Citipointe Christian College in Brisbane, Australia is in the midst of controversy after it required parents to sign a contract that upheld its beliefs on biblical sexuality, calling for the abstinence of "any form of sexual immorality" or sexual acts outside the definition of a Biblical marriage.
The school faced major backlash from parents who called it "open discrimination," but the school is fighting back to maintain freedom to stand for biblical sexuality.
"We have always held these Christian beliefs and we have tried to be fair and transparent to everyone in our community by making them clear in the enrolment contract," a statement from Principal Pastor Brian Mulheran read, as per the Daily Mail. The principal said that they intend to uphold their "Christian ethos" and through the contract are helping parents and their kids "make an informed choice" about whether they want to accept their "approach to Christian education."
Mulheran added that the school "does not judge students on their sexuality or gender identity and we would not make a decision about their enrolment in the College simply on that basis," arguing that the school "[believes] each individual is created in the image of God, with dignity and worth equal to every other person." He declared that the school "unequivocally [loves] and [respects] all people regardless of their lifestyle and choices, even if those choices are different to our beliefs and practice."
The school, however, said it would only enroll a student based on the "gender that corresponds to their biological sex," which implies that LGBT students are not welcome to enroll, Decision Magazine reported. A teacher at the school, Helen Clapham Burns has resigned over the contract, as she argued that the school was using discriminatory language that made children "not feel safe" in its premises.
WND reported that there is under pending possible review by the Queensland's Education Ministry, but are standing by its religious beliefs. In a leaked video intended for parents of students at the school, Mulheran explained that the Christiancollege was "established for religious purposes," and that they "have the freedom to maintain our Christian ethos and provide families an education based on our shared beliefs."
Mulheran claims that an "open society" is one in which "legitimate exercise of religious freedom is not discrimination." But parents insist that it is. In a change.org petition to "demand that Citipointe Christian College recall the amended enrollment contract," more than 155,000 people have signed "to show Citipointe that we will not stand for such blatant transphobia and homophobia."
The petition claims that "Citipointe is using their religious beliefs to openly discriminate against queer and trans students, as well as threatening to take away their education."
Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace remarked that she refuses to support the school's position, adding that she has raised the issue with the Attorney General around anti-discrimination laws and encouraged concerned parents and students to report it to the Human Rights Commission. She added, "Every student deserves to feel accepted and supported at school. The 'values' laid out in this document don't seem very Christian to me."
Of course, this is but the latest in many attempts to force Christian institutions to reject the Bible's teachings on sexuality. Sadly, after much pressure, the Christian college was forced to withdraw the contract, which is dubbed "anti-gay" by mainstream media. Pastor Mulheran, on the other hand, has stepped down following the incident.
