An adjunct religion instructor barred from teaching by the University of Illinois after defending the Roman Catholic stance on homosexuality has been invited back to teach this fall.
Adjunct associate professor Kenneth Howell was reinstated today -- a day after the deadline when his lawyers said they would sue the university for violating his academic freedom if administrators failed to reinstate him.
Why was he fired?
Howell, who has taught on the Urbana-Champaign campus since 2001, was removed last month after explaining during class why the church believes that homosexual behavior violates natural moral law. He elaborated later in an e-mail that lawyers say circulated around campus, prompting one student to call it "hate speech."
"All I ask as your teacher is that you approach these questions as a thinking adult," Howell wrote. "That implies questioning what you have heard around you. Unless you have done extensive research into homosexuality and are cognizant of the history of moral thought, you are not ready to make judgments about moral truth in this matter. All I encourage is to make informed decisions."
His subsequent removal generated outcry from alumni and students, including a Save Dr. Ken Facebook page. On Thursday, the page was filled with posts celebrating victory.
Remember, if there is one group that is being persecuted today in Western society, it is traditional Christians. Radical Leftists are determined to eradicate all Christian influence from our society and our choice is either to abandon society to their tender mercies or stand and fight. Dr. Howell is to be commended for standing up to the thugs. However, this case is not over yet.
But the reinstatement is only temporary. It does not affect an ongoing faculty review, which has been investigating whether Howell's immediate removal violated his academic freedom or right to due process.
"We are going to be monitoring what happens now to make sure Ken Howell's academic freedom under the First Amendment is protected," Lorence said.
We will continue to follow this story and pray for a successful conclusion for Dr. Howell and the public witness of Christianity on the University of Illinois campus.
But, as this story and this one show, the fight is far from over as religious freedom continues to be under assault on university campuses.
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1 comment:
Isn't it amazing how people always give in to the complainer? One student complained so the guy was fired. A bunch of people complained so he was re-hired. We like to think we operate by principle, but we don't. It's all public image.
There are many more Howells out there who will need to be defended. I guess the thing is for Christians to stop taking it laying down.
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