By Mike S. Adams
July 17, 2002

(AgapePress) - Although I was a liberal and an agnostic when I began teaching at UNC-Wilmington, I was taken aback by the prevalence of anti-Christian sentiment as well as the degree of comfort professors felt in expressing it both inside and outside the classroom. Over the years, I have heard students complain about professors calling Christianity a “violent religion” or telling their students who believe the Bible that they have a “problem” because evolution is a “proven theory.” Others baldly label Biblical objections to homosexuality as a form of “bigotry” or a “phobia” implying a need for either sensitivity training or psychotherapy.

While I have learned to question student accounts of what transpires in the classroom, I have seen enough of this sentiment firsthand to know that it cannot be dismissed. Indeed, anyone who visits our campus can see that some professors proudly adorn their office doors with emblems showing a “Darwin fish” swallowing a “Jesus fish” or bumper stickers saying “homophobia is a social disease.” The messages are clear. Evolution is true. Christianity is false. Homosexuals are normal. People who believe Leviticus are sick.

Far more important than what goes on professors’ doors is what goes on behind closed doors in university recruitment meetings. In my department, I have heard professors object to job candidates because they “seemed too religious” (for attending the Catholic University) or they “seemed like too much of a family man” (for attending Brigham Young). One professor had the audacity to criticize faith-based initiatives with the comment that “he didn’t want his tax dollars going to the f---ing church.” That statement was uttered while he was having lunch with a job candidate.

The comments of individual professors are even less disturbing than the dominant themes emanating from the various programs and centers which have been inspired by the broader “diversity” movement in academia. For example, the Women’s Resource Center at UNC-Wilmington urges pregnant students to seek the counsel of Planned Parenthood, while systematically blocking the efforts of pro-life groups to make their counseling services available. The Women’s Center at UNC-Chapel Hill uses university resources to organize political action campaigns to preserve the legality of partial-birth abortion. Their mass political e-mails describe the phrase "partial-birth abortion" as an “inflammatory term invented by the right wing.” Christians who object to abortion are either ignored or portrayed as dangerous extremists.

More recently, universities have hosted seminars intended to promote sensitivity to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons. I recently attended one of those seminars at UNCW where two cross-dressers instructed the audience on ways to avoid offending people who routinely switch back and forth between being a man and a woman. One cross-dresser informed the audience that some of these people are not gay. He/she added that the heterosexual cross-dressers think they are better than the gay cross-dressers because “they’re like the Catholics who think they’re the only ones going to heaven.” So much for offending the Catholics.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, a six-month study initiated by the Provost concluded that an Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer-Identified (LGBTQ) Life and Study was needed. Furthermore, the need to tolerate and even “embrace the diversity” created by LGBTQ people was stressed. The study also described UNC-Chapel Hill as “behind the times” because students are not allowed to major in “queer studies.” [See Related Article]

The recent decision requiring incoming UNC freshman to read a Muslim devotional entitled Approaching the Qurán comes as no surprise to those of us who have been paying attention to the diversity movement. After years of focusing on race, gender, and sexual orientation, the movement finally decided to become involved in religious matters by embracing Islam last September. [See Related Article]

Christians should welcome this new prong of the diversity agenda by making their presence known on campus. Students, professors, and staff should begin to wear jewelry and T-shirts adorned with crosses. If the administration makes any disparaging remarks, they should be reminded of their commitment to cross-dressing. Wherever “gay friendly” rainbow stickers are found on professor’s doors, “Christian friendly” stickers could be made and placed beside them.

Perhaps the different themes of the diversity movement could eventually be brought together with a lecture series on the lack of queer studies programs in Islamic nations. If those are well attended, maybe there could be whole courses on the status of the feminist movement in the Middle East. If the courses fill up, we could petition to have next year’s freshmen read a book about the role of Christianity in the abolition of slavery.

For too long, Christians have been complaining bitterly about the current climate on college campuses. But getting angry at the patently absurd solves nothing. We must respond with both reason and ridicule, in proper balance. Only then will we lift the veil on dogmatism disguised as diversity.