WATERLOO, ONT. -- The rejection of a group representing atheists and other "freethinkers" as a campus club at Wilfrid Laurier University has touched off a firestorm on the Internet.
Angry e-mails and at least 19 blogs, some with international readership, are condemning the decision.
Writers professing "atheism, agnosticism, humanism, or just general non-belief" are blasting the university's students' union for intolerance toward people with no religious affiliation, said Anatolijs Venovcevs, co-founder of Laurier Freethought Alliance.
The writers are particularly incensed that religious groups have campus club status.
"It has been so widespread, so rampant, so angry. Honestly, I did not ... expect it to be blown up to this proportion," said Mr. Venovcevs, adding he's "sickened" by the response.
"Many of them started writing hate mail to people in administrative positions, which is insane."
However, both Mr. Venovcevs, 20, and an executive of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union, which oversees and funds campus clubs, say it's all a misunderstanding.
Both sides believed, erroneously, that the other was showing intolerance, they said.
Now, it's agreed that if the group agrees to be open to every student regardless of belief or non-belief, the campus club executive will reconsider, said Sanjay Ojjo, the students' union vice-president of finance and administration.
"The clubs are funded by the students' union, which is funded by the students," Mr. Ojjo said. "So clubs are open and accepting of all."
Mr. Venovcevs said his group resubmitted its application yesterday with the addition.
