While they may just seem like insignificant pieces of printed material displayed on food service tables, table tents with religious content have sparked some debate at Iowa State.

Some students have expressed disapproval of the table tents promoting various Christian groups and churches not directly affiliated with the university.

“There are a lot of people on campus that are not Christian and [displaying Christian table tents] does not contribute to a very welcoming environment for them,” said Ben Gran, sophomore in liberal arts and sciences.

Gran said he considered a recent table tent promoting the Stonebrook Community Church “inappropriate.”

He said the table tent featured a list titled “The Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus is Better than Beer” that encouraged students to come to the church.

Other religious table tents Gran said he has seen promote the Christian groups Campus Crusade for Christ and the Salt Company.

“If the university is going to have an approved table tent, that’s like an endorsement,” Gran said. “You don’t see a lot of table tents around for Buddhism or Islam.”

Joe Taylor, junior in biology, said other non-Christian religious groups have the same opportunities to put up table tents.

“I think you have to recognize that the body of Christians is greater than that of Muslims or Buddhists, and it shouldn’t be a surprise,” Taylor said.

According to table tent guidelines issued by the Department of Residence, all table tents must obtain an “approval stamp.”

The table tent guidelines sheet outlines three acceptable categories for table tents. Every day, a maximum of three table tents, one in each of three different categories, may be displayed.

The guidelines sheet states that one table tent is allowed from a “recognized Iowa State University department or organization.”

Other tents may be from the “Department of Residence offices or the Inter-Residence Hall Association government and its sponsored organizations.” And a third category includes tents from “the Complex Office or complex student government and its sponsored organizations.”

Carol Petersen, food service manager at Friley Hall, said she had not heard of any specific complaints from students regarding the Christian table tents. However, she said the Christian table tents do promote organizations “not directly affiliated” with the university.

Petersen said the person responsible for approving table tents is Secretary Larry Tonderum. Tonderum declined to comment about his standards for approving table tents.

In the past, Petersen said there have been complaints regarding the table tents, but most have occurred during Government of the Student Body elections when tents were removed too soon or kept too long.

She said the Department of Residence never receives money from organizations to place table tents, and that the groups are just required to pay the cost of printing.

Ryan Lemke, senior in agricultural studies, said he believes the Department of Residence’s rules for putting up table tents are “strict.”

He said members on his floor in Friley Hall requested to put up table tents promoting their house party, but they were rejected.

“They told us that if we did it, then everyone else should be able to do it, too, and we’d just have tables full of table tents,” Lemke said. “I don’t know how [Christian groups] got their table tents up and we didn’t. It’s a bad deal, but there ain’t much you can do about it.”

Some ISU students said they don’t feel the table tents cross the line between church and state.

“I think the clause about separation of church and state deals more with not allowing religion to be forced upon you, and that’s certainly not what a table tent will do,” Taylor said. “Table tents are just a medium for advertising; they’re certainly not trying to push anything on you.”

Missy Conley, sophomore in construction engineering, also said she does not think the table tents are inappropriate.

“I think separation of church and state should be in the classroom. We’re just eating down here,” she said. “It’s good churches have [table tents] out there because otherwise, students might not know what the church can do for them.”