Did South Carolina's Erskine College Ban Homosexuality After Two Student Athletes Came Out?
A Christian South Carolina college has come under fire for its statements on homosexuality after two student athletes came out as gay.
After being denounced on social media, the college has clarified its stance on homosexuality.
According to Outsports, Erskine College in rural South Carolina banned gay people from campus with a statement it released on February. Outsports says this decision comes a year after the online publication published an article about two out volleyball players at the college.
Drew Davis and Juan Varona came out as gay in the March 2014 article and talked about how well the news was received by their team and their classmates. Although located in small town, the students at the Christian college seemed to accept their fellow classmates and teammates. However, Erskine College does not.
On Feb. 20 the college released a statement titled "Statement on Human Sexuality," in which it condemned any sexual intimacy outside of marriage.
"The scriptural view of human sexuality is that God formed man and woman in His image, and these two were to become one flesh. Christ affirms that marital union is to be between a man and woman. The Bible teaches that monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is God's intended design for humanity and that sexual intimacy has its proper place only within the context of marriage. Sexual relations outside of marriage or between persons of the same sex are spoken of in scripture as sin and contrary to the will of the Creator," the statement read while citing scripture throughout.
It continues to explain that the college understands "the complexity of current issues regarding sexual morality, marriage, and other expressions of human sexuality" and advises the community "to practice humility and prayerfulness when engaging in any conversations or other actions related to these topics."
Speaking with Outsports, Varona lamented the college's statement.
"The release of this statement makes me disappointed because I have never received anything but kind treatment from everyone at this school, and my sexual orientation is no secret. So it took me by surprise," he said, adding that the school had taken a step back since South Carolina allows same-sex marriage.
"I understand the religious stand on adultery ... and that would apply to heterosexual and homosexual people," he said. "But when I saw the mention of sexual orientation being an issue, it just made me sad and worried for other gay people who might be struggling with confidence to come out."
In a second statement, Erskine College clarified its statement, saying it does not mean homosexuality has been banned from the college.
"This statement describes a position. It does not prescribe a policy and does not 'ban' any individual or class of individuals from attending Erskine. No students have been asked to leave Erskine based on this statement," it stated.
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