MERGED Instructor of Catholicism at UI claims loss of job violates academic freedom

[GraceSofia]

In Dr. Howell’s letter he noted that this particular class was very different from previous ones – much more negative and critical.

Oops, I need to clarify which letter. Not the email letter he sent to the students, but a letter he wrote describing what had happened.
Here it is: scribd.com/doc/34126705/Factual-Description

And the quote from it:

This past semester was unusual. In previous years, I had students who might have
disagreed with the Church’s position but they did so respectfully and without incident.
This semester (Spring 2010) I noticed the most vociferous reaction that I have ever had. It
seemed out of proportion to all that I had known thus far. To help students understand
better how this issue might be decided within competing moral systems, I sent them an
email contrasting utilitarianism (in the populist sense) and natural moral law. If we take
utilitarianism to be a kind of cost-benefit analysis, I tried to show them that under
utilitarianism, homosexual acts would not be considered immoral whereas under natural
moral law they would. This is because natural moral law, unlike utilitarianism, judges
morality on the basis of the acts themselves.

He also says that each semester he gave two – only two!–lectures dealing with Catholic Moral positions.

The aggrieved and offended student couldn’t handle 2 lectures of hearing something he disagreed with?!

 

[Elzee]

the only part i dont like is the part that he said that they dont have to belive him. what kind of thing is this? how can someone being speaking the Truth yet he tells them they dont have to believe it?

can you imagine St Paul and the Apostles and Jesus telling people, yes, what i am telling you is the Truth but you dont really have to believe it.

that is the part he has failed. maybe he was afraid. i dont know.

My assumption is he didn’t require them to believe him because he doesn’t just teach this course to Catholics, but non-Catholics as well. They may be tested on the material, but they don’t have to believe it.
It would be like me taking a course on Hinduism, or even Fundamentalist Christianity.
Just a guess - I don’t know for sure.

 

[Crash001]

What’s the best way we can support Professor Kenneth Howell? I’d email him personally if I could.

 

[PrayHarder]

What’s the best way we can support Professor Kenneth Howell? I’d email him personally if I could.

A personal email, while nice, won’t really achieve much (although I’m sure he’d appreciate the thoughts). Anyone know how to contact his department head or the university?

 

[donsnow]

Militant gays are so hostile to truth and are so obnoxious and fecal in their demonstrations, that any kind of gay burp causes a panic among the authorities. IE, gay terrorism wins again.

 

[pigtown]

I read about this in my local newspaper (I’m in Illinois). I wondered about a couple of things. The professor was teaching a course about Catholicism so I would assume that meant that he was teaching Catholic doctrine. If a student disagreed about what was taught, why was he or she taking that particular course? Shouldn’t a Catholic course be about Catholic teachings? Those in authority at the university should understand that Catholic doctrine should be taught in a course on Catholicism. Maybe a Catholic university will hire the professor. He needs to be where he’ll be appreciated. One student did all this damage?

 

[lizaanne]

It is very clear that the battle is on. Either we stand up against this garbage, or we become martyrs for the faith. 1932 all over again. The Marxists have gained control over the government and the educational system. They will stop at nothing to get rid of anyone who doesn’t goose step to the politically correct lies that they need to take over the world. It’s only a matter of time before we are persecuted like the Jews in Nazi Germany. We will become martyrs for the faith, which will never be defeated. The blood of the martyrs has always strengthened the Church.

I happen to agree with you 100% here. We will see a day in our lifetime when a priest is charged with hate speech because he preaches that homosexual sex is a sin. Mark my words - the day is coming.

This is not panic, this is not over reacting. This is coming - and this story of the professor is just the groundwork being laid by those who wish to crush the Catholic Church.

~Liza

 

[Muzhik]

I read about this in my local newspaper (I’m in Illinois). I wondered about a couple of things. The professor was teaching a course about Catholicism so I would assume that meant that he was teaching Catholic doctrine. If a student disagreed about what was taught, why was he or she taking that particular course? Shouldn’t a Catholic course be about Catholic teachings? Those in authority at the university should understand that Catholic doctrine should be taught in a course on Catholicism. Maybe a Catholic university will hire the professor. He needs to be where he’ll be appreciated. One student did all this damage?

This is part of the problem. The complaint was filed not by the offended student, but by the student’s friend (because they all wanted everything to be anonymous). This was not something he said in class, it was in an email the instructor sent (apparently in response to a question). The email was forwarded to the department head, who made the determination that it was hate speech.

 

[musicality]

illinois.edu/info/contactus.html

If you use the search bar at the top of the page and click the “Directory” option, you can find the contact information for anyone at the university.

 

[Dale_M]

The complaint was filed not by the offended student, but by the student’s friend (because they all wanted everything to be anonymous).

Yes, and this really doesn’t do well in establishing the credibility of the complaint

This was not something he said in class, it was in an email the instructor sent (apparently in response to a question).

Now, that is information I have not read before. It appears that the email was sent out to all of the students in the class. Could you give us the link which indicates that the professor was responding to a specific question posed by his student?

 

[Mimi]

Got this title from one of the comments after the article:

https://tokyoslot88.me/

The Pink Swastika

(excerpt from the Introduction)

The Pink Swastika documents how the Society for Human Rights, founded by members of the Nazi Party, became the largest homosexual rights organization in Germany and, further, how this movement gave birth to the American homosexual rights movement. Its influence has grown. The President of the United States now receives official homosexual delegations at the White House who expect the President to repay them for helping him into office. They expected him to “normalize” homosexuality in the American military. As for the comparison made between homoeroticism and skin color, General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had this to say in a letter to Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colorado), “Skin color is a benign, non-behavioral characteristic. Sexual orientation is perhaps the most profound of all human behavioral characteristics. Comparison of the two is a convenient but invalid argument” (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal, June 6, 1992).
American civilization rests on the basic principles of Christian morality, which have their origin in the Hebrew Scriptures. The reason why the Nazis first attacked the Jewish people and swore to exterminate them physically and spiritually is because the teachings of the Bible, both the Torah and the New Testament, represent the foundations on which the whole system of Christian ethics rests. Remove the Bible as the constellation that guides the American Ship of State and the whole edifice of American civilization collapses.

It is time for Theology of the Body to be taught far and wide!

Mimi

 

[rwoehmke]

The Newman Center and the University at Illinois have had a very unusual type of relationship. The Center was to provide courses in Religious Studies and the University agreed to give academic credit for those courses. The more usual situation is for Newman Centers to provide courses and services to students, but no academic credit is extended by the University. It is a shame that this arrangement is evidently not working out. The University in granting credit could not keep its fingers out of the pie. I am an Illinois alumnus and used to attend Mass at the Center back in the 60s. To the best of my knowledge, it has always had a reputation as a strong Catholic institution.

 

[Muzhik]

It appears that the email was sent out to all of the students in the class. Could you give us the link which indicates that the professor was responding to a specific question posed by his student?

My apologies. I made an assumption based on my misremembering the original article, and on my assumption that an instructor would only send out such an email in response to a question.

 

[1holycatholic]

Oops, I need to clarify which letter. Not the email letter he sent to the students, but a letter he wrote describing what had happened.
Here it is: scribd.com/doc/34126705/Factual-Description

And the quote from it:

He also says that each semester he gave two – only two!–lectures dealing with Catholic Moral positions.

The aggrieved and offended student couldn’t handle 2 lectures of hearing something he disagreed with?!

The aggrieved and offended student didn’t attend either lecture since they weren’t even in the class. :coffeeread:

 

[PrayHarder]

According to this article on CNA, the religion department head is Robert McKim. I just sent him a polite, but strongly worded email about what I think of the situation.

 

[CaptFun]

University of Illinois Instructor Fired Over Catholic Beliefs

If there is a hate crime here, it appears the Catholic instructor has been set up. The University is gutless, probably running in fear of those predatory lawyers who have made a cottage industry of suing churches, schools, the Boy Scouts, and any flourishing business on any pretext (but especially the new cause de jour - the ever-more-widely defined gay bashing, which can be as benign as a “less than complete capitulation to the full political dogma”). It costs money and prestige even to fight a winning court battle with these litigatory thugs - so they shake down society where they please.

Catholics will not be feared despite the numbers as we are turn the other cheek, love your enemy types - even when it may be time to knot some cords and drive the morals changers from the temple of knowledge. Most Catholics are just for fair play and many American Catholics (I know this is a broad generalization) are STILL astonished when their country begins to turn on them.

I’m almost more peeved at the professor losing his job at the Newman Center. WHO made that decision and on what basis? Put THAT person’s name in print and have them explain the rationale for the decision. It looks like Star Chamber stuff at worst and one hopes we don’t have a weed in the field behind the professor’s being ‘purged’ from this supposedly Catholic venue. Particularly when he is being true to Church teaching.

Isn’t the U of Illinois-Chicago campus the one that retains Bill Ayers as professor (that reprieved radical self-confessed terrorist who has mentored some well known South Side politicians?). Call me quaint but isn’t admitting to complicity in a police HQ bombing more of a hate crime than accurately defending your faith when asked?

I’m still more disgusted with Notre Dame’s conferring a Doctorate on the U.S. politics’
foremost abortion advocate – but I was born in Illinois, “Land of Lincoln” and this stinks.

I hope EWTN’s news features this. Talk radio may take up the cause if it hasn’t already.
But I expect nothing from the mainstream media - with the possible exception of Fox, and
that mainly on the cable networks’ commentary programs.

This is my second overall post. I will probably introduce myself to you in the coming days.

Captain Fun was a nickname I got when working in Corporate Communications years ago. I got elected head of the company’s recreation committee. I’m actually a pretty upbeat guy too – but on this issue I’m in a “hungering and thirsting for justice” mode, and a BIT more serious.

God bless you all

 

[GraceSofia]

The aggrieved and offended student didn’t attend either lecture since they weren’t even in the class. :coffeeread:

Yes, I realize the complainant wasn’t in the class, but have a look again at the email;
doesn’t it look like Complainer Student has quoted Friend-who-took-the-class
(but left out the required quote marks)?

news-gazette.com/news/religion/2010-07-09/e-mail-complaint-student-about-ui-religion-instructor.html

 

[Dale_M]

Welcome to CAF!

Please excuse my obtuseness, but I’m not sure what you mean when you say that Dr. Howell was “set up.” Could you explain that a bit more?

If there is a hate crime here, it appears the Catholic instructor has been set up

Although the student email called the professor’s email a hate crime, I don’t think anyone else has.

According to the local newspaper, the university seems to have let him go for violating “violat(ing) university standards of inclusivity.” The decision doesn’t seem to have been made by one person, but involved several people in the administration and in the Religious Studies department.
news-gazette.com/news/university-illinois/2010-07-09/instructor-catholicism-ui-claims-loss-job-violates-academic-free

However, according to Dr. Howell, the chairman of the Religious Studies Department as the major person in terminating his employment.
facebook.com/topic.php?uid=135669563126194&topic=169

The University is gutless, probably running in fear of those predatory lawyers who have made a cottage industry of suing churches, schools, the Boy Scouts, and any flourishing business on any pretext …

hmm… maybe. I am disappointed that the university chose to take the action that it did. I think it was an overreaction.

I’m almost more peeved at the professor losing his job at the Newman Center. WHO made that decision and on what basis?

Yes, I am surprised that the Newman Center, and the Diocese of Peoria didn’t stand behind him. According to Patricia Gibson, an attorney and chancellor of the diocese, they let him go because he was no longer a teacher at the university.

Here is Dr. Howell’s explanation, from the Facebook page I linked to earlier:

I then consulted with our Diocesan lawyer, Mrs. Patricia Gibson, to see if the St. John’s Newman Center could sue the university for breach of contract. Mrs. Gibson, kind in spirit and articulate as regards the law, told me that unfortunately the university had made very careful provisions to protect itself and so would not be liable in a law suit. I am still consulting with other lawyers about possible legal action on the grounds of the first amendment.

Then Monsignor Gregory Ketcham, the current Director of the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center and my superior, informed me that the Center would not be able to continue employing me since there was no longer any teaching for me to do. I then reiterated what I had mentioned to him the day before. I suggested that we work together to have courses on Catholicism taught at the Newman Center that could be accredited by a Catholic university and that could be transferred into the University of Illinois for credit. In this way, the students whom we had been called to serve could continue to be instructed in the Catholic Faith. I told him in fact that I had once had conversations with professors in Catholic universities who were willing to make such arrangements. Monsignor Ketcham said that he had no interest in such a plan.

The relationship between the university and the Newman Center is a fairly unique one. I think the Newman Center wants to make sure that they preserve having an instructor inside the university. If they pay Dr. Howell to teach outside the university, the university might not offer the classes since it was the Newman Center which paid the instructor’s salary.

 

[wisdomseeker]

My assumption is he didn’t require them to believe him because he doesn’t just teach this course to Catholics, but non-Catholics as well. They may be tested on the material, but they don’t have to believe it.
It would be like me taking a course on Hinduism, or even Fundamentalist Christianity.
Just a guess - I don’t know for sure.

yes, but it still doesnt justify this. if he believes that the Church is speaking the Truth of God, it will be nonsense to tell them they dont have to believe it. so, the students will probably disregard is unimportant since they dont have to believe it.

 

[donsnow]

I read about this in my local newspaper (I’m in Illinois). I wondered about a couple of things. The professor was teaching a course about Catholicism so I would assume that meant that he was teaching Catholic doctrine. If a student disagreed about what was taught, why was he or she taking that particular course? Shouldn’t a Catholic course be about Catholic teachings? Those in authority at the university should understand that Catholic doctrine should be taught in a course on Catholicism. Maybe a Catholic university will hire the professor. He needs to be where he’ll be appreciated. One student did all this damage?

Hi, pigtown,

Yes, one student, with another student writing for the one, did all that damage. I think it’s because the authorities are afraid of gay militants. Let me give you another bizarre incident that happened out of school, here in my hometown, last year.

In this incident, local law enforcement joined with BATFE officers to raid a gay bar for drunks. During the raid, a patron grabbed the crotch of a law enforcement officer. Without thinking and in pure defensive reaction from this sexual abuse, the officer slammed the patron against the wall, to make him let go of his genitals. The patron was hospitalized. Militant Gay Rights Activists and the media forced the FWPD and Mayor to apologize for injury to the gay patron. This is why I refer to gay terrorists, because they frighten the authorities from taking a righteous stand to offenses that would put non-gays in jail.

I pray that God’s love and justice be found when the Lord rebukes all those who initiated, contributed to, participated in and decided to terminate, the termination of Professor Kenneth Howell. As God lives, I pray for such immune and divine rebuke upon all of those involved, except for the professor. Because the Lord admonishes those he loves, and God is love.