Edinburgh University Bans Christian Club from giving Abstinence Course
Pastor Dale Morgan
Edinburgh University Bans Christian Club from giving Abstinence Course
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By Gudrun Schultz
EDINBURGH, Scotland, November 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - University
of Edinburgh officials have banned students with the Christian Union
from holding a six-week course teaching abstinence on campus grounds.
The University made the decision to ban the program, entitled ‘PURE‘,
after some students objected to literature promoting the course, which
apparently included stories from people who had been “cured” of
homosexuality, the Scotsman reported Sunday.
The course promotes marriage as the best setting for a sexual
relationship, encouraging students to abstain from sexual activity until
they are ready to get married. Officials said the course promotional
material broke the “equality” and “diversity” rules of the University.
According to a university spokeswoman the course was “contradictory to
our equality and diversity values” and not appropriate to run on
university or Students Association premises.
The Christian Union is considering taking legal action against the
university, on the grounds of human rights violations. Laura Stirrat,
vice-president of Edinburgh University’s Christian Union, said, “The
university is effectively closing down free speech.”
The Union has been forced to teach the course off-campus in a student’s
apartment.
Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said the
decision was “nothing more than blind and unthinking political
correctness” on the part of the University.
The director of Share Jesus International, the Rev. Dr. Rob Frost, told
Christian Today the University’s ban was not an isolated incident--he
said Christian Unions in the UK have been enduring increasing oppression
over the past five years.
“If we cannot have Christian organizations run by Christians, and
traditional bible believing teaching given on student property, one must
ask, ‘What kind of world are we entering?’”
“I commend those who will say political correctness has its place but
there are even more vital things at stake here.”
To respectfully contact Principal and Vice Chancellor Professor Timothy
O‘Shea:
The University of Edinburgh
Old College, South Bridge,
Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
Phone: (+44) 131 650 2150