Harry's Blog

Today's tale of religious asshattery concerns the Christian Union at Exeter University. Regular readers will know my thoughts on University Evangelical Christian Unions but it's worth me restating my position. In my experience at Lancaster and my wife's experience at Wolverhampton, these types of Christian Unions are dangerous, a hotbed of sexual hypocrisy and packed the gunwales with fundamentalist children who shouldn't be running a tuck shop let alone an organisation charged with the spiritual wellbeing of its members.

If you're a Christian about to go to university, or perhaps are intrigued by Christianity while at university, go to your chaplaincy centre, talk to the Catholic society perhaps or go visit a local church of any denomination. Turning towards your average Evangelic Christian Union is like sticking your head in a lion's mouth. Unless that is you want a bunch of power-hungry teenagers poking their noses into every aspect of your private life and faith.

But back to the story, a tale of typical childish student stupidity from all directions.

Exeter's CU has been suspended by the student guild and has had its bank account frozen. This was because the guild asked members to sign a statement of religious belief. The problem being that a group only allowing membership to those of one particular faith breaks the usual student guild rules on equal opportunities.

You can already see the stupid path this goes down. The whole point of a Christian Union is that it's a place for Christians to meet. Trying to force on the group the idea that those of other or no faith can lead the group is patent rubbish and the sort of crap you expect from student unions who are too busy being right-on than having any common sense at all.

Meanwhile though the Exeter CU is showing equal stupidity in making members and committee members sign statements of faith. It's a ludicrous piece of control and willy-waving by little kids who are flushed with having some power rather than being the kids in school that get picked on. None of this conflict would have occurred if the CU had any common sense. What happened to the Biblical ideas of by their fruits will you know them, or let your yes be yes, your no be no? What does signing a piece of paper actually signify? Nothing.

What have the idiots involved got to say for themselves?

"The premise of the situation is that students felt that as students fund our societies and as our Equal Opportunities Policy states, all activities should be open to all students," said a statement by Exeter Universty Students Guild. "The Evangelical Christian Union is the only society identified that has barriers to entry - both for membership of the society and to be on the committee of the society. This is certainly not a debate regarding the beliefs of the society, it is one of equal opportunities."

What a load of crap that is. The guild is trying to fight for the rights of people who don't want those rights. I doubt there's a Muslim on campus who gives two hoots whether they could become CU leader or not. This is just typically stupid student politics. It smacks of the Judean People's Front fighting for the right for a man to have a baby.

Meanwhile we've got equal stupidity from Ben Martin, a member of the Exeter CU.

"Going to court is the last thing we want to do, but we really feel that our fundamental freedoms of belief, association and expression are being threatened here," he told the BBC. "We are quite prepared to stand up for those freedoms, hence why we are going to court...their reluctance to reinstate us, has left us with no alternative."

I think Ben you'll find your little cabal's insistence on having people signing your stupid bits of paper is what has got you in this situation. You could open the committee to all, as there's not really any danger of anyone who isn't a little homophic right-wing nutjob wanting a role on your happy clappy junta is there? No, then why make them sign a fucking piece of paper then?

So what does this tell us about Christianity then? Well nothing at all really. Student politics has nothing at all to do with real ideals, just little power squabbles by children flushed with the excitement of being away from parental control. It just goes to their heads. Slightly gay boys suddenly become Julian Clary at uni, religious kids turn into Fred Phelps or want to become a suicide bomber. Freedom does odd things to people.

Unfortunately in some cases, and it's our experience that this happens in Christian Unions, these kids hold positions of power where they can damage other kids. I know of many whose faith has been scarred by involvement with a university Christian Union. Remember your walk is with God, not a bunch of 19-year old fundies who think the world is about to end.