Two Supreme Court Rulings to Change our Culture

You may have missed two of the most critical Spureme Court decisions in recent history.  If you did, here they are:

1. Last year, the Supreme Court struck down a challenge by the Christian Legal Society (CLS) to a non-discrimination rule by the Univiersity of California Hastings College of the Law that requires CLS to allow non-Christians into leadership positions in their Society.  This ruling opens the door for public univeristies across the country to force Christian groups on campus to accept non-Christian leadership or else be banned from campus.

2.  This year, the Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal of a decision by the New York City Department of Education to ban churches from renting space in public schools.  This opens the door for other school systems in America to ban churches from renting their facilities, even if their facilities are available for rent by other groups.

On the surface, you may not think of these two rulings as among the most important Supreme Court rulings in recent history, but think again.  Hiding below the surface are two very important realities:

1.  Most children raised in Christian homes walk away from their childhood faith in college.  Many later return; many do not.  Christian ministries on college campuses are a lifeline for those Christians who wish to maintain their Christian faith and identity in the face of the crushing secularism on campus.  Christian ministries provide an opportunity for fellowship, instruction, accountability, comraderie and safety on a college campus that is very hostile to Christians.

2.  In many areas of the country, real estate prices are too high and publicly available rental space so scarce that young churches have no realistic option other than renting gym or cafeterian space in public schools.  Many of these same areas (urban and suburban areas in the Northeast and on the West Coast) would also be most politically likely to ban churches from renting public school space.  These areas of the country, which most need a strong Christian witness, are not equipped with a very effective tool for limiting that witness.

Here are some other facts to consider:

1.  The Christian law students at UC-Hastings are not the only minority that feels the need to band together for fellowship and support.  The college web site lists a large number of student associations, including a Jewsih Law Students Association and ethnically-specific law student associations for Armenians, Blacks, South Asians, Koreans, Middle Easterners, Philippinos, etc.  The college further has issue-advocacy student groups: animal rights, reproductive rights, prisoner outreach, etc.  The list is quite extensive: http://www.uchastings.edu/student-services/student-orgs/index.html  Literally dozens of specialty groups exist on campus to serve every conceivable segment of the student body.  Yet who was taken to court? The Christian group, of course. 

So, here are some questions:

- Could a white supremacist join and lead the Black Law Students Association (BSLA)
- Could a Neo-Nazi join and lead the Jewish Law Students Association (JSLA)?
- Could a pro-life advocate join and lead Law Students for reproductive Justice (a pro-abortion group)?
- Could a right-wing Republican join and lead the Hastings Democrats?
- Could a butcher or beef cattle rancher or red-meat eater join and lead the Hastings Animal Law Society?
- Could an Amish law student join and edit the Hastings Science and Technology Law Journal?

The person who answers "Sure they could!" doesn't care about reality.  I care about reality and so do most Christians.  So, really, why is it that the Christian group was singled out for non-discriminatory discrimination?  Why did the Supreme Court not see right through this ridiculous nonsense and throw the case out, on the grounds of the Constitutional right to free association? 

2.  Other community groups use public school buildings.  In fact, while churches are banned from renting space on Sundays, Muslim students have rooms set aside for prayer during the school day.  Also, schools are constantly fighting budget issues and these churches pay rent to use the building when it would otherwise be empty.

So, we have two Supreme Court decisions that have the potential to exclude Christian ministries from college campuses and from high-density population centers.  Both decisions are inherently and practically disciminatory and both will have a long-term effect on our nation.