The 3 - November 18, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 features two instances of opposition to Christian speech on college campuses.  One, at the University of Colorado, involves a group of students that has been denied recognition because it will not allow students who don't adhere to their faith perspective to hold leadership positions.  Another instance, at the University of California, involves a member of the student government who was ostracized by her own party for taking a position consistent with a Christian worldview perspective.  And, there is an update on developments on what may be the new home for the Pakistani woman whose death sentence for blasphemy was overturned.

3 - Christian group challenges University of Colorado policy

A student group at the University of Colorado has filed a Federal lawsuit against the school because the university has attempted to force the organization to place people in leadership who do not share the group's Christian beliefs.  The Alliance Defending Freedom website states that:

The university refused to grant Ratio Christi registered status because it only allows those who share and personally hold beliefs consistent with the group’s mission to serve as its leaders.

It further states, that, "Ratio Christi seeks to defend the Christian faith and explain how the Bible applies to various current cultural, ethical, and political issues. Any student can attend its events. Any student of any faith can become a member of Ratio Christi, as long as he supports the group’s purpose."

But, the group has a requirement that leaders "share its religious beliefs."  The registered status, according to ADF, means that its "access to funding, meeting and event space, and administrative support" are limited. ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, is quoted as saying, “Despite claiming inclusiveness and diversity as its core values, the University of Colorado is failing to foster real diversity of thought and is, instead, discriminating against a Christian group based on its beliefs..."  The legal group alleges that the university is treating Ratio Christi differently than other organizations.

2 - University of California student encounters opposition to Biblical view of sexuality

A Christian student at the University of California at Berkeley, who serves on the Student Government Association, is facing opposition and calls to resign from her position as the result of her taking a stand consistent with a Biblical view of sexuality.

According to the Campus Reform website, Isabella Chow decided "to abstain from voting on a resolution to oppose the recent Title IX changes proposed by President Donald Trump."  The changes would return the definition of gender under the Civil Rights Act to mean simply one's biological gender.  The previous Administration had expanded the definition to include gender "identity."  The resolution was, according to the website...

...intended to display solidarity with members of the LGBT community, specifically "transgender, intersex, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students,” as reported by the independent student newspaper the Daily Californian.

Now, Isabella is facing calls to resign and, as the website previously reported, she has been "disavowed" by her own party, called Student Action. The article states that:

Chow, who says she "campaigned very clearly as the candidate who would represent the Christian community” chose not to vote for the bill, stating that she could not do so "without compromising [her] values and [her] responsibility to the community that elected [her] to represent them.”

During an interview with Campus Reform, Chow said that she was “unprepared” for the reaction that she received after being disavowed by her own party.

"I didn't expect the backlash and misunderstanding to be so swift,” Chow said, adding that she believes said misunderstanding is one that comes from "a difficulty to reconcile how the traditional Christian worldview can espouse love and validity for all individuals and yet disagree with certain identities or choices.”

“At the end of the day, it's a belief in objective truth,” Chow explained.

Isabella Chow says she has no intentions of resigning. She said, "There's a Christian community and campus that has been praying for me and encouraging me throughout all this. And if I don't represent their views, who else will?"

1 - Asylum for Asia

Asia Bibi, who has been set free by the Pakistani Supreme Court after being jailed and facing a death sentence under charges of blasphemy, is trying to keep a low profile in the face of protests against the ruling.  And, there is talk about her seeking asylum, but so far, there are no takers.

According to the BBC, "Asia's husband Ashiq Masih called for the UK to grant his family refuge amid fears for their safety after the Pakistan Supreme Court overturned her continued detention." The website reports there are "seven church leaders" who have signed "an open letter which has been sent to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to grant her asylum."

Also, in Pakistan, some are attempting to check the high court ruling for "errors," according to Faithwire, which states that:

...while her own government seeks to put her on its Exit Control List (ECL), a petition has been lodged by those same religious fundamentalists in a bid to identify “errors” in the Supreme Court ruling – an appeal that the government has agreed not to obstruct. Should the review conclude that the Supreme Court was erroneous in its ruling, Bibi could find herself thrown back into prison, and may be swiftly placed on death row once again.

And, how about the possibility of Asia Bibi coming to America?  Politico reports that Senator Rand Paul has said, “I have talked to the president about this, and I can't characterize his position, but I know from his concern for the pastor in Turkey and working to get that pastor out that it would be consistent with what they did with the pastor in Turkey to help get Asia Bibi out, and I hope they will..."