UCCF Defends Christian Unions against University Bans

The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) has warned that the fundamental freedom of speech of Christian Unions has been "undermined and compromised" after several university authorities took the decision to ban them from their campuses and Students' Unions.

|PIC1|Pod Bhogul, head of communications at UCCF, confirmed that Birmingham, Exeter and Edinburgh universities have either stopped Christian Union events or removed them from Students' Unions and guilds. They have also stopped them from using university rooms and publicity, and have frozen their bank accounts.

Edinburgh and Exeter universities are now seeking legal advice against the bans.

Mr Bhogul told Christian Today: "Christian students are being discriminated against and having their fundamental freedom of speech undermined and compromised."

The bans followed complaints from other students and centred on accusations by the university authorities that the Christian Unions were excluding non-Christians, promoting homophobia and discriminating against those of transgender sexuality.

The 150-strong Christian Union in Birmingham was suspended this year after refusing to alter its constitution to allow non-Christians to address meetings and to amend its literature to include references to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and those of transgender sexuality.

Edinburgh University has banned an event run by the Christian Union called PURE which promotes a traditional biblical view of personal and sexual relationships.

The student guild at Exeter University claims the Christian Union constitution and activities do not conform to its Equal Opportunities Policies, which have only recently been introduced.

Mr Bhogul defended the Christian Unions, saying: "Christian Unions are often the most active and vibrant societies on campus and often the largest. And it's perfectly reasonable for these Christian students to want to be led by other Christian students who share the ethos, values and vision of the Christian Union. And it is perfectly reasonable to ask others who share those values to address them in their meetings."

He assured that Christian Union meetings are open to all regardless of religious beliefs or theological convictions and said they were societies which "encourage debate and dialogue".

Mr Bhogul called on the universities to uphold the right of all students to enjoy freedom of speech.

"The Students' Unions in question have behaved appallingly and have fundamentally failed to uphold their own equal opportunity policies which they say they hold onto so dearly and the universities need to be careful that they don't get reputations as places where freedom of speech and thought are not freely encouraged."