Evangelical college dismisses professor after opposition to pro-LGBT social media posts

[Michie]

A private Evangelical college in Indiana has dismissed a professor following opposition from critics upset with his past social media posts, which voiced support for same-sex marriage and declared that his pronouns were "he/they."

Grace College recently released Matthew Warner, a communications professor at the Winona Lake school, who started teaching there at the start of the academic year last August.

While the college did not give a specific reason, Religion News Service reported Wednesday that it was "preceded by an online termination campaign" organized by "conservative influencers and Grace College stakeholders."

Continued below.

Evangelical college dismisses professor after opposition to pro-LGBT social media posts

A private Evangelical college in Indiana has dismissed a professor following opposition from critics upset with his past social media posts, which voiced support for same-sex marriage and declared ...

www.christianpost.com

 

[DJWhalen]

He needed to be dismissed. Same sex marrieage is a sin and NOT Biblical .

 

[PloverWing]

This is something that's going to vary from one college to another (and from one Christian college to another). From what I see at their website (Grace College Home), Grace College's Community Lifestyle Statement for employees prohibits "homosexual behavior". If Dr. Warner supports same-sex marriage, then his beliefs clash with those of the school.

I'm sure that this was a painful experience for Dr. Warner, but in the long run, he'd probably be happier teaching at a different college.

 

[AlexB23]

This is something that's going to vary from one college to another (and from one Christian college to another). From what I see at their website (Grace College Home), Grace College's Community Lifestyle Statement for employees prohibits "homosexual behavior". If Dr. Warner supports same-sex marriage, then his beliefs clash with those of the school.

I'm sure that this was a painful experience for Dr. Warner, but in the long run, he'd probably be happier teaching at a different college.

I agree 100%. Both the school and Dr. Warner are better off after he goes to a different college.

 

[Ceallaigh]

I'm sure there are liberal Christian colleges in blue states that would welcome him.

 

[AlexB23]

I'm sure there are liberal Christian colleges in blue states that would welcome him.

Or even secular colleges that would welcome him, it seems. My state is purple, thankfully, so it has both sides.

 

[Ceallaigh]

Or even secular colleges that would welcome him, it seems. My state is purple, thankfully, so it has both sides.

I'd say secular without a doubt. And with some segments of Christianity there isn't much distinction from secular these days. LGBT is dividing the body.

 

[AlexB23]

I'd say secular without a doubt. And with some segments of Christianity there isn't much distinction from secular these days. LGBT is dividing the church.

Agreed 100%. We might be in the end days, my brother, as 2 Timothy 4:3 is warning us.

2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV): "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions"

According to some interpretations of Biblical prophecy, particularly in Revelation and 2 Timothy 4:3, the rise of Cafeteria Christianity could be seen as a sign of the end times. These verses suggest that there will come a time when people will no longer tolerate sound Christian teaching and instead seek out teachers and preachers who cater to their own desires and passions.

In this context, Cafeteria Christians might selectively embrace teachings that align with their own values and preferences, even if those teachings contradict established Christian doctrine. For example, someone might support same-sex marriage or transgender rights while ignoring or reinterpreting relevant Bible verses. Similarly, others might prioritize economic prosperity over environmental stewardship, supporting industries such as Big Oil despite their negative impact on God's creation.

These actions, according to some interpretations, reflect a broader trend toward moral relativism and away from objective truth. By calling evil good and good evil, people risk distorting the true message of Christianity and compromising its core principles.

*Disclaimer: Cafeteria Christianity is seen as a pejorative by some, but is happening a lot in the 2020s decade.

 

[PloverWing]

I'm sure there are liberal Christian colleges in blue states that would welcome him.

I started thinking about the Christian colleges I know, and I could think of a couple of categories.

1) Conservative Evangelical Christian colleges, which tend to have a strict statement of faith that faculty must affirm and a list of rules of behavior that faculty and students must abide by. Many of these include a statement forbidding same-sex romantic relationships and marriage, so someone like Dr. Warner would not be welcome there.

2) Colleges and universities with a strong Christian heritage and continuing Christian presence, but which do not require faculty or students to belong to a particular religion or denomination. A couple that I have personal knowledge of are Duke (Methodist) and Haverford (Quaker). Duke has a seminary and an enormous gothic-style chapel that conducts weekly Methodist services. Haverford's style of community is strongly influenced by the Quaker way of doing things. But both schools include people of a variety of religions, as well as atheists, in their community.

St. Olaf's (a Lutheran school) says this on their website (Mission – About St. Olaf):

The liberal arts involve underlying claims about what is ultimately meaningful and worthwhile. So we undertake explicit examination of faith and values. Our community includes people of many religions and no religion, and we impose no doctrinal filters on our teaching or scholarship. We create opportunities for academic and personal reflection on religious belief, including reasoned consideration of Christian faith and other traditions that engage questions of truth and meaning.

Someone like Dr. Warner would certainly be welcome at a place like this.

Interestingly, I couldn't come up with a college or university in category 3:

3) Christian colleges/universities (not seminaries) that are not Conservative Evangelical Protestant that require a statement of faith from their faculty, or that require faculty to belong to a particular religious group. Does anyone know of schools in this category?

 

[Sir Joseph]

I would just add that after reading stories almost daily of secular schools and businesses firing employees for expressing Biblical beliefs and values, it's interesting, if not somewhat gratifying, to see a rare case of the opposite. I commend this school for having the courage to uphold its counter cultural Biblical world view and for politely enforcing it.