(Cameron Ross is a guest writer for the Bison. This opinion piece is part of an “opposing viewpoints” series regarding Harding’s Title IX exemption petition. Click herefor Chloe Goodman’s opposing viewpoint.)
For those who don’t know, Title IX was enacted in 1972 as a safeguard for women, meant to ensure that they were afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts in an educational setting. Sounds good on the surface, right? I mean, who wouldn’t support equal opportunities for men and women? Discrimination in enrollment was the main problem Title IX wished to address because colleges admitted a substantially larger percentage of men than women 40 years ago. Now, some Title IX proponents have set their sights on Christian colleges and universities that have applied for exemption from the anti-discrimination restrictions laid out in the Education Amendments of 1972, specifically those related to LGBT issues.
These issues have become increasingly common in the news, and discrimination laws have recently been amended to include guidelines pertaining to transgender people. Most Christians believe, as they should, that you and I were created in God’s image. I also believe that he doesn’t make mistakes. I was born a man for a reason, just like you were born a man or woman for a reason. I disagree with the transgender lifestyle, just like I disagree with the homosexual lifestyle and other ways of life that the Bible refutes. That doesn’t mean we pretend to be perfect. That doesn’t mean we don’t love transgender or gay people, but it certainly doesn’t mean we have to change what we believe. The freedom to believe or not believe is afforded to every citizen in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
I have been flabbergasted by the notion that anyone who simply disagrees with the modern sexual and gender movements is put to shame and ostracized for having an opinion or having faith. Discrimination and intolerance are exactly what proponents of these lifestyles say they’re against, yet they are the first people to berate Christians for standing by the tenets of Christianity that have been established since Jesus walked on Earth as a man.
The new Title IX regulations also raise a rather important question: If the government can force Christian institutions to condone activities directly contrary to Christian doctrine, where will it end? What else will we be forced to take part in? These questions should be unnerving even to non-Christians. A government powerful enough to coerce our most sacred institutions into violating their beliefs is a government powerful enough to violate our God-given rights across the board.
Christian institutions should not be forced to cater to the desires of a small minority of people that run completely contrary to their faith. Harding’s administration was right to seek an exemption. That being said, we were never promised that the Christian walk would be easy. Nevertheless, we will continue to love those who persecute us, even in the face of the hatred we receive in return.
