.
John John
October 31st, 2011
9:15 am
I heard the school has some fine print in the contract that will not allow employees to watch Will & Grace!
Raymond
October 31st, 2011
9:23 am
WHAT? No Will & Grace. I would turn in my resignation and never look back.
Truth in Moderation
October 31st, 2011
10:03 am
@P.H.
“You also seem to believe that genetics and behavior are two separate things. They are not…”
Therefore, Baptist’s behavior is genetic. They shun homosexuality, alcohol, and pre-marital “relations” because of their GENETIC PREDISPOSITION! So why all the HATE? What is your scientific basis for it? These people are just being true to their genetic makeup!
Just A Teacher
October 31st, 2011
10:03 am
“I think that anybody who adheres to a lifestyle that is outside of what the biblical mandate is and of what the board has passed, including the president, would not be allowed to continue here,” Dowless told Channel 2 Action News.
OK. The Bible mandates many things. Among them are slavery, stonings, and not eating pork. Can you get fired for eating a bbq sandwich or refusing to kill somebody by throwing rocks at them? And, if I am not mistaken, Jesus, himself took a sip or two of wine. Can employees be fired if a student sees them taking communion? I also found it interesting that murder is not on the list of things that an employee could lose his / her job for. Wow! It’s a private college, so they can do what they want, but this is messed up! I’m just glad I want to a REAL university!
Truth in Moderation
October 31st, 2011
10:29 am
Regarding genetic mutations:
“Among the mutations that affect a typical gene, different kinds produce different impacts. A VERY FEW are at least momentarily adaptive on an evolutionary scale. Many are deleterious. Some are neutral, that is, they produce no effect strong enough to permit selection for or against; a mutation that is deleterious or advantageous in a large population may be neutral in a small population, where random drift outweighs selection coefficients. The impact of mutation is quite different in different DNA sequences. It is maximal in a conventional gene or exon, and at least transitorily less in a gene whose function is required rarely or is redundant. IF ADAPTIVE MUTATIONS ARE RARE, AS SEEMS TO BE THE CASE, then rates of DNA sequence evolution are driven mainly by mutation and random drift, as KIMURA 1983A has argued. In this case, the proportion of neutral mutations at a site or locus is the ratio of its rate of evolution to that of a region that can be considered neutral, such as a pseudogene. MOST newly arisen mutations in functional genes are DELETERIOUS, but the fraction may approach zero for spacer DNAs such as introns and intergenic regions. Of course, some protein evolution certainly results from favorable mutations, and to this extent the neutral fraction is overestimated.
The existence of strong taxonomic patterns of mutability implies that genomic mutation rates are close to an evolutionary EQUILIBRIUM whose driving forces we consider here.”
http://www.genetics.org/content/148/4/1667.full
Truth in Moderation
October 31st, 2011
10:53 am
@Just a Teacher
Which “bible” are you referring to?
V for Vendetta
October 31st, 2011
11:44 am
Truth,
Wow, you’re great at copy/pasting. Good on ya!
Perhaps it’s not scientific, but I think you’ve adequately justified my “moron of the highest degree” comment. And you quoted CS Lewis. Good grief.
Darth Gaydar
October 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
I’m calling on all gay, lesbian and trans gender people to pursue your academic education at Shorter U. Let’s make this the 1st all gay student body in Georgia with the strongest gay student population in the South.
Reality Check
October 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
@Just a Teacher,
Please read my previous post on this page. We should not be discussing all Christians, or generalized interpretations of the Bible or atheism. This is about a specific Baptist university sponsored by a conservative Baptist convention asking their teachers to adhere to the specific Baptist doctrine of their sponsoring denomination. We should be discussing religious freedom which many on this blog deride. Originally religious freedom was a protection for religious folks to freely choose doctrine and practices using their internal conscience and not have doctrine chosen for them or enforced on them. Many on this blog now interpret it as freedom FROM religion and condemn all expressions of religious devotion as mystism. That was not the original intent, but I will grant you the freedom to reject religion and leave you alone. However, I will not allow you to dictate and bully religious devotees from freely exercising their religious freedom. This is at the very foundation of our Constitution; it is why many left other countries to escape religious persecution. Quit persecuting the Baptists; leave them alone!
mum
October 31st, 2011
3:25 pm
It’s always intersting how “christians” pick and choose which parts of the bible to follow. The straight-laced follow the old testament, and others got the new testament route. It’s all very selective given that one part allows for multiple wives, etc, and the other doesn’t, which proves that religion interprets thing however they want to for their own benefit.
Maybe the baptist church needs to clean up their own house, given the child molestation incidents, before they go after gays and lesbians….who are some of the best parents a child could have. If Jesus said we should hate our brothers, I’d love someone to tell me which scriptures say that.
Just A Teacher
October 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
@Truth In Moderation . . . I am referring to the King James Edition which does allow for slavery and stonings in the Old Testament and makes reference to Jesus drinking wine in the New Testament.
@ Reality Check . . . I am not persecuting Baptists or any other religion. They have a right to believe anything they want. As I said, Shorter can do what it wants. I do have a problem with using government funds to indoctrinate people into any cult. Oops! I meant religion! Anyway, if they want to run a religious institution, they should have absolutely no government money coming into it due to the separation of Church and State in our constitution. That means no Pell Grants or any other government sponsored financial aid for the students and no government funding for the college in any way.