Posted on 10/11/2005 5:09:15 PM PDT by wagglebee
A conservative professor at Washington University in St. Louis is under fire from students for declaring on his faculty website that homosexuality is sinful.
A small firestorm began after senior Jeff Stepp wrote an article in the student newspaper Student Life, arguing that Professor Jonathan Katz's views on homosexuality should be removed from the faculty website. In his column, Stepp rejects the professor's reasoning but says he is most disturbed by the fact that Katz's essays -- including one entitled "In Defense of Homophobia" -- are hosted on web space that is owned by the school and funded by student tuition.
Now some homosexual students are saying the school should remove Katz's remarks from the website. But Katz says he has yet to hear from administrators.
"I think they understand that if they try to pressure someone for presenting a reasoned exposition of his views or any exposition of his views, they'll be violating their trust as administrators of an institution of learning, and they will really look bad," the educator says. "I think they correctly realize the best procedure for them is to be completely silent -- and so they have been."
Along with his essays, Katz issues a disclaimer that his opinion pieces "represent his personal views alone," and that "Washington University would never take an official position which might deviate from the 'politically correct' line." In his essay discussing homophobia, Katz refers to himself as "a homophobe, and proud," and says homophobia is a "moral judgment upon acts engaged in by choice."
Katz claims his opponents have a double standard. "The interesting thing is that the people who went public in Student Life are overwhelmingly against. In fact," he says, "the first wave was all in favor of censorship."
The physics professor says that reaction caused him to wonder. "I said to myself, 'Hey, these people call themselves liberals and their reaction to something they disagree with is censorship?' That's weird, isn't it?" he asks.
According to Katz, private correspondence tends to run 2-to-1 in favor of his being allowed to state his opinions. But he adds that even though the university is supposed to be a place for open discussion of controversial issues, there is something seriously wrong on campus when people privately tell him they fear being shunned for publicly supporting him.
I thought there was supposed to be an equal but opposite reaction.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
"Free Speech at a public university?..."
Washington University in St. Louis is a very good private university.
btt
You are absolutely right about taking the language back. I would suggest that the professor is correct in everyting except his employing the monstrous term " homophobe".
Those who believe that homosexuality is abnormal and sinful behaviour are not suffering from a psychatric disorder. Simply put , I am opposed to promoting sin be it theft, adultery or any of a multitude of others considerred for thousands of years to be wrong by virtually every civilization, but most importantly by those based on the Biblical understanding of morality
My daughter visited many major colleges and universities 6 years ago while making her decision.We developed a short hand when refering to Washington University "Satan's University".The worst part of it is they took pride in their deprivation and bragged about it.
Well Well
where are all the people who thought it was a good idea for one kid to smack another over a tshirt now....seems like that now its something u agree with you all of a sudden free speech and cenosrship means something again...I wonder if a gay smacks this guy.. will people say he had it coming?...I doubt it
Well, from one homophobe to another! A moral judgement upon acts engaged in by choice. Perfect and true.
ANTI-SODOMITE PING
ANTI-SODOMITE PING
ANTI-SODOMITE PING
There outta be a law against free speech in this country...
Washington University of St. Louis appears to be a private institution. As such, the administration does have the right to censor speech they deem inappropriate. If it was a publicly, i.e. state funded, school, then the faculty member might have an argument regarding his freedom of speech.
>Washington University of St. Louis appears to be a private institution. As such, the administration does have the right to censor speech they deem inappropriate. <
Could run into an accrediation problem.
Or the world of professional men's figure skating.
I'm homophobic. But I can't help it, I was born that way.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
Something to cheer you up. Good to see a college student with intelligence, courage, and humor speak up. Note how some other students are AFRAID to publicly support his right to free speech, what to speak of his POV. Liberalism is a misnomer; it is extremely illiberal.
Freepmail me AND DirtyHarryY2K if you want on/off this pinglist.
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