Rutgers Professor Tells Student Not to Cite the Bible in Essays Because of the ‘Separation of Church and State’

By Joshua Aminov
NJ Campus Correspondent
Campus Reform

After quoting a popular Bible verse to back up his assertion about the tenets of Christianity in his college essay, a student at Rutgers University-New Brunswick says he was told to avoid quoting Bible verses in academic papers because of the "separation of church and state" and the potential to offend non-Christians.

Political science student and Campus Reform correspondent Peter Cordi was assigned an autobiographical paper in his “Intro to Gender, Race, and Sexuality” class last semester. In his paper, Cordi referenced a personal friend of his who struggles with his own homosexual identity, especially given the views of the individual’s mother. Cordi wrote about how his friend's mother cites her Christain religion and beliefs to justify her opinion of people who identify as gay.

Cordi is a Christain who disagrees with his friends’ mother's views toward members of the LGBT community and quoted scripture from the Bible to support his position. Cordi quoted the popular verse John 3:16 from the Bible: “For God so loved the WORLD that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

In grading Cordi’s paper, Professor Kathe Sandler included her remarks next to Cordi’s use of the quote, telling the student that his use of a quote from the Bible was inappropriate.

“Avoid quoting scripture in academic papers unless you are commenting on scripture,” Sandler wrote.

Cordi told Campus Reform that he was taken by surprise at receiving a B+ grade on the assignment since the criticism regarding the Bible quote was one of only two critical comments left on his paper. Cordi sought reassurance that he did not lose a full letter grade as a result of quoting the Bible, especially since Sandler had permitted students to use outside sources for the assignment.

Shortly after receiving the grade, Cordi decided to reach out to Sandler over email about the matter, and she responded by saying she’d be happy to discuss it with him in further detail in person.

In an exclusive recording of this conversation, Sandler can be heard elaborating on her written remarks by reminding Cordi of “separation of church and state” and that the Bible “may not be for everyone." When Cordi asked if the professor found the use of scripture offensive she replied by saying “I think for instance this wouldn't work for a Muslim or Jewish person.

“Students at any institution should be encouraged to research and utilize any sources that they deem relevant to the topic at hand. Many universities within the United States have accepted a dangerous and narrow-minded rhetoric, such as prohibiting Bible scripture, which often leads to a biased and one-sided culture,” Rutgers student David Abayev told Campus Reform.

“My right to free speech and religion have certainly been violated. Separation of church and state is supposed to protect the church from the state, and if I want to quote the Bible and say that Jesus loves everybody, then it is my right to do so whether you're a Christian or not,” Cordi told Campus Reform.

“A person should be able to quote whatever he pleases, either for or against his argument. [The] Bible would be an excellent source of quotes as many people are well versed with the scripture, and feel deeply connected to the words of the Bible,” Rutgers student Lawrence Chiang, who is atheist, commented.

"It is common for religious people to quote religious literature. As an atheist, I believe that religious views can be scrutinized, but never be silenced,” Chiang added.

Campus Reform article continues here

Persecution Unveiled has been called to prick the consciences of our nation and all free people to pray for, speak up and act on behalf of those who are persecuted for their faith. Follow us on Pinterest.