The Scottish National Union of Students will vote tomorrow on whether to stop a Christian course on relationships from taking place on university and college campuses.
At Saturday's Annual Meeting of the Scottish NUS in Glasgow, a Private Members Motion will call on delegates to pass a resolution banning the Pure course on the basis that it is homophobic.
The course, run by Christian Unions, is based on the orthodox Christian teachings concerning marriage, and teaches the importance of fidelity in relationships. It has been run on campuses throughout Scotland over the past 18 months.
The Pure course was suspended from being taught on campus by Edinburgh University at the end of last year following claims by the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans-gendered Society that it was discriminatory and breached Equal Opportunities Policies.
However, the university, after examining the course, allowed the CU to continue to teach it on campus, rejecting the claims.
The NUS motion to be debated describes the Pure course as "a homophobic course that denounces homosexuality as 'sexually immoral', supports the suppression and 'healing' of homosexuality, and advises students with 'same sex impulses' to consult homophobic literature to attempt to cure them of their homosexual
tendencies".
However, Anna Shilliday, a Christian who supports the right of Christian students to meet and discuss the Bible's teaching on relationships, in the same way she defends the rights of all students, including gay groups, to hold seminars based on their beliefs, will speak against the motion on two grounds.
Miss Shilliday will tell delegates that approving such an amendment will make a "laughing stock" of the way NUS Conference resolutions are made, and that the claims of the motion are groundless.
In her speech she will say: "The motion calls for a ban on the Pure course, but there has been no official opportunity for delegates to hear proper representation from UCCF, or the course writers, or presenters.
