Legislators Push Bill to Protect Faith-Based Groups on College Campuses

State lawmakers in Tennessee are considering legislation that would protect faith-based organizations on state college campuses from non-discrimination policies that many say actually discriminate against the groups themselves.

On Wednesday, a state Senate committee unanimously approved SB 3597, which if passed into law would prevent state colleges from denying religious groups official recognition on the basis of their religious speech and worship. It also states that religious organizations should be able to operate within their particular religious mission, and "only persons committed to that mission should conduct such activities."

This bill comes at a time when religious organizations are clashing with Vanderbilt University, a private university located in Nashville, over its non-discrimination policy that would potentially force Christian student groups to allow non-Christians as members and even leaders if they want to be officially recognized by the school.

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Bobseeks

While lieberal/atheists talk incessantly about the rights of those who would turn the USA into a moral wasteland, they trample on the rights of Christians every chance they get because these Christians oppose their agenda to turn the USA into a cesspool of depravity. Lieberal/atheists are not even intelligent enough to know that a society built on sloth, selfishness, and moral depravity is not going to succeed, but will fail as the workers become non-workers, addicts or disease carriers. The only hope for the USA lies in turning away from evil and turning towards GOD.
- MEG
  
  I agree with you. We need to bring back good moral values to the USA. You can hardly find a TV program that is suitable for children and christian families to watch. Bring good values back to America. I am so very worried for my grandchildren. Christians MUST stand up for their rights!
  - msjallen
    
    Meg, I agree but this won't happen until masses of people turn back to God, learn his ways and apply them to their daily lifes. As goes the believer, so goes the nation.
    - daves
      
      What's this? Republican lawmakers are trying to force a private organization to accept beliefs against their will?
      - Bobseeks
        
        Babble on babbler.
      - Ithamar
        
        No, daves. Republican lawmakers are working to prevent the rampant persecution of Christian groups from the malicious, godless groups which have taken over most of our institutions of higher learning.
      - Chris
        
        What a load of rubbish. What the Christians want to do is to be able to set up their own isolated hate group. They can do this outside of the university.
        
        Inside the university ALL clubs and associations should be open to ALL students. End of story>
        
        Even Bobseeks limited intelligence should be sufficient to understand this.
      - edcrandall
        
        In other words, a clasical music club should allow a person with no musical abilty at all and no desire to learn music, to become a member and even be president of the club? Or any club or universty organization which a student wants to join just to be a distraction for the group? This is what most of this is about, just trying to distract and destroy the purpose of the group.(Serving the Lord)
  - meknow
    
    There are some great Children's books out there…………….kids are reading at four or younger now. I wish we had this information when mine were growing up.
- Chris
  
  Bobsucks – ALL Christian groups are con games. Eugne Delgaudio spreads hate and fear of gays so that he can collect hundreds of thousands of dollars for himself. Same for Brian Brown. Selfishness is the Duggard family thinking that world can support more giant families when, even in the US, we have run out of water in some places and having to pay millions to import it from somewhere else and taking farmland out of production in the process. Moral depravity is the Roman Catholic church raping children and women ion their thousands and kidnapping over a million newborns from their mothers. Your idea of liberals is delusional. The "Christian" I have to work with, swears like a trooper, eats junk food while he is on the phone to a customer and lies repeatedly.
  - meknow
    
    HEY Cris,
    you are not having a good day and I think you need a well deserved vacation. WHY DO I SAY THIS?…..YOU HAVE LITERALLY PUT DOWN the Duggard family……….They are happy people, help anyone they can, Love Jesus, The Son of God and truly live it………….Kids are always laughing and smart, typical kids?………NO! THEY ARE NOT RUNNING AROUND TOWN AT NIGHT, THEY DO NOT GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE……….THEY LOVE JESUS CHRIST AND ARE A HAPPY BUNCH……….THEY ARE GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT EACH OTHER. Oh, I am sure they have their spats like normal kids do…………..they support themselves CHRIS, and are educated people. What do you do for your family Cris! How do you treat your siblings, and parents and Grandparents? A wonderful family who DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD……do not be jealous Chris, you too, can make a difference if you want to and maybe start by going to church and ask Jesus to give you the ability to serve HIM. Good luck to you CHRIS, and I mean it truly.
    - Chris
      
      The Duggars are greedy con artiists that have no clue as to the effect of breeding like rabbits.
      
      They do NOT support themselves. They need land that is not available and water that is not available.
      
      I make a difference on this planet without pleading to a non-existent god. I don't need a vacation – I need the Christians to start looking after this planet. Stop wasting resources and cut down on greenhouse gases.
    - bighoss
      
      Those flagrantly-procreating Duggars ar no role model for any people getting married in this country and starting a family. Humans breeding like rabbits makes no practical or moral sense in a world with so many people and with so many natural resources already under stress. Send these breeders a lifetime supply of Trojans!
  - Myrtle
    
    There is not hate, as great as the hate of antichrists and anti-Americans. It literally spews from you every time you hear from a Christian.
  - keyboardshark
    
    Chris: Show me some quotes from Eugene Delgaudio that display "hatred" or "fear". Same for Brian Brown (whoever he is).
    
    Who are you to tell someone how large of a family they may have? Last I heard, the Duggard's were well able to support their clan without taxpayer handouts, which you seem to be in favor of anyway.. It is time you come down off your sanctimonious soapbox and quit telling other people how to run their own lives.
    
    Show me some evidence that we are out of water and are paying "millions" to have it imported.
    
    I will agree with you at least partially on your charges against the Roman Catholic Church, but since the RCC is not Christian, it does not fall under the umbrella of your general tirade against Christians.
    
    If the "Christian" you work with swears and lies, he is not a Christian no matter what he (or his bumper sticker) says. He is only fooling himself. If a bumper sticker was the way to become a true born-again Christian, then who needs the Bible? Just slap a bumper sticker on, and voila! you are destined for heaven.
    - Chris
      
      Every e-mail they send out expresses lies about gays. That is hate of homosexual and transgender people that have equal rights in this country.
      
      So the Duggars have their own oil wells? They have their own supplies or they share with the rest of us? THEY SHARE with what we have.
      
      "Show me some evidence" – THE LOCAL WATER DISTRICTS WHERE I LIVE IN THE USA HAVE ALREADY SPENT MILLIONS. It's a fact – it is in the NEWSPAPERS. THEY ARE TALKING OF building a 1 BILLION dollar pipe from Wyoming. I can't help it if you don't even understand what is going on in your own country.
      
      Please don't pull the "Not a True Christian" game on us. That's a well known cop out. Look up "Not a true Scotsman" to understand.
      - keyboardshark
        
        Chris: Show us some of these "lies" with proof as to why they are false.
        
        Who said anything about the Duggars having an oil well? What does that have to do with you or anyone else deciding for them what the 'right' number of children they are 'allowed' to have? Frankly, I have enough problems running my own family without worrying about how many children other families choose to have. Yes, that is 'choose', as in free choice–you remember that concept that the USA used to embody before the liberals came along and thought they were smarter than everyone else.
        
        Building a pipe from Wyoming is not "importing". Last I heard, Wyoming was one of the 50 states (or 57 if your name is Obama). Here in the Great Lakes area, where I live, we have plenty of water. If it's too dry where you are, c'mon over.
        
        OK, I'll word it differently. There are Christians, and there are those who call themselves Christians but are not. Do you like that better than the phrase "True Christian"? We can judge whether someone is a Christian based on his or her behavior compared to the standards of the Bible, but being a Scotsman would be a matter of blood lineage.
    - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
      
      Not sure about hate, but lying seems to be a standard response from Mr. Delgaudio even though he seems to be forgetting that he claims to be a "good Christian" and yet he is bearing false witness. Which, ironically, is very common for Christians.
      
      Quotes from Eugene Delgaudio
      
      "I've received crank phone calls… even death threats!"
      
      Doing a search for Delgaudio death threats came up with big zero.
      
      However, with his six figure income from his "work" as the so-called Public Advocate,the term greedy seems appropriate.
      
      "Years ago, after a man in a black car was caught taking photographs of my children, I had to call in police protection for them.
      One time a dead dog was left in my yard. What kind of people would do this?
      I was once even forced to send Sheila and the children into hiding for a short time .
      They are safe now… There is no precaution that I will not take to protect my wife and precious children.
      Some in the news media routinely promote or allow printed attacks on my wife, my children or me."
      
      Sorry, but I don't believe any of this. Mr. Delgaudio either never reported these assaults or they didn't happen.
      - keyboardshark
        
        "Doing a search for Delgaudio death threats came up with big zero."? If you received death threats by phone, would you post in on a web page? Just because it doesn't come up in Google does not mean it didn't happen. Google is not the final authority. Nor are you. You can sit back and claim he is lying but where is your proof? Oh, I forget. The old argument from silence.
        
        "Sorry, but I don't believe any of this. Mr. Delgaudio either never reported these assaults or they didn't happen." Even if he did report the assaults, you would not likely be able to find them online unless you knew specifically which police department he reported it to. And the liberal mainstream media would be highly unlikely to report such an incident even if they knew about it, as it doesn't fit their 'sanitized' version of the homosexual agenda. Again, you have no proof whatsoever that he is lying, other than that you can't Google it and you don't want to believe it.
        
        Don't think homosexuals would resort to violence or threats against those who do not think their way? Think again: http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/…
        http://www.aim.org/aim-column/media-homosexuals-t…
        http://www.tfpstudentaction.org/what-we-do/news-a…
        http://onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=760…
        http://chalcedon.edu/research/articles/gay-activi…
      - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
        
        No, he would not post it on a web page, but it would be posted. There is zero evidence of anything he claims to have occurred to be true.
      - keyboardshark
        
        It would be posted? Probably, at the local police department records, but would it show up on a Google search? Not likely, since threats do not normally appear in newspaper crime reports. In my local newspaper stats, for example, they report felonious assault, robberies, burglaries, and thefts, and murders are usually reported as an article. These could probably be found by 'local' search, but you would need to know the local area where it was reported. Since threats are not listed, it would be highly unlikely that a search for them would ever come up with anything.
    - myth buster
      
      Why do you not eat the Flesh of Christ and drink His Blood, as He commanded and warned that if you did not, you would have no life within you?
      - keyboardshark
        
        I do, spiritually.
- Chris
  
  So – after writing my comment a few minutes ago I walked into the lab to help repair something and the "Christian" suggested I put the large screwdriver I was using up somebody else's butt. He then started telling a joke about a priest who went to hospital to have a potato removed from his butt.
  
  Pretty depraved to me.
  - Bobseeks
    
    Sounds like an atheist masquerading as a Christian to me dilbert.
    - Chris
      
      Oh no – he has all the Christian bumper stickers on his car.
      - Myrtle
        
        A bumper sticker, his claims, going to church, none of these make him a Christian. The way he lives his life is how you can tell he is a Christian. But, one little bit of wisdom, none of us are perfect, sometimes we say and do something that is not worthy of a Christian, Only JESUS CHRIST was perfect. HE made no mistakes unless it was that HE accepted me. When you meet HIM face to face tell HIM for me, that you know tat I loved HIM even if I did make mistakes and that I truly am sorry for every one of them.
      - keyboardshark
        
        That's true, Myrtle. No Christian is perfect by any means, and will fall into sin from time to time, but if he or she has a lifestyle that regularly includes swearing, stealing, lying, and other forms of immorality the Bible condemns, then we can be pretty certain they are not in reality a born-again believer in Jesus Christ.
      - msjallen
        
        Yes they can be Christians if they at one time believed in Jesus Christ – once saved always saved. They may backslide as some say but we call it reversionism and behave just like an unbeliver. No one can become un-saved. The Lord will deal with anyone who is a believer just like He told Paul to assign the sin unto death to the man who had sexual relations with his mother.
        I Cor 5:1-10
      - myth buster
        
        There most certainly is such a thing as mortal sin, or as Scritpure calls it, "sinning unto death." Sinning flagrantly and deliberately is an act of apostasy, placing his very soul in jeopardy.
      - msjallen
        
        Yes, there is a sin unto death but only for believers. There is no more discipline or punishment in heaven so they have to be dealt with before they die. Anyone who has believed in Jesus Christ as their savior will go to heaven since the only unforgivable sin is unbelief. All other sins were judged on the cross when Christ took all our sins in Him and they were judged by God the Father.
        I John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death There is a sin (leading to death); I do not say that he should make request for this.
        God is the judge; we don't know the whole story. There are so many Christians who have no idea what the Bible teaches but have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation.
    - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
      
      Anyone that claims to be a Christian is masquerading.
- http://mikespenturningz.com Mike
  
  You will know your Brothers and Sisters by their works. We need to pray for these non-believers not chastise them. Vengence is mine says the Lord…..
  - Bobseeks
    
    Really? Then why did Christ chastise those who did not believe in Him? I agree that we should pray for them, but I am not going to stand by like a gutless coward while they blaspheme GOD; are you?
Patty

What really irks me is that a bill needs to be passed in the first place to protect faith-based groups! Isn't religious freedom already a protected right based on our constitution? As long as the members of the faith-based groups are not forcing their religion on these atheists, then they are only practicing their constitutional rights.

We have way too many lawmakers in this county making way too many unnecessary laws. People are forgetting what rights we already have that are automatically inherited from our fore fathers. We don't need another law here; just enforcement of a constitutional right!!
- Myrtlelinder
  
  Problem Patty, the present administration has practically wiped out all of our laws and are making laws right and left against our beliefs. I don't know if this law is passed, if it will do much good because, it can be wiped out, too. The answer is for us to wipe out the present administration, as soon as possible and elect a new one, if we have that opportunity.. WE DO HAVE ONE HOPE, THE FATHER OF ALL GENERATIONS!!
  - daves
    
    One example please? Just one?
    - Bobseeks
      
      I am sure someone can give you an answer if you supply the answers to the questions you have been asked, daves. You go first because you were asked first.
      - daves
        
        What questions, I am glad to answer them but I do not see any?
  - bighoss
    
    PUH-LE-E-E-ZE! Just WHAT compels you to invent such BALDERDASH and to contaminate this forum with it?? Just what laws are being passed right and left that compromise anything you legitimately desire to do religiously? Just WHAT law has the present administration wiped out that harms you in any way?
- msjallen
  
  Right, Patty, and it has not been too many years of ago that this wasn't even thought of and if it had been thought of it would have been rediculus. This just shows how far down our country has spiraled into human viewpoint thinking instead of Divine viewpoint.
  - Boru44
    
    (CONTD) The seperation of church and state is pretty self explanatory…the government cannot establish a religion, but it has no rights to disestablish a religion by creating an atmosphere antithetical to morality or it will destroy its true mission. I understand the reason that this state wanted to create a law that just mirrors the Constitution, because the Constitution is no longer being administered by moral men and women in the Federal Government…Having a club for Christians only is not exclusionary unless you are someone that wants to disrupt the procedings of that club. It is not establishing a religion on campus.
- Boru44
  
  Just a slight correction Patty…The rights that are protected in our Constitution are rights that are given to us by God, the people that wrote the Constitution recognized this and had originally stated so in the Declaration of independence as well. The government gives us no rights…the government is there to protect the rights we already have. You are correct about the right to free assembly already mentioned there. We should not have to reiterate laws that are already in force. The people that wrote these laws also mentioned in their great wisdom that the government should be run by a moral people, otherwise, the rights of God would be toyed with because they knew that men given power, unless moral and humble, would ruin it all.
- Boru44
  
  (CONTD2) The fact that the club is isolated as a group from the every day procedings at the college campus is a good thing….it gives the members of that group an ability to talk openly to people with the same outlook on life without having anything to do with the policy of that campus. I would similarly fight for the right of an atheist group to not be infiltrated by a christian because it would invade the privacy of that group and remove the whole reason for having the group in the first place. The only caveat I have is….once that group does something to disrupt the campus as a whole they should be disbanded….I know a christian group would have no problem keeping to themselves, but I am sure that the atheist group would have no problem with trying to disrupt campus life….It is why this law has been made, unfortunately.
Steve03

There's a old legal maxim that says Protectio trahit subjectionem ("Subjugation follows in the wake of protection"). Be careful what you pray or vote for.
- Bobseeks
  
  So lieberals should note vote for maobama and his lieberal/atheist/fascist coterie of cretins? If only lieberals were that smart.
  - Chris
    
    Your delusion continues. Your candidates are all lying fools. .
    - Bobseeks
      
      Then you have a lot in common with them, dilbert.
      - Chris
        
        No I don't – they are lying Christians that cannot even agree with themselves. Mitt would hate atheists one day and love them the next. They all believe in an after life and skygods.
        
        I have nothing in common with such nitwits. They know nothing about engineering – I PROVABLY DO.
      - Bobseeks@aol.com
        
        Engineers, as a group, are a sorry bunch of losers like you, dilbert.
- Myrtle
  
  Steve, first of all, we ask GOD to show us the way, HIS way. We ask HIM for all the things we want, like peace, advantages, what we need or even what we think need. We ask HIM most of all that HIS will, not ours be done. HE does not give us anything near, the things we ask for, because HE knows what we need, what is good for us and what we do not need, HE is not a god who just dishes out everything we ask for, if HE did that, we would ruin the world in one day with out greed our hate our selfishness and our desire to rule, everything and everybody.
  - Steve03
    
    I suspect you all prayed that God would give the election to Mr. McCain back in 2008, but God gave you a different result. So why aren't you thankful? Are not God's ways just and righteous altogether?
    But if you have believe that the outcome of the election was invalid, perhaps the President won because you did not pray loudly enough. God may have been sleeping or attending to some personal business and just didn't hear you. You can try again in November.
    - Myrtle
      
      If we did, that is one time, HE said no, "You anti-GOD, anti-Americans deserve, even worse that McCain., and we got it.
    - keyboardshark
      
      McCain was certainly no Godly choice, nor did I pray that he would win, but anyone would have been an improvement over Obama. We see that even more clearly now that he has had three years to seriously damage the affairs of the citizens of the US. Now, it looks like we'll be stuck with Romney, again not a Christian nor a conservative, as Repub candidate, just as the Repub party stuck it to us in 2008 with McCain.
      
      Will I vote for Romney if he is nominated? Yes, I probably will, only because he is the lesser of two evils. But the Repubs are making the same mistake they did in 2008–nominating a wishy-washy moderate who is, on many issues, largely indistinguishable from the socialist/statiist Obama. If they would only nominate someone who, unlike Obama, has high moral standards, personal integrity, fiscal conservatism, and is either a Christian himself or who respects the rights of Christians, then he would be much more clearly distinguishable from Obama and have a far greater chance to win. I fear they are shooting themselves in the foot once again with Romney.
Buck

A few years ago I would have cheered such legislation , but now with the heathen muslims , Satanists of all varieties and other newly invented psuedo- religions I am not so sure it is a good idea . A very good example of idiots is steve03 above , I mean what does all this have to do McCain ?
Chris

Buck – calling Steve03 an idiot and then not understanding about McCain is pretty funny.

You just don't understand that this legislation is about Christians limiting people's freedoms. The exact thing they claim victim status for.
http://mikespenturningz.com Mike

We already know that we will be persecuted for our beliefs. Why are we so surprised when it happens. Just keep spreading the word and don't worry about the persecution. We should be celebrating this persecution it means that you are doing the right thing.
john

Every article seems to be based on assumptions by somone who has no idea of what being a christian is all about…
I actually believed this ZIONICA was not suspost to be biased aganst any group?
If your gonna put unbelievers making stories at least get people who are not intellectualy challanged.