Graduate's speech crossed a delicate line

I admire Erica Corder's commitment to Jesus, and I commend her willingness to say so publicly. As one raised in an evangelical Protestant environment and continuing to live spiritually within that framework, I recognize what she tried to do and the guts it takes to do it.

For those of you who missed Monday's story in the Daily Herald, Corder was one of 15 students invited to give a 30-second valedictory address to the graduates and guests of her Colorado high school. Students gave their speeches at rehearsal and knew that part of the agreement was that they not change anything for the ceremony itself.

Corder's speech was the last one, and it included an invitation to study Jesus and his death on the cross for them and to "know him personally." The problem was that this invitation wasn't part of her rehearsal speech. She intentionally left that part out for fear that the principal would censor it.

After giving her speech Corder was told that unless she wrote a public apology she wouldn't receive her diploma. Feeling guilty for having put her principal in a difficult situation and fearing that she wouldn't be able to get into college without the diploma, Corder complied. Now a Wheaton College sophomore, she is back in the news because she is suing the high school for infringing on her First Amendment right to free speech.

As I said earlier, I admire her courage in standing up for her faith. I hope she continues to do so throughout her life. But despite the claims of Corder's lawsuit, this doesn't seem to me to be an issue of religious speech. Rather it is one of religious proselytizing.

One suburban Chicago principal has suggested that it might have been OK if Corder had just given her own personal story. It's when she invited others to join her that she crossed a delicate but very important line.

Suppose Corder was a Muslim, a Hindu, or even a Mormon. Would her supporters still be defending her, or would there have been screams of protest over the proselytizing?

She says she acted on what God was calling her to do. In my experience it's difficult to know what and when God is telling us to do something unless the teaching is clear and plain in the Bible.

I know nothing in the Scripture that says it's OK to deceive if it allows you to invite people to commit their lives to Jesus. The Bible does tell us that lying is wrong and that one who "rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted." (Rom. 13:2)

Scripture does contain examples of people who disobeyed civil authority because they were convinced that "we must obey God rather than man," but these were situations where the individuals didn't lie or deceive; they came right out and said what they were going to do.

No one knows how or even whether God might make his will known to another individual, but I have serious questions about whether it includes deceit and untruth. I hope Corder finds better ways of doing it in the future.