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Persecute
- To oppress or harass with ill-treatment
-The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition
If you are a church-going family with a kid in college or about to go to college, listen to Samantha Sullivan’s interview about a college incident that inspired her to write an article about her faith crisis – an experience shared by many other college students. This is the video of the podcast.
When we send our precious children away to college, paying $25K-$60K per year, we expect them to expand, challenge, and enrich their world view. We don’t expect their personal beliefs to be attacked by professors. In doing so, the professor is teaching the other students that religious persecution of Christians is acceptable. This would never happen if the student was Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. NEVER.
No one has the right to question your faith. No one.
The United States was built on the certitude of an individual’s right to practice her religion free of government intervention. This is different from establishing courts upholding Sharia Law over the U.S. Constitution and American laws or the Western world bowing to Islamic mandates infringing on freedom of speech and state and national laws in the post-Charlie Hebdo period.
Most colleges take money from the government. This means they must uphold basic Constitutional rights. The professor represents the college, which is an extension of the government via the federal funding. Therefore, Professor Z cannot “prohibit the free exercise of religion,” as stated in the First Amendment of The Bill of Rights.
To Arms
Prepare teenagers for questions and attacks on their faith by talking to them about the hostile-to-Christians environment or people they may encounter in college or elsewhere. Teens can practice verbalizing:
“Being a Christian is important to me because…”
“I don’t have to explain myself or my faith to you.”
“You don’t have the right to question my faith or persecute my religion.”
Make sure your kid is ready and knows his rights. He doesn’t have to be aggressive or defensive about it. But he should be prepared because he must handle the situation without you. One debate organization that specifically teaches homeschoolers to defend their faith is The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association. Logical thinking, public speaking, and debate are excellent tools for any youth going out into the wide world.
We love, nurture, and build our kids so they can go on and be their best selves and contribute to a stronger world. Keeping the Faith in college is a good place to start.
Note: : I am not religious but I will defend your religious freedom as a founding tenet of the United States of America.
Thought Ripples by Wendi 
[…] Religious persecution of Christians in colleges […]
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No-one has the right to question your faith?
Yes we do.
And no, you are not defending anybody from persecution here, just trying to take away academic freedom.
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No, you don’t. But thank you for your input! Academic freedom is important, you are right. But slamming Christians is not about academic freedom. Questioning and probing is not the same thing as denigrating. Did you watch the video or listen to the podcast? I don’t think you would attack a student’s religion the way Samantha Sullivan’s professor attacked, not challenged, hers. Sullivan was not upset about the professor questioning Christianity’s tenants or historical misuses; she was upset because she felt he was trying to extinguish his students’ belief in it. Those are completely separate things.
Professors do have the right to control how they want to teach their material. That does not always make them right. Samantha Sullivan also has the right to question her professor’s reasons for doing so and to be upset by them. Notice she did not try to get him fired from the university like other students who feel threatened by their course content or something the professor said. She brought the situation to light and shared her own story when many other students at other colleges and universities said the same thing happened to them. Again, she did not encourage anyone to try to get professors fired. She only wanted others to know they are not alone. I wanted parents to know it happens and for students to know religious persecution is never acceptable. Never.
Again, I do appreciate the feedback even if we disagree.
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