Conformity for Diversity’s Sake

Excerpt from opinion piece "Conformity for diversity’s sake," Washington Post by George F. Will. November 2, 2011--Illustrating an intellectual confusion common on campuses, Vanderbilt University says: To ensure “diversity of thought and opinion” we require certain student groups, including five religious ones, to conform to the university’s policy that forbids the groups from protecting their characteristics that contribute to diversity. Last year, after a Christian fraternity allegedly expelled a gay undergraduate because of his sexual practices, Vanderbilt redoubled its efforts to make the more than 300 student organizations comply with its “long-standing nondiscrimination policy.” That policy, says a university official, does not allow the Christian Legal Society “to preclude someone from a leadership position based on religious belief.” So an organization formed to express religious beliefs, including the belief that homosexual activity is biblically forbidden, is itself effectively forbidden.

As professor Michael McConnell of Stanford Law School says, “Not everything the government chooses to call discrimination is invidious; some of it is constitutionally protected First Amendment activity.” Whereas it is wrong for government to prefer one religion over another, when private persons and religious groups do so, this is the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion. So, McConnell says, “Preventing private groups from discriminating on the basis of shared beliefs is not only not a compelling governmental interest; it is not even a legitimate governmental interest.”

The question, at Vanderbilt and elsewhere, should not be whether a particular viewpoint is right but whether an expressive association has a right to espouse it. Unfortunately, in the name of tolerance, what is tolerable is being defined ever more narrowly. Although Vanderbilt is a private institution, its policy is congruent with “progressive” public policy, under which society shall be made to progress up from a multiplicity of viewpoints to a government-supervised harmony. Vanderbilt’s policy, formulated in the name of enlarging rights, is another skirmish in the progressives’ struggle to deny more and more social entities the right to deviate from government-promoted homogeneity of belief. Such compulsory conformity is, of course, enforced in the name of diversity.

CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics): "It is difficult to comment on an article by George Will because he covers this topic so thoroughly and well. I doubt any information or opinion I could contribute would add to your knowledge or your concern.

"Instead, I challenge you to do the most important thing: ACT! Immediately pick up your dictaphone or grab your computer keyboard and contact Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos of Vanderbilt University to register your angst. You can contact him directly at chancellor@vanderbilt.edu to let your voice be heard.

"Relate that this is a first amendment issue of religious freedom and that Vanderbilt can't claim to be protecting against discrimination while actually initiating a policy of discrimination. Use an argument or illustration from George Will's article. Your letter doesn't need to be long. Just put some teeth in it. Tell them that you will not be able to recommend the school’s training programs or refer patients to the institution if the university continues its policy of discriminating against religious groups.

"You can make a difference. A university in Ohio tried to institute this same sort of discrimination and there was such an uproar from the public, organizations, donors and legislators that the school backed down. Time is running out to approach Vanderbilt’s leadership on this issue, so it is important they hear from you now. I urge you to make this a priority. If not, there will be no InterVarsity, Campus Crusade or CMDA fellowship for our children or grandchildren on any secular university campus in the country.

"I hate to think that you and I would let that happen on our watch."

Resources
Congressional Letter to Chancellor Zeppos