Oxford college bans Christian Union from freshers’ fair
Anger as student leaders say the religion is ‘an excuse for homophobia and neo-colonialism’
OXFORD students banned the Christian Union from their college freshers’ fair by claiming the religion was ‘an excuse for homophobia and neo-colonialism’.
The event at Balliol College was laid on to welcome new undergraduates, with student societies and clubs invited to promote themselves.
But organisers told the college’s Christian society its presence would risk ‘potential for harm to freshers’.
The event went ahead with no representatives from the Christian Union, which is found at most universities.
The move was yesterday condemned by MPs, academics and church leaders, who said it was a violation of students’ right to practise their chosen religion.
The Rev Nigel Genders, the Church of England’s chief education officer, said: ‘Freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental principle that underpins our country and its great institutions and universities. To exclude [the CU] in this way is to misunderstand the nature of debate and dialogue and at odds with the kind of society we are all seeking to promote.’
‘Amount to a micro-aggression’
The fair was organised by Balliol’s Junior Common Room, a committee of students nominated to represent the interests of undergraduates.
Emails leaked to student newspaper Cherwell show JCR vice-president Freddy Potts rejected the Christian Union’s request to attend. He said: ‘We’d like to keep the freshers’ fair secular... We also had concerns raised that one specific faith being predominant... might/will prove alienating to people who come from and align with non-Christian religions and spiritualities.’
The CU said it supported inclusivity and that denying Christian students the chance to find out about the union was unfair. Mr Potts then offered to allow a multi-faith stall but said it would be ‘unstaffed’ as too strong a Christian presence would amount to a ‘micro-aggression’.
He said: ‘Christianity’s influence on many marginalised communities has been damaging in its methods of conversion and rules of practice, and is still used in many places as an excuse for homophobia and certain forms of neo-colonialism.’
In a backlash, students this week passed a motion branding the step ‘a violation of free speech [and] a violation of religious freedom’.
They barred the JCR from stopping religious societies attending freshers’ fairs.
Tory backbencher Jacob ReesMogg, who is an Oxford graduate, condemned the ban yesterday. He said: ‘Universities ought to relish free speech. The exploration of ideas is what they exist for.’ Tory MP Gary Streeter, chairman of Christians in Parliament, said: ‘This is wrong on so many levels.
‘The majority of us completely embrace people from all backgrounds and types. It is a classic secular approach to tolerate everything apart from faith.’
Simon Calvert, of The Christian Institute, asked how the student leaders were ‘allowed to abuse their power in this way’. Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University, said the ‘censorious’ approach was ‘extremely sad’, while Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said he was deeply concerned by the ‘ugly smears used to block Christians’.
Balliol’s move follows attempts by Oxford students to ban ‘offensive’ speakers, fancy dress costumes and even historical figures.
Students tried to have an Oriel College statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes pulled down because of his colonial links.
Balliol said it was pleased that the students had resolved the issue themselves. Mr Potts, who attended Emmanuel College in Gateshead, was on Balliol’s winning University Challenge team this year. The 20-year-old could not be contacted last night. Balliol CU declined to comment.
FOR generations, universities have been bastions of tolerance and free speech, where conflicting ideas and ideologies could be thrashed out and fought over in the relentless pursuit of truth and knowledge.
But today, instead of encouraging unfettered debate, student bodies at colleges and campuses across the country are increasingly trying to close it off, banning speakers and organisations that fail to adhere to a politically correct groupthink.
The latest example, and one of the most absurd, is the decision by student representatives at Balliol College Oxford to ban the Christian Union from their freshers fair on the grounds Christianity is ‘an excuse for homophobia and neo-colonialism’.
What a ludicrous slur. Christianity is by far the largest of all religions with 2.2billion adherents. Do the student thought police believe they’re all homophobic neo-colonialists?
And what of Balliol’s proud contribution to the development of Christian civilisation? John Wycliffe, who first translated the Bible into English, was a college alumnus, as were seven Archbishops of Canterbury. Are they also to be regarded as bigots? It’s ridiculous, and hugely disrespectful.
But the real tragedy is that by trying to insulate young people from anything that might upset or offend them, these selfappointed moral guardians are doing them no favours.
Heaven help these sensitive souls when they leave the sequestered vale of academia and have to cope with the harsh realities of life in the outside world. They will wish they’d been better prepared.