A Southern California Christian college has again reversed its decision on a ban on “romanticized” same-sex relationships.
Azusa Pacific University (APU) has decided to lift the ban from its code of student conduct, according to Christianity Today.
In the fall, APU made the same change to the conduct code, but then later reverted to disapproving of same-sex relationships because the board of trustees never approved the ban.
“APU is an open-enrollment institution, which does not require students to be Christian to attend, and the handbook conveys our commitment to treating everyone with Christ-like care and civility,” said APU provost Mark Stanton. “Our values are unchanged, and the APU community remains unequivocally biblical in our Christian evangelical identity.”
The university endorses a traditional view of marriage, but does not require students to be Christian. Students do not have to sign a statement of faith to attend the college.
The student code of conduct is made up of “uniform standards of behavior for all students, applied equally and in a nondiscriminatory fashion,” Stanton said.
In response to the reversal of the ban, Brave Commons, an LGBT student group, issued a statement Friday saying the decision “offers equal treatment of LGBTQ+ students in relationships as their heterosexual peers.”
“We seek to cultivate a community in which sexuality is embraced as God-given and good, and where biblical standards of sexual behavior are upheld,” the revised student handbook says.
“The APU community is committed to treating everyone with respect and Christ-like compassion. We are committed to applying uniform standards to all students in a nondiscriminatory fashion.”
Amidst the changes, in December, two board members stepped down from their roles, citing “a personal belief that APU has drifted from its orthodox principles.”
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