What happened to academic freedom?
I’m sad about this. Thanks, Mark, for your thoughtful posts. The point wasn’t to make everyone agree with you; the point was to make everyone think. You did. That’s not always appreciated. Sad day.
- – - -
I’ve been reading The Early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius
So much of the New Testament centers on faith in Asia Minor, and in Ephesus in particular. To begin with, there are portions of Acts (chapters 18-20) and of Revelation (the letter to the church in Ephesus). There is 1 Corinthians, written from Ephesus — as well as 2 Corinthians and Romans, written just after Paul left Ephesus on his third missionary journey. Add to that Ephesians (which may not have been written to Ephesus — check the footnotes of your Bible in Ephesians 1 to see that many manuscripts don’t say “in Ephesus” — but was likely a circular letter to many churches of Asia Minor, including the prominent one in Ephesus.) Then pile on 1 & 2 Timothy and the tradition that John spent his final years there.
This city, third or fourth largest in the Roman Empire at the time and home of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the temple of Artemis, was a critical location for the advancement of the good news.
I wonder if Rush Limbaugh worked for Berkeley University if he could keep his day job. I think what the writer of Eppur Si Muove did was silly. If you play with pigs…. (pigs being those who use Obamas middle name to vilify him)
How can Harding even call itself a University?
As an an academic institution, Harding is a joke. As a representative of Christ’s church, Harding is an abomination. Harding is incredibly lucky to have Dr. Elrod, and yet they seem bound and determined to drive him away. Sad day.
Maybe, I’m an outsider here but is it necessarily fair to Harding to be overly critical here. We don’t really know their side of things. And when I read Mark’s post he never said that Harding was making him shutdown his site. I’m not attacking him or anything. It just seems there is alot of ambiguity for everyone to jump on Harding. It could very well be exactly what it seems, but as far as I know Mark Elrod made no allegation against the university itself.
True Kyle. We only know the side that Mr. Elrods people are saying. We have no idea if Harding put pressure on Mr. Elrod or not.
You know though, he had to know Hardings history. Did he really think he had the freedom to say whatever he wanted without consequences? I can’t say whatever I want at my job and not suffer consequences. I think all this talk about “Academic Freedom” is hogwash.
I find it sad that people are aiming such hurtful and hateful darts at Harding when they don’t even know the whole story. The only “joke”, John, is that people actually think you should be able to say anything without consequences.
BTW, I don’t think that Harding will fail and flounder if Mr. Elrod choose to leave. I think it would keep right on trucking, producing incredible students who go on to lead very successful lives. People speak as if Mr. Elrod is some sort of saint and can do no wrong (although, that is how many speak of Obama so go figure) and that Harding is just evil incarnate. I find that very sad. I love Harding and hate to see it tarnished when people don’t even know what happened.
Very sad that some Christians are so insular that they can not stand to have their faith challenged or be opened up to the broad discussions of our faith. I am sad that a place like Harding allows itself to be influenced by certain people who would seek to promote such a one-sided view of Christianity. I’m sure ACU could find room for Dr. Elrod on their political science faculty, and yet, I know Dr. Elrod still has a great ministry at Harding. My sadness is that I will not be a part of his inner circle to share in such great discussions.
I feel both anger and sadness that some in this particular faith movement would be so selfish as to protect their own beliefs rather than listen and be encouraged to think.
Amen Randall. Part of my contract with my employer stipulates that I will not bring negative publicity to the company and will not disparage my employer in a public way. I work in the insurance industry. If I decided to start a blog where I routinely belittled my employer and the industry I work in and drew publicity that put them in a bad light I can assure you my job status would be in jeopardy. Actions have consequences.
HU will be fine as Randall said. Much to the chagrin of some.
For the record, I was not “pressured” into changing my blog from “public” to “private” status.
I made this decision on my own as the result of the general frustration I have with members of our fellowship who want to make a spiritual judgment about me based on my political views.
In the last few days, much of that angst has been directed toward my employer and, as a result, toward me as well.
I would much rather have a private conversation about things that are important to me than a public conversation that leads to additional complaints about me to the Harding University administration.
And, as I have said on numerous occasions, I’m going to spend the first 10,000 years in heaven annoying all the Republicans who don’t think I should be there. Then I’m going to learn how to play the harp.
I can’t believe that after a 20 year association that this could happen. What about freedom of speech and the free flow of ideas that cause one to question the establishment. After all, one individual can’t be held responsible for something someone else says. That is, unless it has a negative impact on the bottom line. But enough about Obama, let’s talk about Harding.
If we could only get Obama to take his campaign private. We can only hope.
Mr. Elrod, I am glad to hear you were not pressured. I have read many other accounts online today that suggest otherwise. It’s good to hear it from the horses mouth.
I am extremely intrigued by this argument based upon academic freedom as implied by Mike in his title. I think I have read that Mike teaches a bible class or two at ACU, so my question is for him. Mike, do you believe a bible professor should be able to go into a bible class at ACU and teach anything whatsoever no matter what?
If you do and you say so, I would believe you really do believe in academic freedom. If you don’t believe that or don’t say so, I will conclude you are grandstanding for your friend.
Me- what makes you think Republicans will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, much less Democrats.
I know where you’re all coming from, but seriously…what do you guys think of the finalists on the Next Food Network Star?
To defend Mike a little, as he’s being accused of grandstanding, since when is supporting a Democratic candidate something you’d be censored for (or pressured/hassled over) at an academic institution ostensibly devoted to critical thinking? Are Democrats not allowed on the faculty at Harding? Or are they tolerated only if thy are covert about their political affiliation? Dr. Elrod’s sin seems to be not that he was a Democrat but that he was a visible, intelligent, charismatic and persuasive Democrat. (So persuasive and intelligent that, as we see in some of the comments here, those who are less persuasive and intelligent are reduced to poisonous jealousy and unChristian schadenfreude.)
What year in its history did Harding become a training ground and indoctrination center for the GOP?
Thomas, perhaps I should not have used the word grandstanding, but my question regarding academic freedom was a serious one and, I assure you, I am not rejoicing in any suffering on anyone’s part as your “schadenfreude” remark implied, but perhaps that was not directed at me.
I really wonder about the question of academic freedom in a Christian school. If a Christian school allows complete academic freedom, how would it be any different from any other school? I think Christian schools by their very nature necessarily imply some restrictions on what might be termed academic freedom if they are to retain anything “Christian” about themselves at all.
That is why I was asking the question.
I am defining academic freedom (in this case) as the reasonable generation of viewpoints/thoughts and the reasonable exchange of ideas.
There is always a limit on what a person can say. Freedom of speech is not total and universal.
However, universities are places where it is generally understood (and profitable) for those limits to be relaxed. Not eliminated, but relaxed.
I contend that Dr. Elrod has not broken those limits. It sounds like those people that have pressured both him and Harding are not being reasonable.
If you disagree with me then please: take a couple of hours and read back through Dr. Elrod’s posts. Judge for yourself. You may not agree with everything he says (I don’t) but does he say anything unreasonable? Especially (since apparently this stems from) politics and religion.
Dr. Elrod’s voice was appreciated and needed to be heard. However a few would not hear it and despised its existence. Because of those infantile few the rest of us are punished.
It is sad.
I believe I understand your question.
You are correct that there is no such thing as “complete academic freedom.” If Dr. Elrod rejected Christianity or his Church of Christ heritage then, clearly, he would not get any hearing about “academic freedom.”
But Mike’s concern (and mine) is that Dr. Elrod gets heat simply by being a passionate Democrat. Dr. Elrod should only get grief if Harding is, ideologically, as wedded to the GOP as it is to the CoC. I suspect that, in all practicality, this is indeed the case. Harding values GOP membership as much as it values CoC membership.
So no doubt, Dr. Elrod holds a minority opinion on the Harding campus. But Dr. Elrod’s political views and activities are intimately tied up with his academic discipline and the debates therein. Consequently, his views, as minority opinions, should be PROTECTED by the administration. But in fact, just the opposite occurs on Harding’s campus. And that is the problem Mike is raising. It’s not about “complete” academic freedom. It’s about a political science professor being actively and passionately involved in American politics as both a scholar and as an educational model, even if he is a Democrat. Dr. Elrod should be free and protected to do exactly what he does. His being a Democrat does not violate the Charter of HU.
In short, in these areas of legitimate academic disputation a University is morally obligated to protect minority voices. That is the point of academic freedom: Protect the debate. Otherwise, your “school” becomes a fascist center of ideological indoctrination where dissenting views are stifled.
As Mr. Elrod said, he was not pressured to do anything.
Secondly, if he was, it was NOT simply because of his political views or that he is a Democrat. He has been there 20 years so they would have done something long ago. He talks about much more than politics on his blog.
Politics is not the problem; it is the divisiveness of politics. This is the link of the month from Dr Elrod’s HU Home Page.
NDAY, JULY 6, 2008
THINGS YOUNGER THAN REPUBICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (OH, AND DID I FORGET TO MENTION WAR HERO?) JOHN MCCAIN
BOOFUCKINGHOO.
Jesse Helms died the other day. Even though he was older than McCain, I’m posting his obit here because it gives me a chance to list some choice words to remember him by:
“Your tax dollars are being used to pay for grade school classes that teach our children that cannibalism, wife-swapping and the murder of infants and the elderly are acceptable behavior.”
“I’ve been portrayed as a caveman by some. That’s not true. I’m a conservative progressive, and that means I think all men are equal, be they slants, beaners, or niggers.”
“We’ve got to have some common sense about a disease transmitted by people deliberately engaging in unnatural acts.”
Rest in peace… you hate-filled bigot.
PS: Mike tipped me off to what the Chimp-in-Chief had to say on the passing of Helms:
“Jesse Helms was a kind, decent, and humble man and a passionate defender of what he called “the Miracle of America.” So it is fitting that this great patriot left us on the Fourth of July.”
For more, if you have a strong stomach, you can click here.
Clint, if you are any example of the type of supporters generated by Mr. Elrod, then I cannot imagine why the folks up there at HU could have any problem.
Yep, that’s the link. So you have a link from your homepage from your employers website that has the F bomb in caps right out of the gate and you think no one will notice or care? That’s pretty good judgement. But of course it was done in the name of academic freedom.
Let’s get real people. Harding is conservative. You know what you’re getting when you apply for a job there or when you enroll as a student. It is what it is. No one holds a gun to anyones head. All this crying and moaning about what a horrible place HU is laughable. Don’t work there! Don’t send your kids there! You have other choices.
By the way, if ME wasn’t happy there he would go elsewhere on his own I suspect. There’s worse places to live than Searcy AR even if it is a bastion of repressive Republicanism.
Mea Culpa. Clint, I owe you an apology. The way I read your last post, I thought those were your words.
I see now you are saying Mr. Elrod had a link to this from his blog. Are you serious? Did he really do that?
I want to be clear that I believe that all beliefs should be available to study. You can not make an educated decision knowing only one side of the story. The problem is divisiveness; Whether in Religion or politics.
FYI
http://www.harding.edu/elrod/Link%20of%20the%20Month.html
I think you’ll find that the link was placed well before the post that you find offensive. Surely we could agree that the idea of listing things “younger than John McCain” is a pretty acceptable attempt at political humor – and I feel certain that’s what ME intended.
Let’s at least keep the vitriol grounded in fact and quit stooping to innuendo.
I wonder when Dr. Elrod goes to his HU Box today, what the complaint to job offer ratio will be. I’m guessing about 50/50. This is just the kind of behavior that will get you noticed at a much larger, more progressive university. I’ve heard it never rains in Southern California.
Notice that the link is to a blog… I’m sure that was not the first post when Dr. Elrod linked to it. Read through the posts on that blog – for the most part, it’s not offensive. You happened upon one post in one day…
Seriously, people are amazing at pulling things out of context on here. The immediate lashing out by people on issues they know nothing about is sad. People make conclusions about something they have never looked at themselves (like those of you who assumed ME was making statements against his employer). Take some time and look things through before you make your judgments.
Jin- If you think “THINGS YOUNGER THAN REPUBICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (OH, AND DID I FORGET TO MENTION WAR HERO?) JOHN MCCAIN” “is a pretty acceptable attempt at political humor” then you have a warped sense of humor.
Here is a quote from Soren Kierkegaard:
“Act just once in such a manner that your action expresses that you fear God alone and man not at all……….you will immediately in some measure cause a scandal”
Well, I do have to ask where was the outrage about Harding when some of our preachers were not allowed there or my favorite columnist was cancelled. Seems that came from out of nowhere and I thought that the University was a Democrat institution.
It is sad that sometimes when we teach or think, people make life difficult. It is another sign of the power of fear within the church. It is good ole fashion bullying.
http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org
@gt:
You work in the insurance industry? That’s great. But really, you’re talking apples and oranges. Imagine if someone from your church went to your boss and complained that you were in favor of whole life insurance, instead of term, and that as a result you should be fired. Then, perhaps, we’d be in the same ballpark.
And Clint, you gotta admit: McCain is old! It’s kinda funny how incredibly old he is.
If you are at all familiar with how blogs work and, you know, the calendar, it’s pretty obvious that the “link of the month” was for June, probably placed at least a month ago. The post noted above is from July 6. Clearly it was not there when the site was chosen. And, as pointed out already, the link is to a site, a blog, not directly to the Helms story, as the original comment made it appear.
I admit that I am in the 1st “class” of Baby Boomers(yes, the ones who will be bankrupting ALL of you), and my family(all techno whizzes) think it’s a hoot that Mom reads & very infrequently comments on a few blogs. But after linking here & there, I found out who ME is & what all the hubbub is about. As I’m typing now, I’m praying for Mike & thanking God for his sharing his thoughts with us. He has opened up my little coc box that I had wrapped tightly(with a bow)& caused me to think, study, pray, & question (without the life-long guilt I’ve had.) I’m just hoping & praying that preachermike doesn’t do the same as ME. Please, to quote that old sage Rodney King, “Can’t we just all get along?”
Jin, GKB – I was wondering if you think “THINGS BLACKER THAN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (OH, AND DID I FORGET TO MENTION HUSSEIN?) BARACK OBAMA” “is a pretty acceptable attempt at political humor”?
GKB,
If you must know I’m a term kind of guy.
Greg- the point I was making is that the site is divisive with or without the Helms story.
Just this morning I was thinking about blogging and people’s careers. If I were in the market for a new job, some companyies wouldn’t look favorably on what came up through googling my name. My present company, AT&T Mobility, has its faults but it is really committed to diversity. I don’t think human resources ever went so far as to check me out online, though there was a thorough background check including for criminal history in Brazil (there was none). When I mentioned to some supervisors in a coversation a year or so ago that I had a blog, they sounded interested but not concerned. It all depends on the company and the position. This would naturally be the same for someone teaching in a private university setting.
Still, it’s disappointing. I’m well aware of the back-biting that goes on among Churches of Christ. There’s a lot of fear and suspicion, although those involved wouldn’t call it that. I’ve been on both the giving and receiving end of these attacks, and am saddened by it.
The book sounds good. I’ve thrown it in my cart on Amazon.com
I meant “companies,” obviously. No spell check on the comments….
I have consistently edited my blog and my Homepage for offensive content.
This is the first time anyone has brought the matter of offensive content on my link of the month to my attention. People who have bothered to take the time to get to know me, know that I don’t use that kind of language (although John McCain does) in public or private conversations.
I’m sorry if this offended you and I’m sure you have attempted on numerous occasions to bring this to my attention in a private manner as specified by Jesus in Matthew 18:15. Naturally, this is not as serious a sin as profanity, so you don’t have too much to worry about.
I will remove the link as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I am away from the Harding campus right now and I can’t get access to my server so I won’t be able to get to it until Wednesday evening.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Clint, I would read it if it was funny and well done.
Oh, and if the aforementioned blog was able to somehow skirt the vile history of racism and segregation in this country, like the McCain blog has. Because, ageism and racism are pretty much the same.
gt, you wrote: Let’s get real people. Harding is conservative. You know what you’re getting when you apply for a job there or when you enroll as a student. It is what it is. No one holds a gun to anyones head. All this crying and moaning about what a horrible place HU is laughable. Don’t work there! Don’t send your kids there! You have other choices.
I think you are missing the point. (Willfully so?)
The disappointment being expressed is that to be a Democrat on Harding’s campus one has to go “private,” underground. It is right and proper to express disappointment and even anger at the example Harding is setting as a CoC institution. How will outsiders (or even CoC insiders) view such a move? All of us are affected, directly or indirectly, by Harding’s forcing political debate underground. It sends the signal that the CoC has no true intellectuals, that we lack intellectual courage, and that we are an insular cult in the pocket of political parties.
By the way, GKB, you mentioned on ME’s blog that you are looking forward to the closed-door discussion. Many of us are not, because we will not be included on the short list of 100. Realize, that while it may be good for ME, it is not good for me, or many others. I think my registration has already been removed, which is why I posted here.
Me- Thank you for editing your blog and Homepage but that does not address the divisive nature of those blogs. Why did you find it necessary to throw a jab at McCain unless you went to him as specified by Jesus in Matthew 18:15, this lets us know who you are.
Yep, but I have no idea who you are.
Clint: Is being old a sin?
Me- here is a link to my blog
GKB- nice try
GKB- is being black a sin?
GKB- if you use age or race divisively, yes it is a sin.