Note: Mike Gonidakis is the executive director of Ohio Right to Life.
COLUMBUS, December 21, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Christian Legal Society (CLS) vs. Martinez that the College of Hastings Law School at the University of California could remove the CLS Chapter as a student organization for failure to comply with its “all-comers” nondiscrimination policy.
Ohio State University appears ready to change its policy to an all-comers policy, as well. This would effectively force many religious groups off campus. This must not happen.
Since 2004, OSU’s policy for religious groups has been: “A student organization formed to foster or affirm the sincerely held religious belief of its members may adopt a nondiscrimination statement that is consistent with those beliefs.”
Changing to the “all-comers” policy would seriously dilute the current robustness of religious diversity on campus.
There is a reason why almost 100 different student organizations at OSU are classified as religious or spiritual. It is an extremely large campus with students coming from many different backgrounds, nationalities and races, let alone religions. Each of these groups exists for a purpose — to unify their members around a mission, one that they believe is of the utmost importance — otherwise they would not spend their time being involved.
The effort to change this policy by leaders at OSU is dangerous to all student organizations. This will create situations where religious groups might have to accept into leadership those who hold differing beliefs or even of a different religion.
Ohio Right to Life recognizes that this ruling could potentially change the viability of organizations such as Students for Life, a pro-life group at OSU, and its effectiveness on campus.
To limit that unity in these groups, whether a campus ministry or an honors group, would be to take away their reason for existence. It will diminish each group and disrupt campus unity.
An all-comers policy will be viewed as a negative factor for students who struggle with choosing a university to attend.