Opposition to BCM/Baylor University Merger

We, as students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), state our opposition to a merger between BCM and Baylor University (BU). Our position is based on the grounds that the mission of BU is incongruous with that of BCM. As BU is a religion-affiliated institution that promotes values and teachings from religious beliefs throughout its ranks, we cannot overlook the restrictive influence that this potential merger would have on BCM, a leading biomedical research-oriented college. The religious ideologies that permeate throughout BU's academic policies may adversely affect both scientific progress and the culture at BCM, particularly in relation to issues such as evolution, embryonic stem cells, and sexual orientation. While we respect everyone's right to religion in his or her own life, we believe that science and medicine must be separate from religion, and urge you to reject any such merger.

We thank you for your time, and hope that you will consider our position.