Josh Benner

Tag: iowa

  • Legal victory for Christian organization at the University of Iowa

    800px-University_of_Iowa_seal.svg.png
    A Christian organization at the University of Iowa had a legal win this week.

    The University of Iowa has a human rights policy to which it holds registered student organizations. In this policy, it disallows students organizations from treating people different based on: “race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, associational preferences, or any other classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual.”

    But several student organizations require that leaders and members adhere to traditional Christian values, which includes abstaining from sex outside of marriage as well as not engaging in same-sex relationships.

    This week, a U.S. District Court ruled that the university cannot revoke the recognized status of registered student organizations who uphold Christian principles. This specific suit was brought by Business Leaders in Christ. In 2017, an openly gay student was denied a leadership position in BLinC.

    Recognition of the university matters for several reasons: it allows an organization to participate in various university functions, it allows the organization to use campus space for meetings, it makes an organization eligible to apply for various types of university funding, among other benefits.

    This is a win for all of the Christian organizations on campus. The university was selectively discriminating against faith-based organizations. All sorts of registered student organizations violate the Iowa policy, and are still allowed to exist. You have fraternities which only allow men, sororities which only allow women. Iowa has a registered Chinese student organization, which is only open to Chinese students. There’s a women’s a cappella group that only allows women.

    But many people in our society hate the moral beliefs of Christianity, and so Christian groups are an easy target.

    Gong forward, I fear that this is something we will continue to see: trying to overrule Christian values and Christians trying to live out those values by attempting to supersede Christian organizations and institutions with discrimination laws.

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    Josh Benner  has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has served churches in Minnesota and Illinois. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in St. Louis.

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  • Major step forward for pro-life movement as Iowa passes heartbeat bill

    DcYNoxhVwAAUDilYesterday, Iowa governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that will ban most abortions in that state. The law, which passed the Iowa house 51-46 .

    The new law will ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected (roughly six weeks into gestation). This is the most restrictive abortion law on the books in the country. Some women don’t even realize they’re pregnant prior to six weeks. This new law gives a very short window when a pregnancy could e terminated in Iowa.

    This law is facing backlash and criticism from abortion advocates.

    NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue said that it was “a sad day for women and families in Iowa”

    In an official statement, governor Reynolds:

    “I believe that all innocent life is precious and sacred, and as governor, I pledged to do everything in my power to protect it…I understand that not everyone will agree with this decision. But if death is determined when a heart stops beating, then doesn’t a beating heart indicate life? For me, it is immoral to stop an innocent beating heart. For me, it is sickening to sell fetal body parts. For me, my faith leads me to protect every Iowan, no matter how small.”

    The law will undeniably face legal challenges and could potentially go before the supreme court.

    I applaud the Iowa governor of Iowa and the state’s legislature as they make a law that will protect unborn babies in their state.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Why Northern Illinois should not play in the BCS

    ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has come under criticism for saying that Norther Illinois does not belong in a BCS bowl game.

    They became eligible after winning the Mid American Conference and finishing ranked in the top 16.

    For conferences who do not automatically qualify for the BCS, teams become eligible for one of the ten slots in BCS bowl games by being ranked in the top 16 at the end of the regular season. (more…)