Bob Jones University apologizes for being racists
By John Amato Saturday Nov 22, 2008 12:31pm
My pal, Rachel Maddow gives us a good overall look at this story as Bob Jones U. finally apologized for being total racists.
Bob Jones University has apologized for racist policies including a one-time ban on interracial dating that wasn't lifted until nine years ago and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971.
"We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry. Though no known antagonism toward minorities or expressions of racism on a personal level have ever been tolerated on our campus, we allowed institutional policies to remain in place that were racially hurtful," the statement said.
The interracial dating ban was lifted in March 2000, not long after the policy became an issue in the Republican presidential primary that year. Then-candidate George W. Bush was criticized when he spoke at the school during one of his first campaign stops in the state after losing in New Hampshire.
The leader of the South Carolina NAACP said the civil rights group welcomed the statement.
"It's unfortunate it took them this long — particularly a religious, faith-based institution — to realize that we all are human beings and the rights of all people should be respected and honored," said Lonnie Randolph, president of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
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I'll bet their anthropology department sucks, also paleontology.
I'll bet the whole friggin' school sucks... but in a Christian way.
So it sucks only when it comes to young altar boys?
It's amazing that place still exist. Why even attend it? Just go to Nazi U..
Princeton?
They aren't "apologizing" because it's wrong.
They are "apologizing" because they can't get away with it anymore.
If they really believed the crap they're spewing now, they would have said it in 1971, when it would have made a difference.
I am inclined to agree. They're apologising cause they can't get away with it anymore. I am in an inter-racial marriage and had been told by many fundamental christians when I was a teen that "if God had meant there to be inter-racial marriages, he woulda not made so many different races!"
Funny thing, it might have been a lot easier to just make several species of man, so they could not produce fertile offspring.
Am I the only one who is getting the whole "Interracial Dating Central" web-ad on the right side (right on top of the annoying sodahead.com ads)?
I found it ironic given the comment from the OP regarding his marital status.
Carry on...
[It's not ironic at all. Bots and crawlers read the words on the site, report back to advertising central, and we end up with ads that 'match' content -- at least the words in the content-Sitemonitor]
Well said. A rat fleeing a sinking ship is still a rat when comes ashore.
Good!
In 2000 Bob Jones, Jr decided to apply for Southern Association Of Colleges and Schools (S.A.C.S.)accrediation for the first time in the universities history. BJU had operated as a NON-ACCREDIATED Religious Univesity with all cash pay students until 2007. Secondly, grads and former students were unable to get their credits transfered to ACCREDIATED institutions because the univeresity was NOT ACCREDIATED. Needless to say, S.A.C.S would not accrediate BJU with their "discrimination policies"...thus the change in their racial enrollment and dating status.
The other motive was to be able to participate in Title IV Financial Aids programs with the Dept of Ed, which requires all institutions to be ACCREDIAED. BJU recieved "Candacy Status" with S.A.C.S. for a 2 year provisional basis and a 2 year re-review allowed BJU to be awarded "A Provisional Grant of Inclusion" for 2 more years. In 2006 BJU was granted FULL accrediation status with S.A.C.S now credit transfers are guaranteed with other accrediated educaltional institutions.
Lastly, BJU (noq that it's fully accrediated) began to participate in Title IV Financial Aid programs like all major colleges and universities. No more is it a CASH only univesrity...now the enrollment with increase.
BJU is still referred to as Blow Job U in Greenville, S.C. area and VERY few minorities are enrolled...and you will never see interracial dating on campus.
Not because they love anybody. They couldn't get federal money for accreditation unless they changed their racist policies.
Now, what do they do about gays? If they openly welcome gays into this place without suffering financially, maybe we can give some credence to their "Christian" avowals.
All GOP politicans have (had)an open invitation to BJU and its students. After Romeny addressed the student body 2 years ago and the State Democrat party were denied 'egual access' the BJU Board almost crooked to learn the "devil in the details of Fed tax dollars to pay tuition". Per federal regulations: accrediated educational institutions, who PARTICIPATE in Title IV (US Tac dollars) Financial Aid, MUST grant equal time and access to all political parties.
This letter of apology is another step to WIN FRIENDS in the area and further influence the democrats that THEY HAVE CHANGED. Howeverm there is a SILENT policy...no more GOP political candiates to speak at BJU...lest the evil, demon democrats be granted 'equal access'. OR WE LOOSE FINANCIAL AID and ACCREDIATION.
... for a minute there I thought it was because they were trying to practice christian principles.... silly me
these turds that hate govenment handouts
can share in government handouts?
Nothing like evolving principles?
Kind of like the Mormon Church's president having his
convenient revelation that blacks could be members.
Don't think I've ever seen a black bishop, though.
"We're sorry that we cannot be openly racist anymore"
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is related to the fact there is a black president. But I could be wrong. lol
Uh-oh! Now that they have opened the can of worms, is it possible their republibot student body may question the rest of their authoritarian doctrine?
Nah, didn't think so.
Why the hell would anyone want to go there anyway?
...racists
sounds like a place that Ron Popeil (sp?)
would shill for in a television advertisement.
What do students major in while there: non-critical thought,
slavish dedication to party, the philosphy of hypocrisy, intelligent
design, etc....?
Movin' On Up...
LOL
I heart Rachel.
Gee, we finally elect a black President and BJU issues an "apology". What a coincidence, huh? It's all bullshit.
Because Obama won. If that hadn't happened, they'd continue to be in denial.
They need to be accredited in order to access federal loan programs for students. And you can't access federal funding if you enforce discriminatory policies, like the dolts at BJU do (or used to do openly, but I am sure they will continue doing... they just can do it anymore in the open lest them lose federal funding).
A previous poster made the point that BJU was a "cash-only" institution.
The question begs to be asked: Who would be so freaking stupid as to spend a pretty penny on receiving a worthless degree (as an non-accredited institution, BJU degrees are pretty much worth as much as the paper they are printed on, if not less...).
Now looking at their fundie student base, I guess the question answers itself.
a lot of the toadies (political appointees)
at the DOJ.
only with homosexuals instead of blacks. You'll be expelled if you "come out".
Bigot lite.
They say:
"We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves."
On the contrary they were representing their Lord now they're representing Humanism. If Christianity would stop being so damn Christian and more Humanist, Christians wouldn't have to apologize for bigotry.
back in the seventies when they were about to lose their tax-exempt status over their refusal to appoint black bishops.
And lo! A prophet of that "faith" did speak; "Hey yawl! God done said that them thar colored folks can be bishops now!"
Just in the nick of time...
lo and behold, the lord spoke to their prophet and told him that polygamy was wrong
and when az wanted the superbowl, they got mlk day
I think some of the more extremely virulent factions of that cult tend to consider alcoholic drinks and stimulant beverages (anything with caffeine in it for example) as forbiden.
So no coffee, or cola for them Mormons.
At some point, one of their prophets had a vision. And in that vision he was told that Pepsi is actually OK to drink. Now the normal person would have questioned why on f*ck's shake the all mighty Mormon gods would hate soda pop so much, yet they were OK with Pepsi. A bit odd... don't cha think?
Well.. the story goes that said "prophet" happened to have plenty of Pepsi shares. Ain't that a coincidence.
Which leads me to believe, that Joseph Smith really pulled a fast one... and he named his church with one "m" too many. His biggest clue was that the main Mormon angel is "Moroni" I mean come on... Mr. Smith must have been like "are you kidding me, they are buying this shit. LOL!"
C'mon dude, I was raised a Mormon.
I was excommunicated in 1980 by my own request, but childhood memories supply the simplicity one craves when times get confusing.
I don't remember the exact quote, but when followers were complaining to Joseph Smith about a Catholic convert to Mormonism explaining what Catholics believed, Smith told them to leave him alone and not interfere because, "I want the freedom to think and feel as I will."
Funny thing about Mormons and more Orthodox Christians, they feel their beliefs are the most sensible, and after giving a chance to think about it others will agree.
http://www.magicstor.com/magicwicca/wicca/cha...
When I first read about the schizoid Joseph Smith and his Moronic drivel about divine tablets unearthed in the North Eastern US, it struck me that it was the perfect solution to Americanizing Xtianity. That is, fuck the eastern Mediteranean scene with swarthy Israelites and salt-laden seas, etc. Bring the story to American turf. That will further boost the jingoistic, americo-centered fantasy that the US is #1 (first finger raised, of course). The whole schtick was and is a Madision Avenue's PR hack's wet dream. And, of course, the intolerance and delusion is now home-grown. Fucking amazing.
You have to remember that Mormonism formed in what was called the Burned Over District (I'm not sure why it's called that). The area was a hotbed of religious activity, revivals, new sects etc. Mormonism merely out-survived the others and have moved from being considered a cult to mainstream denominationalism.
There are still hard-core fundies who deny that.
Oral Roberts University apologizes for burying Jesus
... for some reason, I always think of a porn star's nom d'plume.
;-p
Good old Oral and Anal Roberts!
Little Annie Fannie
(It took me awhile to figure out who Xena with Gabrielle reminded me of, Oh Wicked Wanda.)
I am glad that some christians are finally coming around to the lack of any christian thoughts or deeds when you discriminate because of race. However, that is not the majority view of christians. They claim christianity as a weapon against others. Watching the multitude of christian republicans spew their bigotry as a badge of faith was repellent. I live in Texas with a church on every corner but confused/pathetic patrons that practice bigotry with no regard for Christ. And rightfully or wrongly, African Americans practice it against whites under the same umbrella of faith.
Fuck Bob Jones and his hold religious right wing screwball biggots.
Thet preach god and read the bible in their pickups while dragging a black man behind.
Dobbs!!!
Go to Hell.
What a crock!!!! There has to be an ulterior motive. Is enrollment down?
..that Jesus was brown.
...that Jesus wasn't.
What kind of name if Bob Jones for a University?
It's how a man signs into a motel register with a discount hooker.
How would you like to go to a job interview saying you graduated from the Bob Eubanks University?
Larry Craig University of Family Values and Airport Toilets?
What about Ted Haggard University of Sodomy and Cocaine?
Jim & Tammy Bakker University of Adultery and Makeup?
Jimmy Swaggart University of Prostitution and Sobbing?
Oh, the list of rightwing religious nuts is looooonnnnnggggg....
Oh, yes, and Elmer Gantry University.
I am thinking enrollments are way down, now that the dead BushCo(TM) economy is no longer providing jobs for professional Xtians.
How funny that their logo in big blue letters is BJ
The SC NAACP accepts the apology. I have seen the NAACP do this time and time again. My initial reaction contains the words right wing nuts, creationism, political churches, tax fraud....But if it is good enough for the NAACP, it is good enough for me. But the manner in which this black organization handles itself really touches me at times.
My favorite sermon:
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/hist...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Ca_edg6RE
http://www.youtube.com/live?feature=ytlugc2b
)O(
I've also heard they banned bonfires, too many students were making burning crosses instead.
Racism is based on ignorance and lies. Once rational people see that they have no choice but to change. I applaud their apology and hope they learn even more in the future. It is good when a University starts the learning process.
Headlines:
"Barack Obama elected"
"Obama picks Eric Holder for Attorney General"
"Bob Jones University Apologizes for Racism"
Looks like BJ-U (pun intended) is finally seeing the handwriting on the wall.
Could it be too much to ask for the next headline to be,
"Obama Inaugurated, Slaps the Cuffs on Shrub and Darth Vader"?
I am very familiar with the school, and I agree that an apology should have been made sooner. However, some of the claims on here are unsupported and untruthful. I know several outstanding individuals that come from that school, and I also personally know several interracial couples from the school. BJU is a school that shows true, Christian love to everyone. I challenge anyone on here to visit it for a day in order to get a true glimpse of the university.
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