Freshman John Bundy wanted to join Kappa Upsilon Chi, a Christian fraternity on campus.
But he was denied admission because he is Mormon.
"They did all the things fraternities do, but they're centered around Christ," he said. "I was really interested in the student organization because they did retreats and services in the community."
Mark Nelson, president of the UNM chapter of Kappa Upsilon Chi, said Bundy's faith doesn't fit with the fraternity's members.
"The basic requirement for members is that they have faith in Jesus Christ as their savior and they follow Biblical theology," Nelson said. "We follow the Bible alone as scripture. The (Church of Latter Day Saints) follows the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon."
Kappa Upsilon Chi is a national fraternity with 14 chapters in seven states. However, since it is chartered through the Student Activities Center, it's not part of the Inter-Fraternity Council and not subject to its rules and regulations.
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There is no regulation about religious discrimination on the UNM student activities Web site, but all student organizations must abide by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which says discrimination based on race, color, or national origin is prohibited.
Director of Student Activities Debbie Morris said Kappa Upsilon Chi and other faith-based fraternities and sororities are under scrutiny at colleges across the country.
She said the groups are aware of the Civil Rights Act, but they claim they have the right to associate under the First Amendment.
"Those are two conflicting areas of law that come into play," she said. "It is very complex - which right supersedes the other."
Morris said many universities are involved in lawsuits with these faith-based groups. She declined to comment on UNM's stance.
Bundy said he was disappointed to be denied the opportunity to meet fellow students and participate in their activities.
"They said we could still be friends," he said. "It seems like since they are the Christian organization, they should accept all the different branches of Christianity."
Brent Webster, head of the national chapter of Kappa Upsilon Chi, said the UNM branch was right in its actions.
"The statement of beliefs is what we ask every member to agree to be part of the organization," he said. "We require people not only to believe in those but also to be pursuing a relationship with Christ."
Webster said Mormons do not fit these requirements, but Baptists, Catholics and Methodists do.
"What Mormons believe is not a traditional Christian belief," he said. "We have different Christian denominations in our fraternity. There are doctrinal differences between the denominations, but we hold the same traditional beliefs."
Bundy has other options for getting involved with his fellow students on campus, Webster said.
"Our organization is a big fan of religious freedom, so we would encourage this young man to maybe start a Mormon fraternity at UNM," he said.
