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. .-*~ Bob Jones Ill ed The Issue Is Religion, eral funds and exists only to help young people five lives that honor Jesus Christ. A nation that is founded on “justice for all” should applaud Reagan's decisiveness, which ended a grave in- justice. Bob Jones University’s religious convictions are not on trial. Whether they are right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical, held by a majority or a minority of Christians, is immaterial. The fundamental point at issue is freedom—freedom to exercise a sincere religious faith without taxa- Not Race Of far more significance than BJU’s per- sonal struggle is the nightmarish possibility that a bill spawned by headline-grabbing ex- tremists might pass in Congress without sig- nificant alteration providing for specific and strongly worded protections for religious free- dom. Prayertul Americans must ask their na- ‘tional legislators to resist all efforts that would pressure them into hasty passage of a bill that reeks of hysteria. No social issue is worth delivering this na- tion into the place where religious belief is subordinate to government censorship. Should that occur, those who strongly disa- gree with BJU’s beliefs have as much to lose. ay we do—the right to practice their faith without having it put through the sieve of government acceptance. Who is to say what belief will be attacked next by a special law? Religion by its very nature presupposes a cer- tain discrimination. Black Muslim religion is primarily for black people. Orthodox Jews re- quire men and women to sit on opposite sides of the temple. Catholics deny women semi- nary admission. Are those people and others, such as the Mormons, going to let Congress legislate a state religion by taxation of offen- sive beliefs? I pray not. [ think not. The BJU case, which was pending in the U.S.-Supreme Court, was not about discrimi- nation or segregation. It was a religious case. BJU has a racially integrated student bedy and educates its students without discrimi:1a- tion. Notwithstanding, BJU was met head on by the IRS tax “club.” The IRS was acting illegally. Now Congress ia about to act unom- stitutionally by making a law respecting an establishment of religion. 1 am optimistic about Americans. Most of them love freedom too much and are too inde- Guest Editorial The Washington POST Sunday, January 24,1982 pendent to allow the outburst of radical hyste- ria—which brought the White House to the frenzied production of an ill-advised bill—to rule their will, paralyze their pens and enslave their churches. They must let their U.S. repre- sentatives know that this proposed legislation is intolerable without major alteration. The people of America who mandated Ronald Reagan into office, believing his promise that he would get government off their backs, are betrayed by his legislation. He has listened to the voice of his enemies. Now his friends must plead with him and with Congress not to place worse oppression on them through legislation that is overtly hostile to religious rights. The present bill would make enforcement of taxation retroactive to July 9, 1970, the exact BJU. Why is Congress being asked to take dead aim on this religious, non-federally funded inatitution? Do they want to make this institution an extinct species? America’s laws take better care of birds. animals and fish. Is protection from discrimination for blacks only? Are BJU’s beliets to be declared illegal while. Congress grants tax-exemptions and federal funding to abortiun clinics that murder babies every day? What kind of perverted sense of values and morality do we have up there? Our confidence is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the high King of heaven, Who hulds the hearts of rulers in His omnipotent hand. And His sovereignty is able te turn congressional hearts tw our deliverance and to that of the nation. The writer is president of Bob Jones University. Cp renee rn weg ne eer eet : . * a ne TR OD I OR RE TN ROR LOE TAI A LCN INE TR A RR, Re erg mS