In the University of California (U.C.) system, college applicants are tired of having their religious studies marginalized.
Students from the Calvary Chapel Christian School in Murrieta have been repeatedly frustrated by college admission officers who reject their college prep credits because they were “based on Christian viewpoints.” The university accepts high school courses on subjects such as Buddhism or existentialism but not those rooted in the Judeo-Christian ethic.
In response, Calvary, along with the Association of Christian Schools International, which represents over 4,000 accredited U.S. schools, is suing the university for religious discrimination. The suit, which could significantly impact the future of Christian education, “is about standing up for faith,” says one student.
During depositions, a U.C. representative testified that students who are “saved” would not be “adequately prepared” for the rigors of college classes if they were taught from a Christian perspective. For example, the university took issue with science classes that promoted intelligent design over evolution, even if these classes fully exposed students to the scientific issues.
Other classes that were denied by the U.C.’s system included “Christianity’s Influence on America” and “Christianity and Morality in American Literature.” Both were described as “too narrow or specialized.”
This from a school that has legitimized courses such as “The History of Rap,” “Queer Musicology,” “Sex Change City,” and “The Psychology of the Lesbian Experience.” For a school that’s been listed on the Young America’s Foundation list of “The Dirty Dozen: America’s Most Bizarre and Politically Correct College Courses,” U.C. has limited authority to judge what does and does not qualify as a “quality educational experience.”
Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council. This article is excerpted from the Washington Update that he compiles for the FRC.
