by Gameli Anumu Columnist Published May 15th, 2009

Jesus was a pretty tolerant person. The only people Jesus ever seemed to get angry at were people who were harming others. So why then, here at Principia, are we so picky about whom we allow to live in our community?

In the Principia Pledge there are a few things that are mixed up together, offenses that people commit against others (and are illegal), like stealing, and things that people do that can hinder spiritual growth, like using drugs or engaging in sexual misconduct.

Principia needs to treat these groups of things differently. When people harm others, there should be punishment because these things harm members of the community. When people do things that might harm themselves but not others, there should be support and tolerance.

When I say “those who harm others,” I do not mean those who might damage the mental atmosphere of the institution. If we are going to remove people for damaging the mental atmosphere, we might as well remove everyone who has a word of dissent, myself included. Damaging the mental atmosphere is too vague a concept to justify the suspension or expulsion of individuals.

Christian Science is not a religion of rules. It makes statements about what is or is not conducive to spiritual growth. It provides suggestions and warnings. Apart from stating how the religious body of Christian Science ought to be maintained, as in the Church Manual, Christian Science does not have a rule book.

christiansciencearlington.com / photo

The Mother Church in Boston, MA

The Mother Church, or First Church of Christ, Scientist, does not say that in order to become a member one must be free of alcohol, drugs, or sexual misconduct as the Principia Pledge does. It leaves any exclusion of people by these or similar criteria up to branch churches.

Principia College is not, however, a branch church, and the institution’s social conservativism does little to “serve the cause of Christian Science.” Instead, we should embrace the encompassing attitude of the Mother Church.

For example, Christian Scientists who do not wish to get married but do wish to live with partners are not welcome at Principia, nor are homosexual couples, whether they live together or not. Should we really be marginalizing these Christian Scientists on the basis of sexual misconduct, even if they may not be sexually active at all?

Sexual harassment, DUIs, stealing, vandalism, assault, etc: these are the things that people should be suspended or expelled for, because these are things that hurt people in the community.

When Principia suspends or expels unmarried couples for living together or gay couples for being gay, it is essentially saying that such people are not good enough Christian Scientists to be at Principia, even though the Mother Church does not take such a position.

People should not be removed from Principia on spiritual grounds, because Principia is not properly equipped to decide who is or isn’t a good enough Christian Scientist. 

I think that having high standards in our community is important, and like many, I agree with most of Principia’s standards, if not their mode of implementation. Principia should remain a dry campus, as many colleges are; sex should be taken seriously; and people should be encouraged to rise above material sense to the best of their abilities. However, I also think we should spend more time advocating our standards and less time enforcing them if we really want to serve the cause of Christian Science.

It is not rules and enforcement that makes people develop a stronger sense of moral courage, it is the spreading of ideals. This has been shown very clearly through social research and is explained in this lecture.

Warren Curkendall / illustration

I think there is one idea from Science and Health that is also particularly relevant here: 327:22

“Fear of punishment never made man truly honest. Moral courage is requisite to meet the wrong and to proclaim the right. But how shall we re-form the man who has more animal than moral courage, and who has not the true idea of good? Through human consciousness, convince the mortal of his mistake in seeking material means for gaining happiness. Reason is the most active human faculty.”

If we really want to foster ethical behavior, we have to encourage people to think for themselves and come to the obvious conclusion that Principia’s high standards are rational. Suspension and expulsion should be reserved for when individuals harm other people, not for when they harm themselves spiritually. Things like living together, being a gay couple, using drugs or alcohol off campus, and sexual misconduct are not things that harm other people.

Since “[f]ear of punishment never made man truly honest,” we should encourage moral courage through reason rather than suspicion, suspension, or expulsion. Principia should be a loving community, not a judgmental one. It simply cannot be both. 

Principia is a representative of the Christian Science movement in its entirety. Its level of tolerance should reflect that cosmopolitan aim.

In fact, if Principia really wishes to serve the cause of Christian Science, it should lift the ban on non-Christian Science students’ attendance. If we are afraid to interact with others openly, how are we supposed to go out into the world as effective Christian Scientists?

Principia’s standards, being founded in something substantial, should not be threatened by lack of enforcement. They should not be threatened by interaction with non-Christian Scientists.

If non-Christian Scientists dare to attend a school filled with Christian Scientists, I say let them. Let them see what we are and what values we hold. Let them see that we are not scary and that we think critically in order to make ethical decisions rather than simply holding the fear of punishment overhead.

We can be an intentional community without being an exclusive one.

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