A Nashville Art School Will Purge All Non-Christian Faculty Now That It Has Been Taken Over by a Rel

[Upward]

Source: Artnet

Earlier this week, students, and faculty at the Watkins College of Art in Nashville, Tennessee, were shocked to learn that their school would be absorbed by Belmont University, a local Christian institution that has made national headlines over the last decade for allegedly retaliating against faculty who went against its strict code of faith.
...
The open letter, which currently has more than 1,600 signatures, calls for academic and financial transparency from university leadership, as well as assurances that students will not experience censorship. Additionally, critics of the merger want to ensure that Watkins staff are provided severance if they are prevented from joining Belmont University, which requires that its faculty adhere to Christianity and does not hire teachers outside the religion.

“We do not hire people who are not Christian,” Thomas Burns, Belmont’s provost, clarified in a response to questions at a town hall on Wednesday. “So the ones who are not Christian will not be eligible to work at Belmont. That’s just part of who we are.”



Read more: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/chaos-unfolds-as-students-and-faculty-at-nashville-arts-school-learn-of-merger-with-christian-university-1767246

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The arts college has been around forever, but started running into trouble a few years ago.

What's shocking is how Nashville has supposedly become the "IT" city, for creatives, and this is happening.

Amazon is moving a logistics center here. Apple is rumored to be opening a division of its music department -- and no one thought to hit up them or any of the other corporations moving here for money to train the kids who will one day be making their advertisements?

This is some scary shit.

[dchill]

1. Imagine, if you will, the reverse - an art college...

...that will not hire any Christians. Imagine the indignant, outraged reaction.

[Grokenstein]

4. Somehow

...in their minds they're always the victims of persecution, never the perpetrators.

[dchill]

7. Bizarro World religion.

[TNNurse]

38. Bet there will be serious censorship of their artwork.

[treestar]

42. Wouldn't be a good art school I would imagine

even for a Christian, if that were the case.

How can one tell is art is Christian or not, is another thing. If I do a painting of a river, my religious beliefs would not affect it.

[SharonClark]

2. Sounds like Watkins students and faculty have been betrayed by their own 'leadership'

"Earlier today, Watkins chairman Steve Sirls, emailed alumni of the college to defend the board’s decision to pursue a merger with Belmont. “We fully recognize that this news has been hard for some of our students and alumni to absorb,” he wrote. “Change can be difficult, and we are working to help all those who love Watkins.”

“The reality is that very few faculty will end up at Belmont,” the instructor continued continued, pointing out that some teachers are not Christians and would therefore be automatically denied at the university. “Some people have been at Watkins for over 25 years, but there would be redundancies staffing-wise. Belmont doesn’t need our admissions and financial aid personnel, and there aren’t many teaching positions open in their art departments.”

Two totally different cultures, like Belmont and Watkins, can't merge. I hope the Watkins students can transfer to real art schools.

[tulipsandroses]

3. We need to tackle laws that give these religious zealots a pass to discriminate. It is outrageous

that others have to adhere to laws of the land while they can hide behind a religious shield. If a non religious organization said they were not hiring christians, there would be hell to pay. They have to abide by equal opportunity laws. Religious institutions should be held to the same standards.

[treestar]

43. Someone would have to sue to get in

and it go to the court, so is there affect on Interstate Commerce, and is religious a suspect class, would be the issues. One wonders with the current court if they would see that.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Intolerance is the anathema of art

Mental rigidity vs. creativity

[Warpy]

22. It's also the antithesis of Christianity

Yeah, I'm godless but I've read the books.

If anything, men like these are the earthly representation of the Antichrist.

[Ohiogal]

30. +1000

[safeinOhio]

6. Don't call yourself Christian and ignore the

words of Christ(those words in red) in the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

[dchill]

8. The words of Christ (and yours) fall on deaf ears...

...or ears plugged tightly with fingers.

[3Hotdogs]

9. Do they receive any federal aid?

[pangaia]

10. Coming to a college, school, town near you.. and worse...

[keithbvadu2]

11. Who are 'Christians'?

Who are 'Christians'?

Protestants? Catholics? Mormons? JWs? Seventh Day Adventists?

[Maeve]

12. Obviously THEY decide!

And woe betide those who do not meet their definition!

[Thomas Hurt]

26. Christians of all flavors spend time

telling others how they are not real christians.........what if they are all right?

[keithbvadu2]

32. "They all think that they're the only ones up here."

A man goes to heaven, and St Peter shows him around. They go past one room, and the man asks: "Who are all those people in there?" "They are the Methodists," says St Peter. They pass another room, and the man asks the same question. "They are the Anglicans," says St Peter. As they're approaching the next room, St Peter says: "Those are the Catholics."

They pass by many more rooms and the man asks "why so many rooms"?

"They all think that they're the only ones up here."

[marble falls]

13. Why is it tight sphinctered sorts are the ones most likely to interfere with other people's G*d ...

given right to even be here?

The Provost sure speaks plainly. If you all don't look like me, you aren't gettin' in. Course, I'm a Lutheran and I wouldn't get in, neither.

[benld74]

14. Isn't a very Christian thing to do nt

[Lars39]

15. This is the same university that Gonzales teaches at.

[tanyev]

16. Aha! So there's a reason the annual PBS Christmas at Belmont special sucks.

I record it every year, along with other PBS Christmas fare, but I always end up fast forwarding through most of it. Bring back Christmas at St. Olaf’s!

[Javaman]

17. This is a new form of venture capitalism

Wealthy right wing entities buying up non Christian entities and cleaning house to remake them into their own self-righteous images

[IcyPeas]

18. exactly! define "christian"

[Odoreida]

19. Accredited school, or just an outfit that purports to teach art? n/t

[spike jones]

20. How long before Christian owned hospitals and medical centers ban non-Christian patients? n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

45. That's been happening a while now.

Search for women's health vs. Catholic hospitals and see what you find.

[AtheistCrusader]

50. Catholics are taking over all the hospitals and billing systems. Can't BAN abortion, but they've

figured out that if they own every medical/billing facility, they can just refuse to offer it.

[exboyfil]

52. Men's health as well

The doctor that did my vasectomy just retired (I hope it was on his timing). His practice (which is part of a larger hospital organization) was just absorbed by a different Catholic "not for profit" (the first one had no problem with him for 20 years but the second one did).

I keep wondering when they will stop writing scripts for my daughters' birth control pills. I have been with this practice for over 25 years.

[Karadeniz]

21. We need a new word for this type of "Christian." Taliban has already been taken. Jesus said that one

Had to demonstrate one's faith by following his teachings. This behavior violates loving one's neighbor, the golden rule, much less loving one's enemy. Therefore, these people are not Christian. So what can we call them?

[tanyev]

25. The Talibornagain.

[chwaliszewski]

23. What's the difference between religion and a cult?

Centuries of tradition.

[BlueIdaho]

24. Transfer Now!

A degree from an extremist christian school is worthless.

There is a big difference between the best professors and the best christian professors...

[olddad65]

27. Oh, I had forgotten that the most bogus religion on the planet

Had a monopoly on creativity as well as spirituality.
Well, there goes all of the school’s talent out the door.

[AJT]

28. So, the students are only allowed to create velvet Jesus paintings?

[Generic Other]

29. They can do Elvis too

It is Tennessee. Graceland needs more art.

[keithbvadu2]

33. Obi-Wan as Jesus

Obi-Wan as Jesus

https://www.10news.com/news/fact-or-fiction/fact-or-fiction-church-confused-obi-wan-kenobi-with-jesus

A Utah man pranked his parents by giving them a portrait of Obi-Wan Kenobi that looks like Jesus for Christmas

https://www.insider.com/utah-man-gives-parents-a-jesus-portrait-of-obi-wan-kenobi-for-christmas-2018-12

[Blue_Tires]

49. brilliant!

[YOHABLO]

31. So that means anyone who is Muslim or Jewish is out?

We need to challenge these Christo Fascist every step of the way. What they want is Dominionism for the country. It's so messed up.

[Ingersollman]

48. Not

just Muslims and Jews. Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists(?), Atheists, Wiccans, etc., etc.,etc.

Christian dominionism is what it is.

Theocracy is what they want.

Woe be to the world if they get it.

[paleotn]

34. Yep, Watkins has been in Nashville for...well...forever it seems...

Surprised at Belmont. They cut ties with the SBC some time ago, so I figured they were moving towards the 20th century in higher education. Two steps forward, one step back it seems. Damn sad. Scary thing is, there are "Christian" institutions of higher ed in Nashville that are vastly more oppressive than Belmont. They know who they are. Good Nashville Scene article on the subject...

https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21113244/watkins-students-question-belmont-provost-about-religious-freedom-discrimination

[HarlanPepper]

35. Sounds like its going to be a really lame art school.

[treestar]

44. +1 Exactly

Art is creative, and bounding it by a religion just won't promote art.

[azureblue]

36. to be precise

they mean only baptists and fundies. They will not accept Catholics, Orthodox, or "progressive" churches. or Jews. Especially Jews.

[Mickju]

37. Religion ruins everything.

[rockfordfile]

39. "absorbed by Belmont University" The pos Belmont U. took over another school to censor it

Belmont U. Is a un-American school. This should be all over the News. Folks like for example Taylor Swift should start a school there and bring over the patriots from Watkins Coll.

[maxrandb]

40. Your post just made it clear how fucked America is

and this is in no way negative to you

We are so fucked that we hope Taylor Swift can rescue us.!?

I'm not saying that you're mistaken, but holy crap! You're pretty much spot-on as to where America is now...

"Taylor Swift please save us"

God help us all.

[rockfordfile]

51. What? I think she lives in that state.

I noticed in 2018 election people in that state reacted to her a lot.

The reality is people like her or others are going to have to step up.

[czarjak]

41. Belmont University...

Where Alberto Gonzales is a big man on campus. That kind of Christianity.

[littlemissmartypants]

46. I wonder how many students will suddenly see the light in the mist and miraculously

Experience a conversion? How hard can that be especially for someone who already has a penchant for creative imaginative expression? Piece of cake.

Are they going to force a purity test, like one must walk on water, to prove allegiance? That could be hard but many are able to put a right hand on a holy book while holding fingers crossed behind the back.

Lies are not mutually exclusive to the nonreligious and truth is an absolute indicator of art. But why would anyone so dedicated to art and therefore to truth, even want to associate with an institution so devoted to deceit?

Art does not usually fall out of favor. Religion, on the other hand is known for its diminishing returns.

[Mersky]

47. Seriously doubt any of the current students signed up to get a BFA in fig leafing.

I’d say any student that wants a refund should get one - no questions asked. Is staggering religious discrimination, and are out to takedown a school that’s been around since 1885.

Apparently, this isn’t the only art school belmont has ‘absorbed’ in recent years. If O’More (taken in 2018) and Watkins were struggling so, why wouldn’t they have merged instead?

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/29/another-art-school-absorbed-belmont-university

[matt819]

53. Will students leave?

To the extent possible, these kinds of organizations should be shunned. It may not make a difference to them, but it might, and it will certainly make a difference to us. Just don't attend. Just don't shop. Just don't do business with these kinds of bigots.