by Melody Nasiatka
The students at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) had been working on getting their CUFI chapter officially recognized for nearly two years. Students who had initially taken the lead graduated, and those who took their place were still facing the same challenges as their predecessors.
Until last week, Bri Pledger, CUFI’s student liaison, had fulfilled all the requirements for forming a school club at UIW, except one: no faculty member would consent to being the group advisor.
“I ventured to ask almost every religious studies professor to come on board as an advisor,” said Pledger. “After having no success in that department, I proceeded to ask any professor I thought would be interested, who I thought would be willing, or in some cases, those who I thought might just do it simply because I asked. That failed too.”
Every single professor to whom she presented her idea gave an excuse as to why they could not sponsor the group.
“In most cases, they didn’t want their name to be associated with a political group that may or may not go over well with the rest of the university body,” she said.
One might think that establishing a Christians United for Israel on Campus Chapter at a Christian university would be far easier than at a state university. After all, it stands to reason that Christian institutions should be the main advocates of Christian issues. However, this is not the case at many Christian colleges and universities. On the contrary, many Christian schools, like some churches nowadays, tend to go out of their way to avoid controversial issues.
So while state universities welcome an array of viewpoints and ideologies, peddling their Norman Finkelsteins and Helen Thomases, private institutions are discouraging potentially divisive or non-ministry-focused groups or speakers. On some private campuses, even after a club’s official recognition, requests to host speakers and hold events are often denied or discouraged.
Unfortunately, even at many Christian schools, pro-Israel groups are considered to be too controversial and political, and therefore do not gain official recognition from the school.
At Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Jonathan Clinkenbeard is also working to make his new group official. While the administration has supported his efforts, Student Congress has denied his requests for school recognition, stating the cause of CUFI too political. Even after Clinkenbeard pointed out that many political issues are also biblical, such as homosexuality and the sanctity of life, he was still unable to gain congressional approval. Undeterred, He took his request directly to the administration.
“Assemblies of God, from a religious stand point lines up with all of CUFI’s characteristics,” said Clinkenbeard. “but the hardest thing is encouraging students, faculty and staff to get politically involved in this.”
After weeks of persistence, Clinkenbeard has successfully formed an official chapter on the SAGU campus and continues to gain support for the cause of Israel.
UIW students have found a faculty sponsor and entered into the final stages of application approval.
