The California State University system has openly announced they will be discriminating against Christian groups on their campuses.
The apparent attempt to drive Christians from their schools was exposed when InterVarsity Christian Fellowship lost their recognition at 23 schools in the state because they require their leadership to be Christians.
The California State University system issued an executive order in 2011 that reads “No campus shall recognize any fraternity, sorority, living group, honor society or other student organization that discriminates on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation or disability.” A spokesman for the CSU system said InterVarsity would not sign the agreement which meant a vehement anti-Christianist would have to be allowed in the group and run for leadership positions.
The organization showed no concern about infringing on the religious rights of the students.
InterVarsity spokesman Greg Jao said they will keep fighting on behalf of their student’s rights but that the hostile attack by the school system can be a benefit as well.
“Our campus access challenge is actually forcing us, or inviting us, to fully release the ministry into the hands of college students to say the best way students are going to hear the gospel is not by drawing them to a large group meeting—which we may or may not have access to—but in your dorm rooms, in your cafeterias, in your laboratories,” he said. “I think, most importantly, we’re mobilizing students to be missionaries. I’m convinced college students are there to be good students, absolutely, but also to be missionaries wherever they are.”