One group petitioned the West Texas university to loosen its stance on same-sex relationships. Another pushed for tougher language.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
ABILENE, Texas — For students at Abilene Christian University, the debate over traditional vs. affirming views on same-sex relationships is not purely theological.
It’s personal.
Whether they support the university’s sexual stewardship policy, which calls for chastity outside of marriage between a man and a woman, or question it, students on the West Texas campus all know someone who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community.
“When you’re on campus talking about these issues, they’re deeply personal because you’re talking about people that you know,” said Emma Jaax, 23, a senior accounting and finance major from San Antonio. “It’s not, ‘Oh, those people.’ It’s my roommate or my classmate.”
Despite an alumni-led petition drive urging a more progressive stance on LGBTQ+ issues, ACU this week reaffirmed its existing policy — developed after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
The 31-member board spent roughly three hours reviewing the policy in a closed-door meeting over the weekend, ACU President Phil Schubert told The Christian Chronicle.
“We’ve had a host of folks who would like to see the university take a more affirming position,” Schubert said. “And, of course, we have a whole host of folks who would like the university to take a maybe even more conservative position.
“So we’ve tried to be open and listen to perspectives and engage in thoughtful conversation,” he added.
This story appears in the online edition of The Christian Chronicle.
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Photo provided by Abilene Christian University
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