Wisdom does not necessarily come with age.
Two of Michigan's oldest academic institutions are showing nothing but stubbornness when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Rather than endorse healthy academic debate, Hope College of Holland, Michigan and Calvin College of Grand Rapids, Michigan--my home state--are playing 'hear-no-evil-see-no-evil,' when it comes to exploring viewpoints that may differ from the established.
Calvin College--a Christian Reformed Church institution--this week declined to review a memo barring instructors from speaking positively about LGBT issues, despite a faculty vote of 36-4 demanding the administration withdraw the memo for the sake of academic integrity and out of concern for censorship.
Meanwhile down in Holland, Hope College is saying "Thanks, but no thanks," to the opportunity to host a brilliant Academy Award-winning screenwriter at their school--because he is gay. Hope College has put the kabosh on plans to have Oscar-winning Milk writer Dustin Lance Black take part in a round-table discussion of homosexuality and Christianity--a presumably appropriate topic for a Christian academic institution and seminary in charge of creating the future spiritual leaders of the Reformed Church in America...
Continue reading Calvin and Hope? More like Calvin and Hobbes--two West Michigan colleges make a mockery out of the pursuit of knowledge.
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