(03-31-2014 12:02 PM)Curtisc83 Wrote: (03-31-2014 11:27 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote: Creation studies is the opposite of science. The fact that the class is compulsory shows how science is regarded at Liberty.
When you say Science you mean Bio. And its treated just like any other University treats it, as a requirement for your degree plan. Since LU is private and religious they require 1 course in creation studies no matter the major. This is something other religious schools like Baylor University do.
Here is an example of what Baylor requires for its Business degree program
University Requirements
Chapel 2 Semesters
Required Courses 6 hours
REL 1310 Christian Scriptures
REL 1350 Christian Heritage
http://www.baylor.edu/business/undergrad...p?id=91248
Here is some of the requirements of Baylor's Bioinformatics degree program.
University Requirements
Chapel 2 Semesters
Required Courses 6 hours
REL 1310 Christian Scriptures
REL 1350 Christian Heritage
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/d.../74348.pdf
For all Baylor UG degrees its a requirement to take 2 semesters of Chapel for no credit hours and at least 6 credits worth of religious courses. I doubt anyone would have any issues accepting Baylor into the SBC. So when Liberty does it I see no difference. I'm sure the SBC Presidents are smart enough to connect the dots themselves.
Baylor was grandfathered in. And they'd be blackballed from any conference they'd like to join as a result of their polices and practices, none of which are as controversial as LU.
If LU was trying to join the SBC in 1991, and had the governor of Texas holding up the creation of a conference over LU's exclusion, then you would have gotten in back then.
But its 2014, not 1991. Lots has changed.
Again, it'd be nice if LU could at least make a half hearted attempt to compromise with the Sun Belt on academic, employment discrimination, and leadership issues. The real problem with LU is that there appears to be zero chance that LU will ever work with anyone.
The reason why these conversations end up in circular logic is because nothing has changed on either side. The Belt is still full of people who find LU's policies and statements to be unacceptable (even from the perspective of a public university in a very conservative and highly Christian environment). LU has refused to do anything with regards to those statements, policies, and associations. And we will be the ones doing the inviting. Calling our members anti-religious is on its face risible, given the fact that while evangelicals can and do serve at all Sun Belt institutions as athletes, students, fans, and employees, many non-evangelicals cannot at LU. Why should LU get a pass to discriminate? We get that it is legal, but we don't accept that it is correct to do so.
I think the real issue is that LU is treating those of us in the Belt that disagree with their policies as members of their flock who are filled with so much 'faith' that simply saying "God told me to do this" is going to be an acceptable response to concerns. That line of 'reasoning' isn't going to work when you are dealing with people who aren't part of your political/religious movement. And many that would even accept that answer in their personal judgement are long past the point of accepting that as an acceptable rationale for employment discrimination in athletic department hiring, admission policies, and criteria for employment in non-theological disciplines and staff positions.
By the way, a LU degree is a real college degree. I'm not disputing that. I'll even concede that LU appears to at least address scientific norms. Where the issue lies is that LU doesn't seem to allow for proponents of accepted scientific norms to be employed there, which is highly problematic.
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Liberty or UMASS
