Court Orders Illinois University to Recognize Christian Student Group

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TBN's Acquisition Of 'Holy Land Experience' Theme Park Seeks To Change More Lives

June 9, 2007 ORLANDO -- Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world's largest religious broadcaster and America's most-watched faith channel, hopes to change more lives through its addition of the "Holy Land Experience" theme park in Orlando, Fl., to the TBN family. Through the acquisition, TBN will bring an integration of the powerful living recreation of ancient Jerusalem with a cutting edge facility that will be used for television production, dramas, musical concerts, special events and movies.

"This marriage will bring an unprecedented synergy to both ministries and the production that is done there will be seen by a worldwide audience. TBN's involvement made sense, because both ministries are about changing and effecting people's lives. We've been doing that for 34 years," said Paul Crouch, Jr., TBN Vice President of Administration. "We believe this opportunity was heaven sent because it bought TBN an Orlando-based facility to fulfill it's local programming obligations for WGTL CH-52 and it will provide "The Holy Land Experience" with much needed promotion to bring more people to the theme park and Orlando as a whole."

The Holy Land Experience could well be considered Orlando's most inspiring destination as visitors experience a full day of discovery that takes them 2,000 years back in time to the world of the Bible. It brings to life ancient Israel as a unique, thriving world filled with fascinating exhibits and venues. Visitors learn about the Wilderness Tabernacle and the Great Temple; discover the amazing history of the Bible; explore the city of Jerusalem in miniature; see re-enactments of Jesus' ministry, His life, death, and resurrection; and feel the power and passion of our original musical productions.

WGTL TV, Channel 52, has a reach of over four million viewers in the Orlando and Cocoa Beach metropolitan areas with TBN's wide range of innovative faith-based programming. In October of 2006, TBN celebrated the inaugural broadcast of WGTL Ch-52 in Orlando with a dedicatory service attended by TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch, Pastor Benny Hinn, Singer and Preacher Judy Jacobs hosted by Pastor George Cope and Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, Fl.

The combination of the production facilities and the Holy Land Experience offers Orlando visitors a powerful and unique faith based experience that can be promoted worldwide through the TBN network. The promotional capability can drive visitors to the complex.

"Some of the staff was asking what is going to be the immediate effect here at the park and my answer was 'I'm planning on you having more people coming through the turnstiles this summer,'" said Crouch. "Universal Studios does the same thing. We want the 'Holy Land Experience' to be a faith-based version of that."

About TBN
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith network. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations. Beginning in 1973 as a single UHF station in southern California, TBN now reaches every major continent via 65 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org

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Court Orders Illinois University to Recognize Christian Student Group

2006-07-13 -- WDC Media News --

(AgapePress) - A constitutional attorney is hailing a federal court decision that forces Southern Illinois University to recognize a Christian student group. SIU had denied official recognition to the campus Christian Legal Society, arguing the group violated the university's affirmative action and nondiscrimination policies because it limited its membership to Christians.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, however, that the Christian Legal Society (CLS) chapter is likely to succeed in district court with its lawsuit alleging SIU violated the group's free-speech rights. The court also ruled that the student organization's requirement that its members abstain from extramarital sex is not discriminatory.

Attorney Brian Fahling of the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy (AFA Law Center) takes the position that SIU was engaging in viewpoint discrimination. He says the university is "punishing" the Christian Legal Society because it identified behavior and belief as being barriers to entry into its membership.

But Fahling argues, "If you force the Christian Legal Society to accept people who disagree with its tenets, then you've effectively eviscerated that membership in that particular club." And while that is problematic all by itself, he asserts, the administration also unfairly singled out the Christian group for discriminatory treatment.

"Interestingly enough," the pro-family attorney notes, "there's a bunch of clubs at SIU that do have discriminatory characteristics, and not inappropriate ones -- women's clubs, for instance, that just admit women, surprisingly enough; or Hispanic clubs that just admit Hispanics, surprisingly enough." Such groups' decision to define themselves through certain exclusions is appropriate, he contends, "because it preserves the character of those particular groups."

On the other hand, Fahling contends, to force groups to admit into membership those who do not subscribe to their beliefs or share their commitments and values deprives them of their identity and their freedom of association. "To require, for instance, a women's group to accept men," he says, "would defeat the very purpose of the group."

The Christian Legal Society has chapters in more than 1,100 cities across the United States. Fahling is commending the 7th Circuit for its ruling, which orders Southern Illinois University to grant the Christian group official student organization status.

Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.

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