The Persecution of Christians on Campus
Being a professional student and spending over fourteen years in undergraduate and graduate education and another seven years as a professor at the collegiate level, it is disappointing to see the anti-Christian bias that is found on the college campus today. Instances have ranged from prohibiting Christian clubs from requiring their leaders (not members), their leaders to be Christian, to being shouted down in class for endorsing Christian views. The rise of anti-Christian bias on campus is evident. Granted, many of the instances listed here are in no way comparable to what Christians are facing around the world, but an indicator of the rise of this attitude was found in a 2007 study by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research concerning anti-Semitism on campus. Rather than finding anti-Semitism, the Institute discovered that 53% of college professors admitted to “unfavorable” feelings about evangelical Christians. No other religious group (including Muslims) was even close to this number.
Below are some instances of these “unfavorable” feelings about Christians on college and university campuses today:
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Video Caveat: Video summarizing many of the instances of persecution of Christians on college campuses:
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School: Dartmouth University
Issue: Dartmouth Drag Show Depicts a Topless Nun
Young America’s Foundation reports: “The hour-long burlesque performance attracted more than 100 students. The event was organized by the college’s drag club and featured nine scantily clad drag queens dancing in a sexually suggestive manner. The show began with an individual named ‘Grim Noir’ (who claims to be ‘non-binary’) dressed up as a Catholic nun while stripping off clothes, twirling a rosary, and genuflecting on stage to the sound of a song called ‘Sinners.’ ”
Dartmouth College is a school in New Hampshire that is a private, non-religiously affiliated institution. The College Fix also reports that the dancer stripped their black robe to reveal “tights with crosses on them and pasties covering their nipples,” and that the performance concluded with Grim Noir twirling around a rosary and genuflecting on stage.
A guest performer, named Rhedd Rhumm explained that “When it comes to drag, it can be for anybody,” Rhumm said. “I will say that drag was brought up in the nightlife, so inherently it is for adults, because drag queens will do whatever they wish, but there are those sect of drag queens who will cater to youth, just to children, because they want to foster that environment of positivity, representation and visibility.”
Make no mistake, drag performances are for grooming children and they are admitting to that fact. This is prolific on the left. Recently a New York City drag performer was invited to the White House signing of the controversial Respect For Marriage Act named Marti Gould Allen-Cummings who twitted out that “The kids are out to sing and suck d!” For more on the real history of drag queen story hour and its aim at child grooming and pedophilia read Chris Rufo’s “The Real Story Behind Drag Queen Story Hour.”
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School: Harvard University
Issue: Musical at Harvard University portrays Judas as gay and falls in love with Jesus.
Harvard University’s Agassiz Theater put on a musical titled ‘Iscariot’ that portrays Judas Iscariot as a gay individual who falls in love with Jesus. The Instagram page of the musical (see pic) declares Jesus as a “straight white boy [who is] having his gay awakening.” Campus Reform reports that The musical “reimagines Judas Iscariot as a queer Asian American high school senior who falls in love with Jesus, betrays him, and learns to take control of his own narrative,” The Harvard Crimson wrote. roducer of the play, Sophie Kim, described the musical to The Harvard Crimson as a ‘heretical gaysian love story,’ and on her website as a “new interpretation of the Bible canon, and a commentary on race, class, and celebrity culture.”
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School: University of Michigan Health-West
Issue: The University of Michigan Health-West illegally fired a physician’s assistant and berated her over her Christian faith.
According to College Fix and Campus Reform, Valerie Kloosterman was fired and Administrators allegedly called her “evil” and a “liar” and “mockingly told her that she could not take the Bible or her religious beliefs to work with her, and blamed her for gender dysphoria-related suicides.” For years Kloosterman worked for the Metropolitan Hospital without issue or incident until the University of Michigan-West merged with the organization in 2021. Hospital officials allegedly compelled Ms. Kloosterman to use obscuring pronouns and make referrals for ‘gender transition’ drugs and procedures, against her sincerely held religious convictions and her medical conscience. She is filing a lawsuit against the university.
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School: Multiple Schools
Issue: College textbooks have anti-Christian bias
Dr. Timothy Furnish; writer, analyst, professor, and author; finds that there is a double standard in the way Christianity and Islam are treated in textbooks for such courses. Writing as a guest author for Campus Reform, Dr. Furnish states that “Nearly all [textbooks] treat Islam with outright favoritism compared to Christianity. This favoritism is due to institutionalized secular and anti-Christian biases in higher education.”
Some samples that Dr. Furnish supplies include:
Voyages in World History: Volume 1: To 1600:
“Christian origins are cast into doubt, with the authors stating that ‘almost every surviving record about early Christianity written before 100 C.E, whether about the life of Jesus of the early ministry, is written by a Christian believer.’ The text also says that ‘the gospels relate’ information about Jesus. But the book shows no such skepticism about Islam’s origins. There is no caveat about the fact that all extant sources on Muhammad’s life are Muslim. Furthermore, the faith claims of Islam are presented as historical fact. ‘While in his forties and already a wealth merchant, Muhammad had a series of visions…”’ Not ‘the Qur’an relates.'”
The Heritage of World Civilizations. Volume One: to 1700:
Dr. Furnish relates that this textbook states that the Gospel authors “believe that Jesus was the Son of God” and “that he was resurrected on the third day after his death.” This is contrasted “with Muhammad ‘the Prophet’ (why not, to be symmetrical, ‘Muhammad of Mecca’?) to whom ‘on repeated occasions revelations came…through a figure that was gradually identified as God’s messenger angel, Gabriel.'”
Several author textbooks are analyzed by Dr. Furnish demonstrating the bias against Christianity. He concludes that “Scholars should engage critically with both Christianity and Islam or engage critically with neither. But don’t pick favorites.”
So, not only are the professors, the classrooms, dorm monitors, residential assistants, and student governments persecuting, marginalizing, and biased against Christians on campus, but even the textbooks are as well.
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School: Tennessee Tech University
Issue: A Campus theater group organized an “all ages” drag show event which mocked Christianity.
A Tennessee Tech University campus theater group called the Backdoor Playhouse put on a drag show starring a man dressed as a Catholic monk – while children handed him money. According to the College Fix “a video shows the drag queen coming on stage to Hozier’s ‘Take Me to Church” whereupon several kids run up to hand him cash. After the queen drops the money and does the sign of the cross he then begins to take off his clothes to audience cheers (and more kids running up to the stage).” A video was posted on Twitter “revealing” (pun intended) the incident:
After the president of the university called out the theater group in disapproval, apparently Backdoor Playhouse doubled down by responding: “Pride isn’t a thing we do one month out of the year. It’s part of our core principles. It’s our culture and our identity. It’s us! To all our LBGTQ+ friends: We love you! We see you! We stand with you!” So, in short, mocking Christianity is not something they do one month out of the year, but is part of their identity and culture (along with grooming children).
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School: Harvard University
Issue: Harvard College Faith and Action (HCFA), a campus Christian group, called “homophobic” and “disingenuous.” Harvard student body president defended HCFA and faces backlash/recall.
According to the College Fix, “Harvard Undergraduate Association co-president LyLena Estabine drew backlash and at least one public recall request after she defended Harvard College Faith and Action, a campus Christian group.” Harvard College Faith and Action (HCFA) sent out a mass email invite promoting a worship event. In response, a student replied to all on the list that HCFA was homophobic. Estabine stepped in and defended HCFA stating that she “rejects allegations that the group actively discriminates against LGBTQ+ students.” Estabine went on to state that ““I personally do not tolerate homophobia or discrimination of any kind. The bottom line: all are welcome at HCFA Doxa, Bible Course, and all other Events, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, or religious identity. Always. Guaranteed by me and the College.” This response was not received well. Students replied saying Estabine should not be in power and that HCFA is disingenuous.
Ironically, the students calling HCFA homophobic and disingenuous are really the disingenuous individuals. I don’t see them calling the Muslim Student Association at Harvard homophobic and intolerant when the Quran is clear in stating that homosexuality is a transgression and should be punished (26:165-166, 7:80-81, 27:54-55, 29:28-29). Again, Christians and Christian groups are the target.
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School: California College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) Program at Mason High School (via a San Diego Mason College Professor)
Issue: Professor labels Christians as Fascists
As far as I can tell, has a professor from San Diego Mason College to teach college courses on District campuses at Mason High School. Whatever the case, students capture it on camera that the professor allegedly labeled “White” people, “Christian[s],” and “heterosexual[s]” as “fascist.” According to the Washington Examiner, “A teacher from Madison High School in San Diego claimed fascists are synonymous with the “modern-day Republican Party” and “white, Christian, heterosexuals,” according to a student at the school.” A student, who did not want to be identified, stated that “He just kind of put up that they’re fascists, and they support a fascist government,” the student said. “Immediately — he didn’t even ask the class about it. He just made the assumption right away that whites and Christians automatically support a fascist government.” This is becoming the norm at college: Christians are anti-science, Christians are fascists, Christian groups denied funding at colleges, Christians denied positions of leadership, and on and on it goes.
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School: University of Houston
Issue: Candidate denied a position for the SGA Supreme Court due to religious beliefs.
This could not be a more blatant example of religious bigotry and persecution against a Christian. Mya Little, a student at the University of Houston, hoped to attain a position as an associate justice of the Student Government Association (SGA) Supreme Court. During her speech for her bid as associate justice Little read a Bible verse and repeatedly emphasized her Christian beliefs. That, according to the SGA members of the University of Houston, disqualified her. They dismissed her from the chamber to discuss her “bias.” Campus Reform reports that “during this discussion, SGA members expressed concerns over Little’s religious beliefs.” According to the school’s newspaper, The Cougar, Little had accomplishments and qualifications such as being a member of the Black Law Students and First Generation Coogs which helped first-generation college students at the university.
The real irony is that Mya Little would have been the first Black woman to serve as an SGA Supreme Court justice. Here is a video discussing the real bias of the current SGA members:
Is Christianity True? 