Dear Editor, Senate Bill 1146 is designed to force all "Christian" Universities in the State of California into changing their education standards, so that no student will be required to take any courses that require them to read the Bible or go to the school's Chapel.
This Bill also hinders the schools ability to make decisions on admission. The schools would have to adhere to a politically correct admission policy. They could no longer consider the morality (or lack there of) of a student when deciding upon admittance.
There are incredibly huge errors in this Senate Bill. If this Bill becomes Law, the Christian Universities can sue the State of California for millions, due to the fact that the Bill is very unconstitutional. I will spell out the innate flaws.
In Western Civil Jurisprudence we are only afforded 2 types of law, Statutory Law and Case Law. In neither of these groups of laws is it ever permitted for a particular group to be singled out for restrictive mandates. SB 1146 designates "Christian Universities."
This Bill doesn't prevent Universities of Judaism from requiring that students attend Temple, and read the Torah. There is no provision in SB 1146 for Islamic schools to be penalized for having students read the Koran, or attend a Mosque.
It would be ludicrous for a student to receiving a degree in Islamic studies, but to never have opened a Koran.
Why don't the legislators see the foolishness in attempting to require Christian Universities to give degrees to people who refuse to go to Church or read the Bible? Any diploma from an institution, without the requirement of learning the essence and principles of the said institution, would be invalid.
Then there is the admission requirement. If this Bill were to become a Law, every university in California would be subject to admittance discrimination law suits. I don't know how many people are aware of this, but Stanford University discriminates against people who are illiterate!
You may think, "Of course they do." How can this be allowed? This great university surely has professors who could better the lives of people who have been failed by secondary education. They should have the heart to improve society by giving a chance to unfortunate people.
Let's say that Stanford changes their outlook on admitting illiterates. They decide to create a department of primary education. Then, they have a group of students who get offended by all the hard work it takes to read and write. They no longer want to be required to attend the primary classes. However, this group still wants a degree from Stanford. The university will not hand a degree to anyone that will undermine their reputation of education.
In the same sense, Senate Bill 1146 not only wants to allow people to be admitted into the school who don't adhere to the Christian Universities values and standards, they want these people to have the ability to refuse to learn these said values. Universities of Judaism wouldn't knowingly admit Nazis. Islamic schools wouldn't admit "infidels." Christian Universities can't be forced to admit students who willfully refuse to live for Christ, and obey His Word (the Bible).
An institution for higher learning is to educate it's students to live a life that exemplifies the mission of the institution. The institution can't endorse someone whose life is opposed to what the organization stands for. At best, a professor can open the mind and heart of a student to founder way of thinking. This Bill is allowing the government to prevent this sharing of knowledge, thus impeding the capability of educators to educate.
If this Bill becomes a Law, the Nation should worry! This means that Lady Justice has the right to remove her blind fold, and adjust her scale to the "popular thought" of the moment. Our laws will become like Baskin Robbin's flavor of the month. At the moment you might smile, but next month/ year/ decade the flavor may be very sour for you!
Rev. Benjamin V. F. Brown
Former President of the California Republican Assembly
(San Fernando Valley Unit) : From outside of Porterville, CA.
