Many readers will have seen extensive press coverage, both secular and Christian, of the dispute between the Exeter CU and the University’s Students Guild, of which the CU has been a member for over 50 years.
What began as an objection from a single student to the name ‘Christian Union’, claiming that the CU did not reflect his personal Christian beliefs, rapidly escalated.
The Guild argued that, by requiring all office holders and speakers to sign their assent to a Doctrinal Basis, the CU was exclusive. The Guild wanted CU leadership to be open to people of any faith or none. They maintained that a leader could uphold an organisation’s belief without having to make a personal confession of belief. This clearly showed a lack of understanding of how the CU functions.
