Contact: Sheryl Young, Media Outreach Coordinator, Ratio Christi, sherylyoung@ratiochristi.org, 813-968-9587

ERIE, Penn., May 7, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rutgers student Isaac Woodward, campus chapter president for Ratio Christi, was interviewed on May 6, 2014 on Fox News' Kelly File.

Campus protests were taking place by students objecting to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice being a speaker for this year's commencement ceremony. As media coverage of the protesters with inflammatory posters and chants expanded, Rice voluntarily cancelled her appearance to the dismay of students who wanted to hear her speak.

Woodward's club, Ratio Christi, studies how to defend a belief in Christianity through historical, philosophical, and scientific reasons. There are nearly 140 chapters of Ratio Christi at colleges and universities.

Woodward stated that a large portion of the student body had looked forward to hearing Rice. "This is another example in a chronicle of liberal intolerance. When you get to campus, you realize there's a certain set of political beliefs which are okay to espouse, and which are not… e-mails from faculty members encouraging teach-ins representing one side of the issue, so you come away knowing what you should believe and what you shouldn't. But it's a real tragedy that we didn't get to hear an accomplished woman."

The opposing viewpoint was represented by student Carmelo Cintron Vivas, the "No Rice Campaign" media spokesperson.

Vivas told Kelly this wasn't about Rice being conservative or liberal. "We believe Rice should not receive an honorary law degree because we believe she participated in the Bush administration's permissive torture in Iraq," he claimed.

Vivas added that the objecting students only resorted to open protests on campus because they had been unable to get a meeting with campus authorities to consider cancelling Rice.

Kelly asked Vivas if he was aware that Rice was never included in the charges brought up against other members of the Bush administration, and asked him, "Is it possible that Rice is just guilty in your head?" He asserted his belief that Rice should be investigated.

Ratio Christi's Woodward contributed, "Some students agree [with perspective speakers' views], some disagree… there's a realm of civil discourse… if we are a society that has the ability to exchange ideas, and students get a chance to hear those they disagree with, that's an expanding exercise. It's sad that some peoples' political views have denied the rest of us the privilege of hearing her."

"Isaac Woodward had just received our Legatus Christi award, which is Latin for Ambassador of Christ," said Ratio Christi President, Rick Schenker. "We are proud of him and the entire Rutgers Ratio Christi team. Reasonable discourse with gentleness and respect is one of our most important values," added Schenker.

Ratio Christi is the fastest growing grassroots apologetics organization in the country. Our campus groups provide a charitable venue for atheists, skeptics, and adherents to any religion to investigate Christianity, discuss religious beliefs, and seek truth without fearing reprisal.