Rights_NN2 and_CC Religion_NN1 Clash_NN1 in_II Court_NN1 The_AT Supreme_JJ Court_NN1 on_II Monday_NPD1 agreed_VVD to_TO hear_VVI an_AT1 appeal_NN1 from_II a_AT1 Christian_JJ student_NN1 group_NN1 that_CST had_VHD been_VBN denied_VVN recognition_NN1 by_II a_AT1 public_JJ law_NN1 school_NN1 in_II California_NP1 for_IF excluding_VVG homosexuals_NN2 and_CC nonbelievers_VVZ ._. 
The_AT case_NN1 pits_NN2 anti-discrimination_JJ principles_NN2 against_II religious_JJ freedom_NN1 ._. 
The_AT group_NN1 ,_, the_AT Christian_JJ Legal_JJ Society_NN1 ,_, says_VVZ it_PPH1 welcomes_VVZ all_DB students_NN2 to_TO participate_VVI in_II its_APPGE activities_NN2 ._. 
But_CCB it_PPH1 does_VDZ not_XX allow_VVI students_NN2 to_TO become_VVI voting_NN1 members_NN2 or_CC to_TO assume_VVI leadership_NN1 positions_NN2 unless_CS they_PPHS2 affirm_VV0 what_DDQ the_AT group_NN1 calls_VVZ orthodox_JJ Christian_JJ beliefs_NN2 and_CC disavow_VV0 "_" unrepentant_JJ participation_NN1 in_II or_CC advocacy_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 sexually_RR immoral_JJ lifestyle_NN1 ._. "_" 
Such_DA a_AT1 lifestyle_NN1 ,_, the_AT group_NN1 says_VVZ ,_, includes_VVZ "_" sexual_JJ conduct_NN1 outside_II21 of_II22 marriage_NN1 between_II a_AT1 man_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 woman_NN1 ._. "_" 
The_AT law_NN1 school_NN1 ,_, Hastings_NP1 College_NN1 of_IO the_AT Law_NN1 in_II San_NP1 Francisco_NP1 ,_, part_NN1 of_IO the_AT University_NN1 of_IO California_NP1 ,_, allows_VVZ some_DD 60_MC recognized_JJ student_NN1 groups_NN2 to_TO use_VVI meeting_NN1 space_NN1 ,_, bulletin_NN1 boards_NN2 and_CC the_AT like_JJ so_RG long_RR as_CSA they_PPHS2 agree_VV0 to_II a_AT1 policy_NN1 that_CST forbids_VVZ discrimination_NN1 on_II various_JJ grounds_NN2 ,_, including_II religion_NN1 and_CC sexual_JJ orientation_NN1 ._. 
The_AT school_NN1 withdrew_VVD recognition_NN1 from_II the_AT Christian_JJ group_NN1 after_CS it_PPH1 refused_VVD to_TO comply_VVI with_IW the_AT policy_NN1 ._. 
The_AT United_NP1 States_NP1 Court_NN1 of_IO Appeals_NN2 for_IF the_AT Ninth_MD Circuit_NN1 ,_, in_II San_NP1 Francisco_NP1 ,_, ruled_VVN in_II31 favor_II32 of_II33 Hastings_NP1 in_II March_NPM1 ._. 
"_" Hastings_NP1 imposes_VVZ an_AT1 open_JJ membership_NN1 rule_NN1 on_II all_DB student_NN1 groups_NN2 --_NN1 all_DB groups_NN2 must_VM accept_VVI all_DB comers_NN2 as_CSA voting_VVG members_NN2 even_CS21 if_CS22 those_DD2 individuals_NN2 disagree_VV0 with_IW the_AT mission_NN1 of_IO the_AT group_NN1 ,_, "_" a_AT1 three-judge_JJ panel_NN1 of_IO the_AT court_NN1 said_VVD in_II a_AT1 brief_JJ unsigned_JJ decision_NN1 ._. 
"_" The_AT conditions_NN2 on_II recognition_NN1 are_VBR therefore_RR viewpoint_NN1 neutral_JJ and_CC reasonable_JJ ._. "_" 
Three_MC years_NNT2 earlier_RRR ,_, the_AT Seventh_MD Circuit_NN1 ,_, in_II Chicago_NP1 ,_, ruled_VVN to_II the_AT contrary_NN1 in_II a_AT1 case_NN1 involving_VVG a_AT1 different_JJ chapter_NN1 of_IO the_AT same_DA group_NN1 at_II an_AT1 Illinois_NP1 law_NN1 school_NN1 ._. 
"_" It_PPH1 would_VM be_VBI very_RG difficult_JJ for_IF C.L.S_NP1 ._. 
to_II sincerely_RR and_CC effectively_RR convey_VV0 a_AT1 message_NN1 of_IO disapproval_NN1 of_IO certain_JJ types_NN2 of_IO conduct_NN1 if_CS ,_, at_II the_AT same_DA time_NNT1 ,_, it_PPH1 must_VM accept_VVI members_NN2 who_PNQS engage_VV0 in_II that_DD1 conduct_NN1 ,_, "_" Judge_NP1 Diane_NP1 S._NP1 Sykes_NP1 wrote_VVD for_IF the_AT majority_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 divided_JJ three-judge_JJ panel_NN1 ._. 
"_" C.L.S_NP1 ._. 's_GE beliefs_NN2 about_II sexual_JJ morality_NN1 are_VBR among_II its_APPGE defining_JJ values_NN2 ;_; forcing_VVG it_PPH1 to_TO accept_VVI as_CSA members_NN2 those_DD2 who_PNQS engage_VV0 in_RP or_CC approve_VV0 of_IO homosexual_JJ conduct_NN1 would_VM cause_VVI the_AT group_NN1 as_CSA it_PPH1 currently_RR identifies_VVZ itself_PPX1 to_TO cease_VVI to_TO exist_VVI ._. "_" 
Judge_VV0 Diane_NP1 P._NP1 Wood_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS was_VBDZ on_II many_DA2 short_JJ lists_NN2 for_IF the_AT most_RGT recent_JJ Supreme_JJ Court_NN1 vacancy_NN1 ,_, dissented_VVD ,_, saying_VVG she_PPHS1 would_VM have_VHI struck_VVN the_AT balance_NN1 in_II31 favor_II32 of_II33 anti-discrimination_JJ principles_NN2 ._. 
"_" Given_CS21 that_CS22 universities_NN2 have_VH0 a_AT1 compelling_JJ interest_NN1 in_II obtaining_VVG diverse_JJ student_NN1 bodies_NN2 ,_, "_" Judge_NP1 Wood_NP1 wrote_VVD ,_, "_" requiring_VVG a_AT1 university_NN1 to_TO include_VVI exclusionary_JJ groups_NN2 might_VM undermine_VVI their_APPGE ability_NN1 to_TO attain_VVI such_DA diversity_NN1 ._. "_" 
The_AT question_NN1 of_IO how_RRQ to_TO reconcile_VVI anti-discrimination_JJ principles_NN2 with_IW religious_JJ freedom_NN1 in_II the_AT context_NN1 of_IO public_JJ higher_JJR education_NN1 "_" is_VBZ a_AT1 recurring_JJ and_CC pervasive_JJ national_JJ problem_NN1 ,_, "_" the_AT student_NN1 group_NN1 told_VVD the_AT justices_NN2 in_II a_AT1 brief_JJ urging_VVG them_PPHO2 to_TO hear_VVI the_AT case_NN1 ,_, Christian_JJ Legal_JJ Society_NN1 v._II Martinez_NP1 ,_, 08-1371_MCMC ._. 
Americans_NN2 United_JJ for_IF Separation_NN1 of_IO Church_NN1 and_CC State_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ had_VHD filed_VVN a_AT1 brief_JJ supporting_VVG the_AT law_NN1 school_NN1 in_II the_AT Ninth_MD Circuit_NN1 ,_, issued_VVD a_AT1 statement_NN1 on_II Monday_NPD1 urging_VVG the_AT Supreme_JJ Court_NN1 to_TO rule_VVI in_II31 favor_II32 of_II33 the_AT law_NN1 school_NN1 ._. 
"_" Groups_NN2 that_CST wish_VV0 to_TO engage_VVI in_II discrimination_NN1 should_VM not_XX expect_VVI public_JJ subsidies_NN2 ,_, "_" said_VVD the_AT Rev._NNB Barry_NP1 W._NP1 Lynn_NP1 ,_, the_AT organization_NN1 's_GE executive_NN1 director_NN1 ._. 
