Dayton Daily News on Cedarville visit

[BrianB]

Gay rights group visits Cedarville
Touring activists meet with selected students, highlighting differing ways that Christians view homosexuality.
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By Stephanie Irwin

Staff Writer

Friday, April 20, 2007

> Photos of the visit
CEDARVILLE — — In the student center at Cedarville University on Thursday morning, student escorts, administrators and security guards waited for members of Soulforce, a gay rights activist group on a bus tour to Christian college campuses.

"We're excited to meet them and have an opportunity to show them love," said Brittany Donald, a Cedarville junior.

Soulforce, a nonprofit based in Lynchburg, Va., is touring 40 campuses to protest homophobic doctrine and school policy that disciplines homosexual behavior. The group is hoping to increase openness toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Christians.

"We think they're trying to change not only policy but views of homosexuality in Christian circles," said Lukas Seelye, a junior and student government president.

Cedarville, a Baptist liberal arts college in Greene County, has a long-standing policy on what it considers immoral acts. Students commit to a community covenant that requires "correction and confrontation" among the members to discipline students in support of their spiritual development, according to its handbook.

"There's a rhetoric out there to love the homosexual, hate the sin. Love them enough to change them," said Katie Higgins, ride coordinator. "We want Christians to love us as we are."

Cedarville agreed to let the group meet in moderated discussions with selected students. One, Amy Dennis, said she had difficulty processing their opinions.

"Mostly, I'm hurt for them in how they've been treated in the name of Christianity," she said. "That's a huge burden on my heart."


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Not much of an article but there it is. You can see a few pictures at http://www.daytondailynews.com but you have to register to the web site for free.

[kara speltz]

Thanks for posting that. I'm trying to write up the history of ER2 as they proceed and there has been just about nothing on this pariticular school visit, so even this little bit helps. kara

[davidb]

Brian,

Did you or anyone else in the forums get to attend any of the sessions on Thursday? I'm very interested in hearing how they went.

_________________________________________
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

--Emerson

[BrianB]

Originally Posted by davidb

Brian,

Did you or anyone else in the forums get to attend any of the sessions on Thursday? I'm very interested in hearing how they went.

_________________________________________
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

--Emerson

I'm also eager to hear how things went, David. It's hard for me to get to events because I use a power wheelchair. The wheelchair is difficult to transport.

[davidb]

Sorry to hear that, Brian. By any chance are you a CU alum? I am not, but I went to one of their sister schools, and had alot of friends who graduated from there. I visited often when I was at Grace College in Indiana.

_________________________________________
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

--Emerson

[BrianB]

Originally Posted by davidb

Sorry to hear that, Brian. By any chance are you a CU alum? I am not, but I went to one of their sister schools, and had alot of friends who graduated from there. I visited often when I was at Grace College in Indiana.

_________________________________________
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

--Emerson

I'm not a CU alum, David. My high school alma mater (Dayton Christian high school) has close ties with CU. We often had students from CU perform and preach at our chapel meetings on fridays. CU was also pushed as a great college to attend after high school graduation.

The funny thing is now I'm catholic and finishing my associate degree at Sinclair Community college. That would horrify some of my HS teachers.

[davidb]

How wonderful that God supercedes all these petty boundaries that have been built around theological differences. So glad to hear that you've found a church that works for you. I'm sure that my Christian College would not be happy to hear that I'm now more influence by the teachings of Buddhism, but I don't really worry about that much. I went to college with a bunch of people from Dayton Christian, they would have graduated in the early 1980s.

_________________________________________
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

--Emerson