COLLEGEDALE, TN—On April 11, the Southern Adventist University Assembly updated the institution’s Sexual Integrity Policy. They also included a tougher transgender policy. This was a necessary upgrade, as evidenced by a recent transgender student who created a public spectacle over his gender dysphoria.
The university’s policy on public displays of affection (PDA) is now more clearly defined, and sections on pregnancy, pornography and transgenderism were either added or upgraded.
Public Displays of Affection
According to the PDA section of the policy, the university does not condone PDA that may be sexually suggestive, including but not limited to intimate touching, fondling and prolonged kissing. Other terms for PDA can include groping, fondling, or grasping in an inappropriate manner.
Unwed Pregnancy
Although the pregnancy section states that the university does not condone extramarital sexual relationships, the university will provide support and/or resources to pregnant students, according to the document. There was no definition of support in the Southern Accent news release.
Pornography
The new policy on pornography defines pornography and declares that accessing, creating, viewing or distributing pornography is unnacceptable on and off campus. Good for them.
Transgender (Gender-confusion)
Under the new transgender policy, bathroom and locker room usage, housing situations and intramural participation is determined by an individual’s biological sex. Any deviation from your biological sex is not encouraged or tolerated.
Fulcrum7 has developed a new term for this condition: biological phobia, or bio-phobia for short.
The guidelines document further states that clothing and dress should reflect an individual’s biological sex. Dress that is intended to represent the opposite sex would be considered incompatible with the university’s biblical principles, as stated in the document.
Student leadership positions will be reserved for students who abide by the university’s policies and respect the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s stance on biblical sexuality.
According to a General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ statement regarding transgender topics, the church does not recognize the separation of an individual’s gender identity and biological sex.
This updated policy will be implemented in the next academic year after it goes through the approval process.
Our Response
Dear Southern. We salute you for this commitment to biblical sexuality, which includes sexual activity only within marriage, marriage between male and female only, and marriage for life—for better, for worse, and for keeps.
There is zero support for homosexuality, bio-phobia (transgenderism), fornication, and sexual lust in the Bible. Each of these sins bring a painful chain of consequences into a person’s life. These sins must be biblically resolved from the heart, in order for a person to experience peace, joy and freedom. God is well able to help you through this process.
****
“For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4).