By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
CHAPEL HILL — A Christian a capella group’s decision to expel a singer who publicly embraced homosexuality has created a firestorm of controversy on the campus of the University of North Carolina where officials say they are launching an anti-discrimination investigation.
“This is just the latest of a number of incidents in which Christian student groups find themselves potentially in violation of inclusion and tolerance policies that ignore basic American liberties like freedom of religion,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “We applaud these young people for their willingness to take a stand on a Biblical truth and, from what we understand, to do so in love, not in anger.”
Psalm 100, which started in 1999 with the goal of singing every note and sharing every testimony “under His will and for His glory,” bases its bylaws on biblical standards and concluded that senior Will Thomason’s views did not match up with those beliefs.
While the university policy says a student cannot be excluded from a group based on “sexual orientation,” it does say that “student organizations that select their members on the basis of commitment to a set of beliefs (e.g., religious or political beliefs) may limit membership and participation in the organization to students who … support the organization’s goals and agree with its beliefs.”
Blake Templeton, general director of Psalm 100, told World News Service that the decision to oust Thomason was based on his disagreement with the group’s constitution, not his sexuality, and that the group voted to do so out of love.
Thomason told the media, “I love all members of Psalm 100 and know they love me as well.”
While the Daily Tar Heel called Psalm 100’s actions “reprehensible” and said the group’s funding could be yanked if investigators determine the school’s anti-discrimination policy has been violated, members of the choir hope for a different outcome — one that will ultimately bring glory to God.
If nothing else, the ordeal has sparked discussion on a campus where, according to Templeton, “God is seldom talked about.”
The Rev. J.D. Greear, lead pastor at Durham-based The Summit Church, said Christians’ stance on homosexuality “may be one of the most important tests of faithfulness in our generation.”
“Our faithfulness to Jesus is tested in whether we maintain His decrees in things our culture finds the most unpopular,” he said. “It took courage for Martin Luther King to stand against the status quo in the 1960’s; it takes that same courage to stand against the status quo today.”
Addressing what he called “UNC’s Psalm 100’s Difficult Decision of Asking a Gay Ministry Leader to Step Down,” in a recent web post, the Rev. Greear said there was no way for the group to remain faithful in conscience to Jesus and not ask the offending member to step down. He said the point goes beyond homosexuality and is really about the Lordship of Jesus.
“All sin is rebellion against God. In that sense, homosexuality is not fundamentally different than lying, greed, or gluttony,” he wrote, adding that the group’s decision does not imply that the members view themselves as sinless, but that, “rejection of authority is rejection regardless of the issue at hand…”
He also said the issue is not a political statement about the place of homosexuals in society, but hinges rather on the rights of people to align themselves with those of like beliefs.
“The irony is that those who are calling for the ‘disbarring’ of Psalm 100 are demonstrating the same intolerance they deplore in others. They are insisting that everyone conform to their view that sexual orientation is an amoral issue,” Greear said. “If a vegan-club council member suddenly develops a love for bacon, is the vegan club out of line in asking said council member to step aside?”
The Rev. Creech said the controversy at UNC shows how important it is for Christians to be salt and light in our culture today and how urgent is the need for believers to pray for students as they encounter daily struggles in their walk with Christ.