4 ms·

It gets worse: religious schools are exempt from this law: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=136A.657 https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statute

It gets worse: religious schools are exempt from this law: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=136A.657 https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=136A.657 Here's an index of the relevant statutes (scroll down to the 'MINNESOTA PRIVATE AND OUT-OF-STATE PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION ACT' section): https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=136A https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=136A

pdubs 14y ago
I'm pretty sure that's there to exempt things like seminaries. >Subd. 4.Statement required; religious nature. Any degree awarded upon completion of a religiously exempt program shall include descriptive language to make the religious nature of the award clear.
- jeremyhaberman 14y ago
  Good clarification, pdubs. It seems a university like St. John's might not be exempt, but its School of Theology might be. If true, it's still strange to me that school with a non-free graduate degree in liturgical studies would be exempt, but an online school offering free courses in science, business, history, etc. would not be exempt.
  - pdubs 14y ago
    I agree it's strange and I'm not sure how the letter of the law is being applied to Coursera, but it seems like this wouldn't even let a qualifying religious program give a B.A. or B.S. in Theology, more you'd be able to get a "certificate of congrats you can be a minister for our church". Also protects VBS and confirmation class type courses.
  - protomyth 14y ago
    Liturgical studies by a religious organization are specifically protected under the the 1st Amendment[1][2]. Schooling has been a state domain for a very long time (look at Texas and California's influence on textbooks). The regulating of schools does not violate the US or MN constitution. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_(Bill_of_Rights) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_(Bill_of_Rights) [2] consumer protection law and religious organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantwell_v._Connecticut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantwell_v._Connecticut
protomyth 14y ago
That would be the basic "state cannot regulate a religious seminary" clause. It would be a 1st amendment case that the state would lose. I find that good not worse.
SilasX 14y ago
This could get interesting! "You are hereby granted a Coursera certificate of mastery under the Church of Knowledge. This is religious."
- Turing_Machine 14y ago
  That's how the university system originally got started, right? :-)
tete 14y ago
> It gets worse: some schools are exempt from this law Actually that's a good thing.

pdubs 14y ago

I'm pretty sure that's there to exempt things like seminaries. >Subd. 4.Statement required; religious nature. Any degree awarded upon completion of a religiously exempt program shall include descriptive language to make the religious nature of the award clear.

jeremyhaberman 14y ago
Good clarification, pdubs. It seems a university like St. John's might not be exempt, but its School of Theology might be. If true, it's still strange to me that school with a non-free graduate degree in liturgical studies would be exempt, but an online school offering free courses in science, business, history, etc. would not be exempt.
- pdubs 14y ago
  I agree it's strange and I'm not sure how the letter of the law is being applied to Coursera, but it seems like this wouldn't even let a qualifying religious program give a B.A. or B.S. in Theology, more you'd be able to get a "certificate of congrats you can be a minister for our church". Also protects VBS and confirmation class type courses.
- protomyth 14y ago
  Liturgical studies by a religious organization are specifically protected under the the 1st Amendment[1][2]. Schooling has been a state domain for a very long time (look at Texas and California's influence on textbooks). The regulating of schools does not violate the US or MN constitution. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_(Bill_of_Rights) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_(Bill_of_Rights) [2] consumer protection law and religious organization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantwell_v._Connecticut http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantwell_v._Connecticut

protomyth 14y ago

That would be the basic "state cannot regulate a religious seminary" clause. It would be a 1st amendment case that the state would lose. I find that good not worse.

SilasX 14y ago

This could get interesting! "You are hereby granted a Coursera certificate of mastery under the Church of Knowledge. This is religious."

Turing_Machine 14y ago
That's how the university system originally got started, right? :-)

tete 14y ago

> It gets worse: some schools are exempt from this law Actually that's a good thing.