Kerby Anderson

It is puzzling to hear people say that Christians are intolerant when often it is the people making those statements who demonstrate their intolerance. A case in point would be a recent free speech symposium at the University of Missouri. Sally Kohn, a highly visible liberal commentator and LGBT activist, argued that free speech advocates were afraid of multiculturalism and trying to stifle diversity. “If they feel like they can no longer speak against positive social change, good,” she said. “They think [diversity] is dumbing down humanity, or the greatness and exceptionalism of America. I’m happy that’s under assault.” I might add that her views are typical of what you find on campus today. Dr. Everett Piper is the president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. In a recent column he pointed to these comments as an illustration of what many leaders of the progressive left believe and would like to implement not only on campus but also in society as a whole. He explains that: “They will squash dissent from any who risk pointing out their contradictions. They will sequester and even sentence any who dare ask why their emperor is wearing no clothes.” He adds: “This is not intellectual freedom, but rather ideological fascism.” Nothing, he argues, is what it seems. “The call for inclusion is driven by exclusion. Their criticism of hate is fueled by their own hate . . .. They revel in bigotry as they condemn the bigot.” This unfortunately is the upside-down world on the university campus that is now also becoming the upside-down culture in which we live. Liberals use intolerant language to call conservatives intolerant. Secularists claim that Christians are intolerant while ignoring their own intolerance. It’s time for us to point out the inconsistency.