Moral Vacuity at Moralistic Colleges

Carl Trueman reports about a scandalous bellwether at an Evangelical College:

For anyone wondering how traditional Christianity is going to fare in the culture in future, even within many Christian institutions, the disturbing tale of Dr. Bradley Nassif, formerly of North Park University, an institution formally connected to the theologically conservative Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), offers an interesting case in point.

Dr. Nassif, an Orthodox scholar and well-respected theologian is also a generous contributor to ecumenical dialogs between Protestantism, Orthodoxy. Such is his standing that the Washington Post consulted him for commentary on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for religious liberty. He is an American Lebanese citizen and a member of an ethno minority. He was the last Orthodox tenured faculty member at an American evangelical institution’s Bible department. However, none of these factors protected him against being fired.

In May 2021, North Park University (NPU) discontinued its Christian Studies Department (CSD) due to low enrollment, and consequently dismissed four tenured faculty, including Dr. Nassif. An outside investigation revealed that CSD had strong financial standing. While three of the professors were hired again, Dr. Nassif was not. His courses are now taught by adjunct faculty.

The reason is not hard to understand. All of this happened because Nassif held his rational, orthodox views about marriage and sexuality. CSD’s only faculty member who supported the ECC views on marriage and sexuality and stated that these should be taught in curriculum was Nassif. Some faculty members and administrators responded with hostility to his views. This stance on sexuality was a major reason he was fired.

These are not empty claims, Trueman clarifies. The documentation is there. It seems clear that Brad Nassif got fired for supporting the views of his university’s sponsoring church on homosexuality. Trueman points out that NPU ruined this man while his wife, who is suffering from stage 4 lung cancer, was also dying. The leadership at North Park University is a group of fine Christians. Trueman points out that this is the new order in which we live.

Under this regime, you can indulge in the lazy and sophomoric practice of dismissing a man from an ethnic minority [Nassif is Arab — RD] as being “white” merely because you do not like his views. While claiming to be a Christian institution, you can refuse Christian sexuality teaching a place on the curriculum. You can even do this without any consequences, possibly with applause from the wider culture.

Pluralists who are good-faith should be aware that this new regime does not adhere to the Enlightenment principles for fair play and tolerance. They are cynical disguises of power and privilege. It isn’t aware that the rhetorical DEI mask it wears is much more cynical than its privileges, and is therefore not able to recognize this. It is always shifting the goalposts. The status of an ethnic minority or religion can make a difference in how important or irrelevant one is, depending on the opinions and actions of those who are ruling. As Dr. Nassif discovered, it’s a volatile game with few rules.

Meanwhile, ultrawoke Oberlin University lost its appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court over a $36 million judgment against it for its part in destroying a beloved local family business with false accusations that it was a nest of Kluckers. Lorna Gibson asks, “Will I ever see the $36 million Oberlin owes me?” Excerpt:

David met with the President of the school, along with other administrators, to try to get Oberlin to retract its baseless claims that we were racist, and to quell the small group of students who, in their passion, had gotten us so wrong. Oberlin refused to issue a statement and let the public believe we were “racist” even though the students had pleaded guilty.

Instead, Oberlin proposed that a future deal would allow students to shoplift and instead of calling the police, they could call the dean. Both my husband and his father believe that all people should be treated equally. So they turned down the offer. Eventually, in 2017, we felt that we had no choice other than filing a lawsuit against Oberlin (for libel, among other things) because David’s 89-year-old father, who had dedicated his life to the business, did not want to die being falsely branded a racist.

Things were already falling apart by the start of the trial. It was impossible to make payroll so half the employees were fired and our hours cut back. My father-in law, who delivered bagel to college until he was in his 80s, used to love to spend the day outside the shop talking to anyone passing by. His presence was an enduring fixture of the local community. He would sit out on the street for hours after hearing about the college’s business, and no one would speak to him. He and I were both hurt. It was not only wrong to call us racists, but it was also deeply hurtful.

Now their business has been ruined. Moreover, woke Oberlin has an endowment of a billion dollars and still refuses to pay them. Progressive means not having to apologize, even if those you have wronged were white.