ICC Note: Bibles placed in dorm rooms may become a thing of the past for students at Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom. After a student survey revealed that more than half of the student population found the Bibles to be “unacceptable,” there is consideration for the removal of the Bibles from the rooms. The college’s student council will decide later this month if they will propose the removal of the Bibles to school administrators.
02/19/2015 United Kingdom (Christian Today) – Bibles in dorm rooms at UK college Aberystwyth University may become obsolete if the majority of students have their way.
A recent survey by the Student Union found that more than half of students find the religious text “unacceptable” or “uncomfortable” in a public institution, according to the Huffington Post.
The issue was raised last month by John David Morgan, a university student. Morgan found the default presence of Bibles in the dorms “inappropriate in a multicultural university.”
“It could be offensive for some, and the university should provide a safe space for students to explore and develop their beliefs in a neutral environment,” he explained.
“Bibles should, however, still be available for those who wish to have them.”
Jessica Hearne, a Christian student at Aberystwyth, was offended by the proposal to remove the Bibles.
“I think it’s disgusting for a free Bible in your room to be deemed ‘inappropriate,'” she told a student website.
“Athough we’re being called a ‘multicultural environment’, we are and have been for a long time, a Christian country.
“It offends me that the religious text of my country is being called inappropriate in its own country. Practising your own religion is completely fine, but accepting the religion of the area you live in as the norm is also important.”
The Student Union survey found that only 4 percent of respondents thought that placing Bibles in the residence halls was a “good idea.”
