Wednesday, January 06, 2016

"The Inquisition Is Strong, Here"

She took them at their word, assumed "Liberal" meant that the college was willing to accept "liberal" view points.

And now they threaten her with either revocation of her tenure, or with a coldly dismissive of removal from her academic position.

Why do I distrust Liberals?
Because they lie.
A professor at a Chicago-area Christian college said Wednesday that administrators were wrong in taking steps to fire her after she asserted that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
Larycia Hawkins told reporters she met with Wheaton College administrators several times and provided statements explaining her beliefs, which she believes are line up with the college's mission. She said she was initially told further discussion wasn't needed but college officials then changed requirements, saying her tenure would be revoked while she would have to participate in two years of conversations.
Why would this even be an issue at a "Liberal Arts" College?

Wheaton College - Google Search: Wheaton College  Liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton College is a private American four-year Evangelical Protestant Christian liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb 25 miles west of Chicago. The college was founded by abolitionists in 1860. Wikipedia
Oh.  I see it now.  "Evangelical Protestant Christian" and "Liberal Arts" are terms challenged by this situation, and the whole "LIBERAL" thing loses.

Big time.

Me?  I'm a Conservative ... and judging by the implied definition of the word "LIBERAL", there's not a Liberal bone in my body.
Still .....



I spent a lot of time in college, in a Liberal environment, and I had the distinct impression that the word "LIBERAL" meant:


adjective


1.
favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2.
(often initial capital letternoting or pertaining to a political party advocating 
measures of progressive political reform.
3.
of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalismespecially the freedom of
the individual and governmental guarantees of individual rights and liberties.
4.
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil 
liberties.
5.
favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of 
personal belief or expression:
a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6.
of or relating to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies 
and monarchies.
7.
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant:
a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
(Sorry ... copy-and-paste doesn't always preserve the edited version in a BLOG environment)

Apparently, in the arcane situation endemic to American Academia, the word LIBERAL means ...
..... whatever they want it to mean.

It certainly does NOT mean that "you are free to speak your mind, regardless of whether we agree with you!"

CF: First Amendment

First Amendment - Religion and Expression. 
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That's it for Congress, but apparently Liberal Arts / Religious Colleges are making it up as they go along.  Because .. they can.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

For once I am a little confused by your thesis. Are you claiming that the modern liberal university welcomes so called conservative and/or diverse and wide ranging thought, speech and discourse?