College Bans Passion of Christ

The website for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has a remarkable post. I note that Kathy Shaidle of Relapsed Catholic has also posted on this article.

Florida's Indian River Community College (IRCC) is engaging in a campaign of repression against a Christian student group for attempting to show Mel Gibson?s The Passion of the Christ on campus. In November 2004, the college banned the Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) from showing the film because it was R-rated, despite the fact that the college has hosted a live performance entitled "F**king for Jesus? that describes simulated sex with ?the risen Christ." CSF students report that after their group wrote President Edwin R. Massey in protest, administrators pulled group leaders out of class and, astoundingly, demanded an apology from them for their actions. Now, CSF is unable even to officially meet because its advisor resigned after IRCC imposed a burdensome new policy requiring that faculty advisors attend all student group meetings.

Well, what can I say? I am surprised that The Passion has an X rating. I've not seen the movie, but I understand that the scenes where Christ is whipped are very graphic. Regardless of the rating, I'm shocked that a college would feel it appropriate to refuse a screening of the film by a Christian group.

In January, college spokesperson Mary Locke contacted FIRE. Locke defended the policy against R-rated movies and told FIRE that allowing the No Shame Theatre skit was a breakdown of procedure and would not happen again, even though FIRE made it clear that both the film and the play should be permitted on a public college campus.

O' the Madness!