August 2010 – The word discrimination evokes memories of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Through that struggle, America realized that no category of people should be treated as second-class citizens.

But those lessons are being forgotten today by those who practice a more subtle, but still destructive, form of discrimination. And, ironically, it is those whose principles formed the foundation for equality who are often the victims.

Perhaps nowhere is it more obvious that Christians are the new target of discrimination than on university campuses.

“College campuses are absolutely pervaded with anti-Christian bias,” David French, senior advisor for the Alliance Defense Fund, stated. French heads an effort with ADF to restore the marketplace of ideas to university campuses. His concentration is litigation on religious freedom issues.

“Interestingly, there was an organization called the Institute for Jewish and Community Research a few years ago,” French said, “that became alarmed by the rising number of incidents of anti-semitism on college campuses.”

According to French, the organization conducted a survey of faculty attitudes toward people of various religions. The survey found that faculty expressed a positive view of every single religious belief and tradition except evangelical Christianity. In fact, 53% of faculty members expressed an unfavorable view of evangelical Christians.

The look of discrimination
So, if many college professors have a negative view of evangelicals, does it follow that Christians are being discriminated against?

“Discrimination takes a number of forms,” French said. “Recently it has been taking more disturbing forms, particularly in professions like counseling, education and social work.”

French said ADF has had several cases in which students were told they would need to sacrifice their fundamental beliefs in order to earn a degree.

“Other types of persecution involve keeping Christian groups from forming and operating on campus. People are accusing Christian groups of being discriminatory because they want to be led by other Christians or maintain biblical standards for their leaders. College administrations will defund these Christian organizations or not fund them at all, but will spend thousands of dollars for secular organizations.”

Specific examples of discrimination are shown in Silencing the Christians, a DVD series from AFA. In the series, associate professor of criminology Dr. Mike Adams of the University of North Carolina was refused promotion after “coming out” as a conservative Christian. He published an article titled “Campus Crusade Against Christ,” in which he described the double standard at many universities for secular and Christian organizations. A fellow professor accused him of breaking into her office and throwing tear gas. She had the FBI investigate, and they found no traces of any chemicals in her office. Adams got in trouble with the administration anyway until he filed a suit with ADF and UNC backed down.

The discrimination is not limited to professors, as Ruth Malhotra of Georgia Tech discovered. She took a stand for traditional marriage on her campus and quickly became the target of liberal activists. Several students formed CLAM, Conservatives and Liberals Against Malhotra. They posted pictures of her with Nazi swastikas on her face and neck. She received several death threats, one stating she would have acid thrown on her face during graduation.

She went to the police who told her to move out of her sorority house and into an off-campus apartment. She had police escorts anytime she had to be on campus. The university deemed what Malhotra said to be hate speech, but refused to address the death threats toward her. Only after litigation with the ADF did the school change anything.

The cause of discrimination
“I think at the heart of the discrimination issue is a worldview issue,” French said. “The modern university is essentially captured by the secular left. If you look at the numbers, the imbalance of faculties is simply staggering. At elite universities, more than nine out of ten professors are going to be self-identified leftists. Even in the big state universities where people tend to wrongly believe they have escaped the overwhelming trend toward political correctness and ideological uniformity, eight out of ten professors self identify as leftists.”

French said statistics show that those professors who are least likely to obtain tenure and promotion are observant Christians.

“There are liberal professors who have a worldview fundamentally opposed to Christianity, and they are wholeheartedly committed to it,” he said. “They hold to that view so strong they no longer even appreciate the biblical worldview’s value in participating in any conversation. Those are the people who call for Christian speech to be censored because it is offensive to them.

“Our point of view is that the university is the marketplace of ideas. We believe a variety of points of view should be heard. We don’t try to censor anyone else. In fact, we welcome debate and discussion because we have confidence in our own ideas. A debate gives us the opportunity to share our point of view and debate, which is what college is all about. We never believe a public university should discriminate on hiring or promoting atheists. A variety of viewpoints are and should be welcome.”

Scripture is clear that the Christian can expect to be hated wherever he goes. Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.” If nothing else, all persons who follow Christ can know they are in good company.

Another reason it is easy to discriminate against Christian students and professors is that those who choose to take a stand for Jesus are low in number. The Christian presence on college campuses is slim.

French said, “The sad thing about Christian professors is that they are low in number and often embattled, feeling pressure to keep their views to themselves lest it hurt their chances for promotion. I’ve had more than one conversation with young professors who only speak to me behind closed doors in hushed voices because they don’t want others to know who they really are. Then there are some professors who are very unafraid. They often find themselves being persecuted with no one to stand with them. That is perhaps saddest of all.”

The cure of discrimination
One of the best ways to stop being discriminated against is to know what rights you have on every public university campus. It is important to know that Christian students and professors have the same rights as their non-Christian counterparts to speak, act and believe. Often administrations deny rights to religious people or organizations they readily grant to others because of their worldview. This is directly opposed to the law.

“If you see a secular organization setting up a large display in the main square of campus,” French said, “as a Christian organization you have the same right to do that. If you are a professor and a secular colleague covers his door with political cartoons, or is writing political op-ed columns to further his political view and this does not interfere with his receiving accolades or promotion, you have the freedom to do that as well and expect the same treatment.

For those experiencing discrimination, there are several organizations available for legal advice. One is the Alliance Defense Fund (www.adf.org). “We will very quickly evaluate your situation,” stated French. “If there is real discrimination, we can assist you. That does not mean that everyone who contacts ADF will end up in a lawsuit. The vast majority of circumstances do not end up in litigation. Often all a university needs is a letter indicating what has gone on, what the student’s rights are and that the student has legal representation.

“If you are afraid of rocking the boat, let me say this: People need to have a little bit of courage. I talk to students all the time who tell me they want to do something about discrimination but are worried about a law school recommendation or about a grade in the class. Throughout our history, people have fought and died for freedoms we are afraid to exercise because of bad grades or a poor recommendation for grad school. I don’t think that speaks very well of the person who is willing to be silent. My challenge to you is to show a little backbone. Cowboy up and do the right thing.”

As in the case with Adams and Malhotra, both knew their cases represented more than themselves. They wanted to ensure no other believer had to experience what they went through. “For every one student who comes forward,” said French, “there is an unknown number of students who have stayed behind. They have not stepped up but they will benefit. You can make a great impact when you stand up and speak up on your campus. Don’t just do it for yourself, do it for those who are there, suffering with you, and those who will walk in your footsteps long after you are gone.”  

Learn more about anti-Christian bias on university campuses
Available at afastore.net
▶ Silencing the Christians by Dr. Donald E. Wildmon
▶ Speechless: Silencing the Christians, a 14-episode DVD series
▶ Expelled, a DVD documentary hosted by Ben Stein

Slaughter of the Dissidents by Dr. Jerry Bergman (see below)

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Darwin doubters systematically driven out of academia
Slaughter of the Dissidents (Leafcutter Press) by Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., details countless stories of how politically correct ideologues have for decades been systematically expunging Darwin doubters from the academic community. (See AFA Journal, 7/09)

The meticulously researched and heavily documented volume (almost 1,000 footnotes) carries introductions by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries, and Dr. John Eidsmoe, USAF Colonel, Ret. and professor of law at Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy. At nearly 450 pages, the volume includes a sizable index and an extensive bibliography.

Bergman picks up where the documentary film Expelled, hosted by Ben Stein, leaves off. “If you thought Expelled was mind-blowing,” Bergman says, “then this book will educate you even further about this important issue of repression of freedom and discrimination currently playing in academia today.”

It is packed with gripping accounts of how victim after victim has been subjected to bigotry, public humiliation and loss of career at the hands of the PC police.

Dr. Caroline Crocker is one such victim. Bergman writes that Crocker’s problem began after she mentioned intelligent design, a challenge to Darwinism, in her cell biology class at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

One student filed an accusation that Crocker was “teaching creationism” – though she is not even a creationist. Numerous students and an attorney wrote letters in her defense noting that she had simply discussed her doubts about Darwin. But Crocker was soon terminated from her position. During her five-year career at George Mason, she had received commendations for her high student ratings, been awarded three grants and authored a cell biology workbook.

Bergman cites other ways in which Darwin skeptics face discrimination, e.g., denial of admission to graduate programs, denial of degrees, denial of well deserved promotions, denial of tenure and demotions.

In his introduction, Kennedy wrote, “Something has to be done to ensure academic freedom [in the U.S.] while there is still time. Dr. Bergman, I believe, brings that imperative to the attention of the reader more effectively than most authors have been able to accomplish.”

The author has taught at the college level for more than 35 years. He has authored more than 800 publications and presented more than 100 scientific papers at professional and community meetings in North America and Europe.