What constitutes discrimination? This is a difficult question made even moreso when religion is involved. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are allowed to “discriminate” on religious grounds if they can prove that their religious beliefs are essential to their business, and thus, their livelihood.

The only reason that I’m familiar with the legislation is because I used to work for a company that found protection there. It was a biblically-based treatment center, therefore, we were free to require that, for certain positions, applicants be found in broad theological agreement.

One of the implications of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is that religiously-based educational institutions are free to hold students to certain standards that fall within that institution’s religious beliefs, very much in the same way that employers are free to pursue applicants who are in theological agreement. In the case of the schools, however, these standards are typically made very public and students often sign agreements, which, if they violate, they are subject to expulsion. I know this from having attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where, as a 30 year-old man I faced expulsion if I partook alcohol, but I was free to be an obese chain smoker if I so chose, apparently those are not Southern Baptist concerns.

Many of these issues are being raised in the national media thanks to Jason Johnson, who has been expelled from the University of the Cumberlands for being homosexual. Jim Taylor, the university’s president states that “students know the rules before they come to this institution.” However, the difficulty arises in that the 2003-04 handbook under which Johnson enrolled does not explicitly condemn homosexuality, as does the 2005-06 handbook which clearly states: “Any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles (including sex outside marriage and homosexuality) may be suspended or asked to withdraw.”

Needless to say, the response, even on a so-called “Christian” campus is mixed at best. According to one article, some students “are publicly questioning the school’s values, Kuder said. Many wore shirts yesterday with “God loves my gay friends” printed on them” while others argue that “They’re being hypocritical, by Christian standards,” Kuder said. “If we love each other, accept each other for who we are, why are they kicking him out? I almost feel like they’re trying to mold us, me, into a person that I wouldn’t want to be.”

I feel for Johnson, for the institution and for the students who have been hurt by this course of events. However, I applaud the university for standing by biblical standards in the face of criticism. This is no small task and it deserves our support. However, I wonder if how long University of the Cumberlands and other “Christian” schools have simply ignored these issues. Their hand was forced because Johnson very publicly “came out” online. If he had chosen a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy I doubt we would be discussing these same issues. This is an event because it’s not practiced regularly. The irregularity of standing for the truth makes it stand out all the more when it is done.

The student reaction also forces us to consider what a poor job our churches have done in teaching about true love and tolerance. Our society defines tolerance as looking the other way and accepting everything except absolute standards. Christian tolerance is about loving the person by and while naming their sin as sin. This is indeed a foreign concept to our culture, but true love is telling someone that they are in sin. It is not “tolerant” to let my neighbor die in a house fire because I don’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him that he’s about to perish, and naming sin is far more serious.

We must acknowledge that many of these issues have been clouded by the fact that many Christians have loved the truth more than sinners. We love to speak the truth and don’t care how it’s received. We have forgotten that the truth is to be spoken in love, with an outstretched hand.

As cases like Johnsonr’s become more common, we must take the rebuke that these situations seem so uncommon because they are uncommon and we have failed to stand for the truth. We must also take the rebuke that speaking the truth isn’t always enough; it must be clothed in love and it must be bathed in prayer.

• Read the original article.
• Visit the University of the Cumberland’s official website.
• Read the Civil Rights Act of 1964.