Does Anyone Remember Professor Larycia Hawkins


Back in 2015 a young tenured professor at the Christian Wheaton College put a message on Face Book. She wanted to reassure her Muslim friends she viewed them as her friends and equals. Her said she would  wear the Muslim hijab to show her respect, appreciation and affection. She used the language of religion, Christian scriptures, to convey her thoughts. Her world came shattering down. 

The idea of tenure at universities is to ensure professors do not get fired for political reasons. A certain amount of this academic freedom is even required in Christian schools like Wheaton to retain accreditation. But her tenure was no match for angry evangelicals including, I would guess, some big Wheaton donors. She was fired.

I remember her case was all over the internet. Fortunately, a quite prestigious university quickly offered her a good position where she remains. 

Wheaton does not represent all Christian universities, there no doubt are some crazier than it is. Nevertheless, Wheaton represents what is fearsome about the faith. Christianity includes zealots that will destroy people and institutions to achieve their ends. Along with anti abortion zealots, anti Muslim zealots help to reduce the numbers of Christians.

Around the same time as the Professor Hawkins fiasco, an older student and friend of mine at NDSU was taking a course in comparative cultures. The professor asked students to come up with their own ideas and create experiences that brought out cultural bias and expression. My friend, an attractive young woman, decided to wear a hijab while going about her regular student life. 

Originally she had planned to wear the hijab a few days and keep a journal of how people reacted. She had to cut short the time, however, because the jeers and taunts were more than she could handle.  To NDSU's credit no administers criticized her or her professor.

Right now would be a good time for a broad swath of the faith to step forward and say Christianity is tolerant of trans sexual, all gender orientations, all races and all views of abortion.  

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