Christian Discrimination in Academia
Posted: September 25th, 2007, 10:53 am
Since we have a number of academic folks on the board, I share with you this from the Chronicle of Higher Learning that I stumbled across while working today.
Some Evangelicals Find the Campus Climate Chilly — but Is That About Faith, or Politics?Click Here for Full Story
By THOMAS BARTLETT
He thought he had a good chance. Last year Mike S. Adams, an associate professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, applied for a promotion to full professor. He had been at the university for 13 years. In that time, he had published 10 peer-reviewed papers and won three teaching awards. Not that there weren't bumps along the way, but his record, he believed, was better than most.
So when he was turned down, Mr. Adams started asking questions. The official word was that he hadn't measured up in any of the three crucial categories — teaching, publishing, or service. He didn't believe that for a minute. The real reason he wasn't promoted, according to Mr. Adams, is that he's a Christian.
Are Christian professors discriminated against? Absolutely, says David A. French, director of the Center for Academic Freedom at the Alliance Defense Fund, whose stated mission is to "aggressively defend religious liberty." The center is suing the university on behalf of Mr. Adams. "I certainly get reports of discrimination from evangelical professors," Mr. French says. "Most of them want to remain confidential." What's unusual about Mr. Adams, according to Mr. French, is not that he was treated unfairly, but that he was willing to speak out.