U. Chicago Divinity School: We support free speech, unless its too offensive

[Heddi]

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/31599/

he University of Chicago is known as ground zero for the fight to defend free speech in academia — but tell that to the vast majority of professors in its Divinity School.

Most of its faculty have signed on to a letter condemning its online publication, Sightings, for publishing a piece by University of Chicago history professor Rachel Fulton Brown that defended Milo Yiannopoulos and highlights the fact that “the tradition of higher education in America is deeply indebted to Christian ideals.”

Fulton Brown, a Christian conservative and staunch defender of Milo, cited in her controversial piece a talk he gave that delved into “a commitment to education as one of the most important things Christianity gets right.”

“The first law in America to require general education,” [Milo] noted, “was called ‘The Old Deluder Satan Act’ to teach children to read the Bible in 1647. 122 of the first 123 colleges in America were Christian universities. Think about Harvard University, one of the epicenters of liberalism today. This is the founding statement of Harvard: ‘Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, John 17:3.’”
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This, I would argue, is why American college students and faculty find Milo’s talks so threatening. The issues that Milo talks about are usually considered political, but in fact have to do with people’s deepest convictions: the proper relations between women and men, the definition of community, the role of beauty, access to truth.


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Essentially they argue in their March 9 letter to Sightings that some opinions are just too divisive to publish:

In accordance with the University’s commitment to promote free expression, we do not dispute Professor Brown’s right to voice her opinions on these matters. … [But at] a time when hate crimes are on the rise and the tenuous ties of public trust have been frayed, it is more important than ever that we come together as a community in the belief that the conditions fostering free speech are inseparable from the values of mutual respect and inclusion. …

While the University of Chicago Divinity School welcomes and supports a wide range of political and religious perspectives, the space for disagreement that such a range opens up is undergirded by our shared commitment to create a climate in which the defense of our own perspectives is accompanied by a receptive disposition towards others. It is our sincere hope that the deliberations and debates that occur in this space will be characterized by a high regard for the dignity and intelligence of our interlocutors. This means, among other things, that we support the right of students to pursue academic work freely in a climate of mutual respect, without stigmatization.

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In other words, don’t publish things that are going to offend people. Don’t publish things that make uncomfortable arguments, defend the wrong people.

Their statement is a direct assault on diversity of thought and, what’s more, completely ignores Fulton Brown’s theological arguments.

What she defended was Christianity’s deep roots and role in higher education and Milo’s emphasis of that fact — and these “Divinity School” professors can’t stand it.

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[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Claim: "122 of the first 123 colleges in America were Christian universities."

“The first law in America to require general education,” noted, “was called ‘The Old Deluder Satan Act’ to teach children to read the Bible in 1647. 122 of the first 123 colleges in America were Christian universities.

The passage has been altered by DU's software, which often does strange things to quotation marks. Here is the original passage:

Why Milo Scares Students, and Faculty Even More

Author
Rachel Fulton Brown

February 16, 2017

....
The tradition of higher education in America is deeply indebted to Christian ideals. In his talk at Minnesota State University shortly before Christmas, Milo cited a commitment to education as one of the most important things Christianity gets right. "The first law in America to require general education," he noted, "was called 'The Old Deluder Satan Act' to teach children to read the Bible in 1647. 122 of the first 123 colleges in America were Christian universities. Think about Harvard University, one of the epicenters of liberalism today. This is the founding statement of Harvard: 'Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, John 17:3'"

It's a claim made by Milo Yiannopoulos. I suspect its accuracy.

I just submitted the claim to Snopes.

[Heddi]

2. Milo could tell me the sky was up

and I'd have to do research before I took his word for it.

I love that the Religious Right clings to this pedophile-approving asshole as being some divine messenger they've been waiting for for years. Um, if he wan't the darling of the alt-right, y'all'd want to stone him. He's an out gay white man who dates black guys and promotes sex with children. I guess all of his horrible opinions on nearly every aspect of the world somehow makes these things, that would otherwise be sins to the alt/religious right just peachy keen.

[Lordquinton]

3. Milo preaches hate, and violence follows him

His getting shut down by the students in Berkeley meant that immigrant students on campus were safe.

I predict milqtoast will go on to rebrand himself as a preacher, a profession where you're expected and defended for preaching hate.