Reginald Shareef - Not Solomon's wisdom

Reginald Shareef - Not Solomon's wisdom

Dr. Shareef,

I enjoyed your article "Not Solomon's Wisdom." I found myself saying "amen" through much of the piece. However, I did want to point something out to you that you probably did not know.

Bob Jones University did lose its case in federal courts back in the 1980s. We lost our tax exempt status as well as any federal funding to our students. Even though we have since removed the policy in question, we still have not sought tax exempt status nor have we accepted any federal funding.

We see on the horizon a new battle that will face many tax exempt churches and organizations. While you correctly maintain in your piece that "sexual orientation" is not a right, that does not mean that the government will not soon cave to pressure to make it so. At such a time any institution that would speak out against it will be subject to the same treatment BJU received in the 1980s.

The price of freedom to practice our beliefs is the refusal of tax exempt status and federal funding. It has been said that the power to tax is the power to destroy. Well, the "giving" of tax exempt status and federal funding has become the power to control. Only those with the fortitude to let go of these enticements - or sacrifice their convictions - will survive.

The hypocrisy of the judicial system was made very plain in your piece. I thank you for it. Though I did wish to clarify the fact that we have made no changes here for the purpose of obtaining tax exempt status or federal funding. We could - because there are no policies here that would hinder us from doing so - but we have refused to this point because we see great danger in the current system.

Jonathan Pait
Public Relations
Bob Jones University