03/11/2005

Christian Professor Looses his Job:

While University of Colorado officials are defending highly controversial professor Ward Churchill in the name of free speech, one of his colleagues, Professor Phil Mitchell, said his contract would officially not be renewed because "his teaching was not up to the department standards," according to Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi. Mitchell, who is an evangelical Christian, was winner in 1998 of the prestigious SOAR Award for teacher of the year. He has taught at the Hallet Diversity Program for 24 straight semesters.

After presenting a diverse opinion from black intellectual Thomas Sowell, Mitchell was berated as a racist. "That would have come as a surprise to my black children," said Mitchell, who has nine children, two of them adopted African-Americans. Also, after using a book on liberal Protestantism in the late 19th century, a student was offended by the word 'god' and the "department chair fired him without a meeting." Mitchell was later reinstated, but was never able to teach in the history department again. (reported by Focus on the Family - PWB Mar 11, 2005)

Sentence Illustrations (author/s unknown):

* Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.
* Peope are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.
* Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.
* If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

• A founding member of the heavy metal band "Korn" says he has finally found true peace and fulfillment in a personal relationship with Christ. On March 5, Brian "Head" Welch was baptized in the Jordan River, just weeks after quitting his band, drug habits and rock-and-roll lifestyle for religion. (PWB, Mar 11, 2005) - We ought to be praying for Brian Welch, there have been other celebrities who have made professions of faith, but found the struggle and immediate attention too difficult, then reverted back to previous lifestyles (djp).

• A 43-foot cross at the top of Mount Soledad in La Jolla, Calif., erected as part of a veteran's war memorial over 50 years ago, will be moved. Moving the cross is a victory for an atheist, who, with help from the American Civil Liberties Union, waged a 15-year legal battle to get the cross removed because he maintained it violated the separation of church and state. (PWB, Mar 11, 2005)