So, I got news through a few of my friends that I should read a particular article online.
Banned Bible Study
Now wait a second. I realize that a few people who read this blog semi-regularly don't want to hear about my personal beliefs. I'm not asking anyone to do that. But I would like to get some opinionsm, particularly from the people who don't seem to want to deal with issues of faith.
OK. There's bit of a twist on this one. The guy mentioned in that article is Lance Steiger. Lance is a good friend of mine. I met him two years ago when I was spending my summer in San Diego. He's a great guy and not really very confrontational.
A resident assistant in a dormitory at the University of Wisconsin in
Eau Claire has been told that he cannot hold informal Bible study
sessions in the dorm because it would amount to an illegal endorsement
of religion by a state employee, according to the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel.
Lance Steiger held the weekly sessions with a small group of friends
for much of last year, but over the summer he was told to stop.
Deborah Newman, associate director of housing and residence life, told
Steiger: "As a state employee, you and I have a responsibility to make
sure we are providing an environment that does not put undue pressure
on any member of our halls in terms of religion, political parties, etc."
Steiger insists that the ban is an infringement on his First Amendment
rights.
"I work for the school," he says. "It's my job, but I do have personal
time. I should be able to talk about whatever I want to talk about in
my own room. It's my home. It's where I live."
So this is where you, my friends, come into play. I'm sure you can guess what my opinion of this whole matter is. But I want to know what other people have to say.
What do you think? Is the university's treatment of Lance and his Bible study right? Or are there any non-Christians out there that might find this a bit absurd?
I realize that these questions seem a bit pointed. I'm sorry. I can't help it. But I don't think I need to tell you why...
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13 comments:
Joe, the whole point of having a blog is to yammer on about your personal beliefs. That's what blogs are for. Your readers might not agree with them, but that's their problem.
That said, no, I don't think the university is being unreasonable. RAs have to live more carefully than they would if they were not RAs. It's part of what they get paid to do. If you live where you work, then guess what? You don't get downtime. You're working 24/7.
And, yes, as a non-Christian, taxpayer, and former dorm occupant, I find the idea of an RA having bible studies in the dorm offensive. Residents who do not share Lance's beliefs are bound to feel pressure to attend because of his position.
Anne is right Joe - your personal beliefs are part of your life and if your blog is reflective of your life then you shouldn't feel that we wouldn't be interested in what you have to say. Of course, this does not mean we would necessarily agree with you, but it seems to me that civil discussions amongst friends of opposing viewpoints often throw light on things you might otherwise not consider.
That being said, I'm not so certain I agree with Anne on the other thing. I don't really understand how the University system there works, but it seems to me (as a non-Christian) that your friend has a right to his freedom of religion, even if he is working. I don't know what a 'Bible Study session' entails, but if it's a bunch of friends getting together to discuss the thoughts and the philosophies of the Bible, and it doesn't have any impact on his stated duties as an RA, then I can't see how an objection to that can be mounted. If, by virtue his position, he is exerting pressure (actual or implied) on others to join him, then that would seem to me to be an abuse of his status.
As far as I can see, the pivotal issue is whether it constitutes an illegal endorsement of religion. Merely studying the Bible isn't endorsing it. It's a different matter if he's proselytizing.
Think about it like this: would you have an objection if a group of people were holding regular meetings in their dorm, hosted by the RA, to discuss the Koran? Or a group of pagans were meeting to discuss Wicca?
When I lived in a dorm, about two or three MILLION years ago, the RA was a VERY evangelical Christian who wanted us to come to his Bible studies. I didn't go. He put Christian stuff up all over the bulletin boards. We put Playboy fold-outs on the bulletin boards. A full-scale propoganda war ensued. We won. (I'm not really proud that we won, but we did -- or thought we did. God is having the last laugh now, I am sure.)
I think we clearly understood that the RA's beliefs did not reflect the views of the management of the University, and we never dreamed that we would be required to attend a Bible study. Nor did we think that we would receive reprisals from the University for "going to war" with the RA. We understood that he was acting "on his own", so to speak. It's really not a difficult concept for a college student to grasp, I don't think.
Nevertheless, there are a couple of questions you may want to ask yourself: (1)If Lance were a witch, would you want the university to allow him to have spell-casting seminars in the dorms? (2) If Lance were a witch having spell-casting seminars in the dorms, would the university care or even notice?
I don't think it matters if he's proselytizing or not, as long as he's in a position of authority. Think of it like being asked to go to church with your boss. Even if he asked casually, you'd still feel uncomfortable, especially if a lot of the other employees went.
I think it's a little different than being asked to go to church with your boss.
Actually, I think it's a lot different. The RA commands nowhere near the same amount of deference or respect as does a boss. In my experience, an RA commands less respect from most students than does the janitor. Even freshmen recognize that an RA is nothing more than a student being paid to live in the dorms and call the proper authorities should something go wrong.
While I must admit that it's easier for me to accept his behavior because he's a Christian (and not having satan-worship in his room), I think it's a little absurd to say that he an acting representative of university and thereby the state.
Heh. I think you've pinpointed my problem, Rob. I've never respected any of my bosses.
I think that what he does in his personal time, as long as he's not, say, dancing naked on the lawn shouting spells or sacrificing cats to the full moon, should be allowed.
Particularly if its religious. It's not like he's doing this "officially" or anything. He should be allowed to express his religion as long as its not harmful and he's not enforcing it on others, and he doesn't appear to be.
I'm sort of Christian - basically if somethings drifts by and I think it makes sense, I latch onto it. So there's all kinds of other religious concepts in my personal set of beiefs apart from Christian ones.
As a religious person, though, I can say that for a religious person being forced not to express your spirituality is distressing.
I have to agree with Robert. Freshman (as one myself) realize that RAs don't do anything, nor do they know what to do in case of a real emergency. I actually realized this when I was sitting on my bed with a concussion and he got me a nutragrain bar.
Oh, and studying the bible doens't mean you're endorsing it. At school last year we did bible studies, and half our our discussions involved people yelling "that's stupid!"
Studying something is trying to understand it better, not necessarily following it or endorsing it, and frankly, my personal feleing is that some more understanding in this world would be good.
James: I am laughing so hard!
Other thoughts: I remember being pressured to participate in Christmas stuff in my dorm, by both the RA and the other kids. I didn't care for it. I remember being forced to participate in Christmas/Easter stuff all throughout my public-school education, including grade-school teachers who made us pray. I retain bad memories of it all.
If you will excuse me now, I'm going to have a nutragrain bar and calm down a little.
James - I will forever associate nutragrain bars with concussions.
I don't care for the idea of Bible study being held in the dorm but I wouldn't think it would be right to make him stop if he's doing it on his own time.
James: tell your RA that Nutragrain therapy saved your life. Then write a book.
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