On Cal State's "Disaffiliating" of InterVarsity

See news item here.

From what I understand, this is the situation: the Cal State System has asked all student organizations to abide by a non-discrimination policy, to which InterVarsity has refused to do so.  My guess is that non-discrimination policies include prohibition on discrimination based on sexual orientation, something which IV would not assent to.  As a result, InterVarsity risks "disaffiliation" from Cal State universities across the state.

I am not sure, if this were indeed the situation, what the big deal is.  As a public university, Cal State has the right to enforce a non-discrimination policy, and has the right to ensure that all campus organizations agree to it.  Furthermore, by disaffiliation, Cal State has not banned InterVarsity from meeting on campus.  However - and this is something I will address soon - disaffiliation removes the group from privileges such as on-campus advertising, using campus facilities at a steep discount, etc.  Again, I don't see anything about Cal State explicitly banning InterVarsity from meeting on campus.  In fact, I believe Cal State has made it clear that they're free to meet on campus as well and use their facilities.  At a higher financial cost, of course.

Of course, one response is that by enforcing such non-discrimination policy, Cal State would infringe on freedom of religious expression.  True, but - and this is something that must be considered - are all religious expressions to be protected?  Let us have an extreme example and suppose that a student group that abides by the propositions of ISIS - the "Islamic" terror group - or by those of the KKK claims to have the right to affiliate by reasons of freedom of religious expression.  Should they be allowed to be affiliated to the Cal State campus?  The easy answer is - of course not!  But why?  To say, "because they're fundamentalist" or "because they're racist" are easy answers.  The same could be said of InterVarsity - they're "anti-LGBT!"  But then again, where ISIS or KKK affiliated groups may be prohibited from even being near the campus, InterVarsity is still allowed to meet!  Just at a higher financial cost.

The very fact is that in America there is always a need to strike a balance between the rights of a secular state (and yes, America is officially a secular state, and has always been, despite our "In God We Trust" motto) and the rights of individual/group freedoms to express themselves.  Yes, we have the right to free expression, but that does not include bombing abortion clinics, for instance, as fundamentalist Christian groups have done in the 70's and 80's.  But, again, InterVarsity is still allowed to meet, so the issue of free expression of religion is not curtailed.  InterVarsity is still allowed to meet.  Just at a higher financial cost.

To me, it seems that all this boils down to: higher financial cost.

What irks me the most is that InterVarsity is worked up because of the privileges that they lose from being disaffiliated.  So yes, it will cost more to meet on campus.  So what?  Raise more money - shouldn't local Evangelical churches be supportive of IV?  Yes, you will not be able to advertise publicly on campus.  But the school did not ban personal evangelism... so what's the problem?  Some may argue that for IV to be disaffiliated risks compromising its prominence on campus.  Theological hogwash.  The Church's witness does not stem from being "official" or relying on the structures of human organizations in order to bring people to Jesus, but from the Spirit revealing the love of God through Christians.  If we were to take theology seriously, then such a situation is barely disconcerting.  In fact, it should give Christians at Cal State universities impetus to take their faiths seriously.

We need to get this straight: God works, and God works on God's own initiative.  God does not need InterVarsity, Cru, name-your-Christian-organization, to reveal to the world the goodness of God.  In fact, sometimes, I wonder if these organizations and even whole churches (un)intentionally step in between God and people.  A little humility with regards to our place in the whole cosmos would help here.  We need to realize we're not important agents, nor are we indispensable to God's work.  What theological hogwash!  God gives us the freedom and privilege of partnering with God in the management of the world.  This is a privilege that we assent to on our volition, not a situation where God is handicapped and needs our help.  If a campus organization is disaffiliated, the work does not stop.  In fact, even if a campus organization were banned, the work does not stop.

In my view, Cal State has the right to disaffiliate InterVarsity, and InterVarsity has the right to withhold signing the non-discrimination statement.  They can discuss with leaders about exemptions, but until then, IV must recognize that the price of their non-compliance is higher financial costs of meeting on campus.  If sticking to the letter of the Gospel is priceless to them, surely, the higher financial costs of meeting on campus is a drop in the bucket?