The Written Word
for March 19, 2000

As I mention in tomorrow’s editorial Wendy and I were at Trinity Western University on Saturday to take part in the awarding of the Second Annual Mel Smith Scholarship and to hear Preston Manning give the second annual address – I was honoured and privileged to give the first last year.

Trinity Western is different. It is a Christian university which gets its entire funding from private donations and from Student fees. It sets rules of conduct which include no sexual intercourse or homosexual relationships and asks its students to sign a pledge to that effect which they do as a condition of entry. I have spoken to the President, Dr Neil Snider, about this and asked him the questions I’m sure you would ask.

No, they don’t have any kinds of snoops peeking inside parked cars or things of that sort. And, no, there are no snitches amongst the student body. Moreover, there is no prejudice against homosexuals – none would be nor are barred from the student body. They simply pledge to forbear from sexual practices during their time at TWU.

What kind of students does this turn out?

Well, I’ve now had three chances to take a good look – once many years ago when I chaired a debate and the last two years as a rather more formal guest. I’ve walked over the campus and it looks much like any other campus you might see. Most of all, I seem to attract students like moths to a flame who want to debate with me and they are an outstanding bunch indeed.

It’s true that their politics are more right wing than not – many campuses in this province are just the opposite and who cares? What I have seen and hear is lively minds, bursting with energy and with fire to make change. These youngsters may tend to be conservative in economic and religious matters but they are busting to get out and make real change in the ways things are done. The have listened patiently to constitutional revolutionaries like Mel Smith and me insist that Canada needs dramatic changes to the way it governs itself. I fielded their questions and far from being content with the status quo they see the need for fundamental change. I saw that yesterday in their pointed questions to Preston Manning.

The BC College of Teachers is taking Trinity Western University to court – at huge expense to both rank and file teachers and to TWU this matter is now before the Supreme Court of Canada. The teachers want the right to refuse teaching certificates to TWU graduates because they are intolerant of homosexuals. The teachers should and likely will lose this one as they have in the lower courts. These kids do indeed believe that homosexuality is a sin. I don’t agree with them but that’s beside the point. These kids are also taught tolerance. And I have no doubt whatever that they will, those who choose that profession, go out into the academic world utterly free of prejudice or, more fairly, as free of it as any of us can be.

This is a good university and its graduates will be an adornment to whatever community they find themselves in. They are not in chains – they know when they sign up for TWU that certain standards of conduct are expected of them.

And while that standard of conduct would not have suited me as a University student it is no less admirable for that.

I as a watcher of TWU as a politician and commentator on public affairs am proud of the University and what it, faculty and students, stand for.