Students want Bibles in rooms ban

Kinross, Scotland - A students' association has called for the Bible to be removed from more than 2,000 university rooms because it could offend non-Christians.

Stirling University Students' Association (SUSA) wants the Gideons Bibles taken out of all student rooms.

Students said providing the Bible in all university accommodation was "presumptuous" and offensive to different religions on the campus.

The university would not comment until SUSA submits its request next month.

'Great diversity'

A motion to have the Bibles removed was passed by 15-1 at a recent student council meeting. Seven members abstained. The council said representing one faith was not in the spirit of equality and cited the Scottish Executive's One Scotland Many Cultures campaign.

SUSA president Al Wilson said: "The one thing that students have brought up is the fact that they do have Gideon's Bibles in their rooms.

"They felt that this was not really fair on those students who practice other faiths.

"And it was promoting one faith over others.

"So we are trying to encourage the university to still retain the Bibles within the buildings themselves but not necessarily in the rooms."

SUSA wants other faith texts provided to create a campus of "great diversity".

A former chaplain at the university said it was wrong to remove a book from a bedroom in a place of learning.

The Reverend John Munro, of Kinross Parish Church, said: "I think there is an agenda here, seemingly politically correct. There is actually a hostility towards faith by those who have none.

"This is repeating the worst of our errors, where the Christian faith used to have an intolerant attitude towards people of no faith."