Sorry, but another Mormon Blog

I know, I know, I keep writing here about issues that keep popping up in the media with the LDS Church. But this article in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning has really had me frustrated. In searching online, I found articles also in the Desert News (LDS owned newspaper), The Provo Daily Herald and KSL Channel 5.

I remember hearing about this guy, Chad Hardy, and his "Men on a Mission" calender a while back and thought the idea was pretty funny. In fact, I am even considering ordering one for my apartment this next year. But now this whole debate over his excommunication and BYU refusing his diploma has me even more frustrated. True, true, BYU is a private institution, can do what it wants, Hardy wasn't forced to go to BYU, yada yada yada.

The point lies in incidences like these where the LDS church (and private religious educational institutions as a whole, of which i am a proud Alum) in my oppinion, make mistakes by confusing the aims of an academic institution with religious agendas. And certainly, these issues are complicated, because not all private religious schools are the same. But in this case of BYU, an institution which I assume would have academics as a first priority, choose to further themselves from the greater academic realm at large by being so vindictive towards a student and his offensive business endeavor.

True, the school has to protect itself, whether is be financially or keeping the trustees happy. When I was in college (which feels strange to say) I tried to have an official transcript sent to a University in New York. It was the spring of my senior year and Financial Services had slapped the total ($11,000 or something) for the spring semester on my bill. Since my account was not balanced, I had a hold which prevented me from sending a transcript for any of my credits accumulated, including the 7 semesters worth of classes I had already paid for. Needless to say it was a frustrating situation, but Point Loma Nazarene University has its policies.

I guess what frustrates me is how far college education as a whole has strayed from a simple business transaction. I guess I have always seen it as you pay your tuition, sign some honor code if need be, go to class, fulfill the requirements, and then the institution awards you a diploma, a product you have essentially paid for. But I guess it is always more complicated than it seems. And by BYU making this decision, in my mind they only loose credibility academically and further segregate themselves by refusing a student a deserved diploma because he offended a few fogies on the board.

And seriously BYU, this guy was in the Book of Mormon. Get over yourselves.