Hope College Hope College Digital Commons The Anchor: 1999 The Anchor: 1990-1999 3-17-1999 The Anchor, Volume 112.19: March 17, 1999 Hope College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/anchor_1999 Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Repository citation: Hope College, "The Anchor, Volume 112.19: March 17, 1999" (1999). The Anchor: 1999. Paper 8. https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/anchor_1999/8 Published in: The Anchor, Volume 112, Issue 19, March 17, 1999. Copyright © 1999 Hope College, Holland, Michigan. This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Anchor: 1990-1999 at Hope College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Anchor: 1999 by an authorized administrator of Hope College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. March I 999 Top 'o the morning Hope College • Holland, Michigan • A student-run nonprofit publication • Serving the Hope College Community for II 2 years check Speakers debate homosexuality it out. • Rev. Dr. Mel White shares personal experiences as a homosexual and Christian White commended Hope for at- JULIE GREEN spotlight editor tempting to present both sides of the issue. While has been ihe victim of Hope College is on a frontier, ac- criticism for his stance, but he views cording to Rev. Mel While. the situation as nothing compared to Il is ihe first Christian college that his time in jail. He had been arrested he has ever been invited to speak at. for trespassing. He has spoken at over 150 colleges in "I've never been out of the hornel's the last six years, but none were Chris- nest," While said at a Monday press tian. conference. "This is nothing." "A college can't be afraid of any is- i - v v:,- White attempted to show that non- sue. It is where we go to open our violence is the approach lhal should be minds and hearts," White said. taken. He stressed love and under- V— """ White presented his side of Chris- standing by all individuals. While also Students orga- tianity and homosexuality on Tuesday, stressed continued communication in nize to display . \ * "• •.%. March 16. the on-going discussion of homosexu- ' . r r >,«i support of As a homosexual, living with long- ality. homosexuals term mate Gary Nixon, White gave his "Right now we have to lower the Campusbeat, personal story of being a homosexual volume of our argument. We have to page 2. II and a Christian. quit yelling across an ever-widening Before he gave his speech, though. chasm," While said. "We are not com- \<l — White gave a warning to the crowd to kii. peting for air time, chapel attendance, Anchor pUo\o by Johnathan Muenk question authority. "Do not believe that for sound bites. We need to solve this." OPEMIMG UP: Rev. Dr. Mel White encouraged acceptance I know it just because I say it," White White's reception was taken well by of homosexuality in his speech on Tuesdayy March 16. said. more WHITE on 7 • Chapel series "Setting Love in Order" hosts healed homosexual Mario Bergner Reactions among students and fac- SARA E LAMERS I i campusbeat editor ulty varied. Many expected him to fo- cus more directly on homosexuality on After weeks of anticipation, mem- Sunday night. bers of ihe Hope and Holland commu- "Sunday night wasn't what I ex- Paintings by Del nity filled Dimnenl Memorial Chapel pected," said Albert Bell of the His- Michaels fea- to hear the testimony of "healed ho- tory Department. "I expected him to tured in the mosexual" Mario Bergner on Satur- address homosexuality more directly, Netherlands day. March 13 and Sunday, March 14. but within the context of ihe series I Intermission, Saturday he discussed his views on could see what he was doing and I page 3. homosexuality from a biological, psy- could see a lot of the techniques lhal chological. and Christian perspective. he was using to get people to react." -:S4 TV'i Sunday he addressed ihe healing of Bergner is the Director of Re- broken sexuality. deemed Life Ministries in Wheaton, "Homosexuality and Christianity III, a group lhal ministers to the ho- are in opposition because homosexu- mosexual community as well as oth- ality is one of ihe sins that Jesus came ers lhal are "sexually broken." to redeem," he said on Saturday. "I'm He was a practicing homosexual for not trying to build a bridge. I just want five years and then experienced God's to show that we can live with our dif- healing when stricken wilh AIDS-like ferences and love each other." symptoms. Over the next few years, He pointed to Bible passages which •' | he came oul of his homosexuality. He iV Ml address homosexuality and also ex- shared his own personal testimony and Anchor photo by Johnathan Muenk r plored psychological studies con- P 0>A/ ER OF HEALING: Mario Bergner shared his ducted on homosexuals. more BERGMER on IO personal testimony as a healed homosexual on Saturday, March 13. Hope students remember their childhood toys Religious Life Committee revises wording Spotlight, These differences were at the heart dents should be included in the mem- Since some of the student religious page 8. PAUL LOODEEN sports editor of a debate that went on in the Reli- bership of the RLC. If Hope is a Chris- groups on campus, like the Ministry gious Life Committee. It was an issue tian college it might be argued lhal il of Christ People, who no longer exist, The mission statement of Hope col- lhal was left over from last year's com- should only include Christian students and had representation on the RLC the lege specifies the college as a liberal mittee. affiliated wilh Christian organizations. committee decided to change its mem- arts college where teaching is done in "It was discussed in the previous ' If it is to be a liberal arts college taught bership. the Christian context. The vision state- committee and it has been a hold over in the Christian context, perhaps il The dispute began over what stu- meni of the president states lhal Hope from previous years," RLC chair should be more encompassing. dents should be allowed to participate is a Christian-context. The two are very Geoffery Reynolds said. "Religious is an all encompassing on the RLC. It stands currently that different definitions for life at Hope. The question is what kind of stu- word," Reynolds said. more RLC on 8 Panel to foster discussion on homosexuality "This is the motion lhal Congress encouraging dialogue and discussion," they can come back and the panel dis- AMAM DA BLACK production editor has decided to lake," said Dana Maroll he said. "Since there are many points cussion will give them the opportunity Women's ('99). "Il was passed and the organi- of view, we wanted to show them to express their views based on the basketball Student Congress voted on Thurs- zation has been given to the Constitu- rather than endorsing a single side." chance to be exposed." finishes day. March 4 to hold a panel discus- ency Task Force." No date or speakers have been set According to Canfield, the panel will season sion on homosexuality in hopes that Members of the Task Force will be for the discussion. The motion, how- expose students to speakers with a va- Sports, campus dialogue will continue. selected al an upcoming meeting. ever, says the discussion will take place riety of viewpoints on homosexuality. page 12. After rescinding their invitation to Sludent Congress member Louis sometime after Spring Break and be- "The panel will include medical, speaker Mel White. Congress felt it Canfield ('01) wrote ihe motion after fore the end of the semester. psychological and religious views." he was important to give students an op- surveying his constituenls. "During Spring Break, students will said. "This is not just a religious issue. portunities to voice their opinions on "I thought it would be appropriate be able to digest everything they've I think on campus, we have boiled this the issue. for Student Congress to lake a role in seen and heard," Marolt said. "Then down to that." Campus Beat ^Anchor March I 7. I 999 Ore calls for acceptance with personal testimony Ore discovered her sexual orien- ERIN HUBBARD tation after just three months at staff reporter Hope College. She was a freshman As the tension on campus con- when she fell in love with another cerning homosexuality continued to woman. rise, Tracey Ore ('84) spoke on her "I spent the next four years try- personal experience as a lesbian on ing to make that not be the case," Thursday. March 11 in the Maas she said. Auditorium. In an effort to come to terms with "I'm not trying to convince you her sexual orientation. Ore wrote a of anything, my goal is that every- paper for her senior seminar. In it one get a better understanding of she discussed what it means to be a homosexuality," she said in her talk. Christian and gay. She received 4Tm hoping I can learn something criticism from her fellow students. and hopefully you will too." That was just the beginning of Ore's The talk of Ore's personal expe- negative experience. rience lasted for 20 minutes and When one of her partners at- then the floor opened up for ques- tempted suicide. Ore went to the tions. Ore was eager to engage the Counseling Center for support, not audience and hear the numerous for herself but for her friend.