A South Carolina Christian college has been forced to issue a follow up statement after banning homosexuality.
This past week Erskine College came under fire across the media after issuing a policy statement banning homosexuality. The policy statement from the private, Christian college in the rural hills of South Carolina was in response to news from last year involving two of its popular volleyball players who both came out as gay. The team and student body reportedly have been supportive, which apparently undermines the school’s teachings.
Now, the 176-year old school is fighting back, suggesting the media just didn’t understand the “context” of its statement banning homosexuality, and stressing that since it posted the statement a few days ago, it hasn’t banned – or expelled – any gay people.
The anti-gay policy, titled Statement on Human Sexuality, attempts to cloak its ban on homosexuality in Christian compassion and teachings. But it also is a threat to all LGBTQ students and faculty:
“As a Christian academic community, and in light of our institutional mission, members of the Erskine community are expected to follow the teachings of scripture concerning matters of human sexuality and institutional decisions will be made in light of this position.” [Bolding ours]
LOOK:Â Christian College Bans Homosexuality After Two Gay Athletes Come Out
On Friday the school actually moved the anti-LGBT policy statement on its website and in its place posted a PDF of its newsletter, including its response to the media, titled, “Context for Erskine’s Statement on Human Sexuality.”
The new “context” statement says its ban on homosexuality describes the college’s “position,” not the college’s “policy.” And revealing its lack of understanding of LGBTQ people, it notes, “all types of students are welcome” at Erskine.
“No students have been asked to leave Erskine based on this statement,” the administration, under new President Paul Kooistra (photo), states. It also brags, “Erskine does not discriminate against any protected categories of individuals in the administration of its policies, programs, or activities.” In South Carolina, there are no protections for LGBT people.
But in trying to tout its tolerance, it suggests that LGBT people might not be good for the college at large.
“Our conduct policies do not stipulate any minimum mandatory sanctions (such as expulsion) for any behavior or belief,” while not promising to not expel LGBTQ people for being LGBTQ. “Like most colleges, we base our student conduct policies on educational and restorative principles that seek the ultimate well-being of both individual students and the campus community as a whole.”
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