Saturday, October 08, 2016

Thought Control?

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When I was in my teens and early twenties I had some connection with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an evangelical campus ministry with a presence across North America. My theology took a different direction but I've always been aware that they were still active with students in different settings.

I was deeply disappointed to hear that IV in the United States has decided to give the boot to staff members who are LGBTQ friendly or support gay marriage. This new policy has received international attention, including coverage by TIME.

One of the largest evangelical organizations on college campuses nationwide has told its 1,300 staff members they will be fired if they personally support gay marriage or otherwise disagree with its newly detailed positions on sexuality starting on Nov. 11. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA says it will start a process for “involuntary terminations” for any staffer who comes forward to disagree with its positions on human sexuality, which hold that any sexual activity outside of a husband and wife is immoral.

It's rather chilling that a Christian organization wants to fire employees for their thoughts and convictions, even if  they are not openly expressed, or reflect personal life choices. How can InterVarsity possible believe that this will be viewed as anything but cult-like? IV is not alone amongst faith groups attempting to stop a shift in perception of what it means to live the inclusive gospel of Jesus Christ. All this will do is confirm the suspicions of some in a secular society that churches and another faith organizations are judgmental and controlling. So much for evangelism.

It may be that our human rights and employment legislation in Canada won't allow for a similar witch hunt, but who knows?

Thoughts?

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