Godsey called the Georgia Baptist Convention's decision in November -- to severe ties with the university by pulling scholarship funds for Baptist students -- an action based on frustration over a lack of control, rather than the publicized issue of homosexuality. [   ]

"The abuse of the university in the Christian Index was unwarranted and uncivil, and our critics know it," said Godsey, referring to a cover story in the GBC-owned newspaper just prior to the November meeting.

The story focused on a meeting of the Mercer Triangle Symposium held on what is nationally promoted by homosexual advocates as "Coming Out Day."

"Did Mercer have a "coming-out day?" asked Godsey. "The answer is no. This nation has a "coming-out day."

Godsey said some Mercer students held a forum -- "not a novel idea at a university" -- to discuss sexual orientation. "What better place to discuss such issues?" Godsey asked. "Otherwise, we leave such conversations to the backrooms and hallways."

Godsey said he would rather students dialogue about gay and lesbian issues in a university forum than get their information from the Internet and Will and Grace. The stated purpose of the symposium, he added, was "to provide an open forum for issues related to sexuality."

While the university has a different role than the church, Godsey said, Mercer is "keenly aware of our church constituency." However, said Godsey, "our students will be permitted to discuss sexuality. We're more freeing than some churches."

The university, he added, will act with respect and civility toward all persons. He suggested that Mercer has "about the same percentage of gay students ... as you have as members of your congregations." [    ]

Godsey said he is very grateful for what Georgia Baptists have done in creating and supporting Mercer, but described current leaders as "walking around in three days of darkness."

Excerpts from the second article focusing on Bill Underwood, the incoming president of Mercer:

Underwood likewise defended the liberty of conscience in academia, saying Mercer must be willing to challenge the "prevailing orthodoxy."

"If we are to be a great Christian university, we cannot be afraid to pursue the course of truth, wherever that course might lead," he said. "Indeed, if our pursuit of truth leads us to question our existing view of God, it may just be that God is trying to tell us something."

In the past, he said, prevailing Christian orthodoxy defended both a flat earth and slavery using the Bible.

"How many other beliefs, at one time firmly held as true, have been proven false with the passage of time? What so-called 'truths' that we hold dear today will the passage of time prove false? And how will we know if we accept what others have declared as orthodox without question? What this means is that our faculty and students must be free to discuss, advocate and debate ideas that are controversial, even ideas that challenge prevailing viewpoints."

Underwood, who served as Baylor's interim president, said he disagreed with his predecessor's decision threatening to expel students who wrote an editorial arguing a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

"I too disagreed with the students' viewpoint, but I disagreed even more with the reaction of our president," he said. "The president's reaction ended any further discussion. And our academic community lost a valuable opportunity to gain new insights through an intellectually rigorous examination of the issue."