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U of I-Champaign adjunct professor Kenneth Howell will return to the university classroom to teach “Catholicism” in next Fall’s semester. Attorneys representing the university contacted the Alliance Defense Fund that he can teach once more in the Fall semester after having been fired for explaining the Church’s position on homosexuality which prompted one anonymous letter-writer (who didn’t take the class) to object on behalf of an anonymous class-member that Howell was homophobic. Howell’s email to the class demonstrated that he was not but merely was describing the rationale of natural law which has guided the Church’s theology for 2,000 years. But the university’s attorneys said that a U of I committee will continue studying the situation—a chilling warning that Howell had better be on his guard.
The justification of Howell comes no thanks to the timorous Peoria diocese whose bishop and woman chancellor along with the bureaucracy were hiding, tremblingly under the bed after Howell’s First Amendment rights (untrammeled free religious expression and free speech) were challenged by the secular multi-versity. When it was suggested that the course be taught independently of the U at the Newman Center, Jenky and the woman chancellor said “oh no, sorry, that will never do!”
You should expect that the bishop and the chancellor… pillars of Jello…will strut around now and say they deftly worked behind the scenes to acquit Howell from the charge but it’s not the case. The bishop is one of the Notre Dame breed ala the compliant school president Fr. John Jenkins, who acquiesced in the invitation to Barack Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree at commencement. Daniel R. Jenky CSC who was once superior general of the order at Notre Dame (figures). Jenky, a ceremonial crosier-carrier and miter-wearer was notably struck mute, see-no-evil and dumb after the charge and made no public affirmation in behalf of a professor noted for clear, concise and eloquent explanation of the essentials of Catholicism. Atta boy, Bishop. With that kind of flaccid capitulation under pressure you should expect promotion soon to a major big city archdiocese in the near future with a red hat for your gutless non-response to duty.
Loyola U Nixes Rove Speech Because er, ah It’s Political
From the throttled throat of spurned academic non-freedom…Loyola University of Chicago…comes the report that Karl Rove has been denied permission to speak on the campus because he will imperil the university’s 501© (3) tax free status, said the University spokesperson Kimberley A. Moore, director of student affairs, struggling not manfully but person-fully to stifle a sardonic laugh. Reason, said Moore, is that the sacred non-political precincts of the university must retain…get this…it’s “impartiality” and utter pristine non-involvement in political affairs this campaign season.
Loyola said, after a long academic discussion, that it would allow Rove to come after the political season where he cannot pollute the celestial, non-participative university with his horrid political ideas. Of course Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, ex-Democratic presidential candidate and Democratic National Chairman was allowed to speak at Loyola on September 1, 2004, a presidential election year—but as Dean is also a physician his speech could be expected to be categorized in the scientific, biological and health area. A couple of weeks later, Ralph Nader, a 3rd party presidential candidate, was welcomed on campus but, er, ah, ahem, he could be expected to address consumer protection issues apart from politics.
Rove, of course, is not involved in any campaigns. He is an author and commentator for Fox News Network that hated outlet of information to academic liberals. He was chief strategist for President George W. Bush the name of whom causes denizens of the faculty lounges to rush for the toilets.
Demonstrating how dedicated the institution is to keeping its virginity intact rather than lose it promiscuously to entertain political speakers, here is a rundown on its august Board of Trustees.
The chairman is Patrick Arbor, former president of the Chicago Board of Trade and heavy contributor to the campaigns of Mayor Richard M. Daley. Not that there’s anything political about that!
Another trustee is Shirley Madigan, wife of the Democratic Speaker of the Illinois House who is also state Democratic party chairman of Illinois…and mother of the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa and longtime chairwoman of the Illinois Arts Council, named to the post by a succession of governors, Republican and Democrat. Now who would dare allege there’s anything political about her? She’s just a housewife.
Still another is William A. Brandt, Jr. president and CEO of Development Specialists, Inc., a corporate turnaround expert, one of the national Democratic party’s major donors who hosted Obama and earlier Bill Clinton at lavish fundraisers held at his North Shore home; named chairman of the Illinois Finance Authority by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. There you go again, thinking that he would allow politics to flavor his judgment as a Loyola trustee! Shame on you!
Now we come to Joseph A. Power, Jr. named the number one personal injury lawyer in Chicago, the lawyer who sued former Gov. George Ryan for the deaths of six kids by an illegal immigrant trucker who had obtained his commercial drivers’ license fraudulently and hardly knew English, which resulted in his failing to heed warnings from drivers than a pipe was becoming dislodged from his truck, the pipe hitting the highway and striking the car behind leading to the kids being burned alive. Heavy Democratic fund-raiser with great influence in the party. Joe Power? Do you think he’d object to a civics speech by Karl Rove at the University where he sits as trustee? You’re getting paranoid you know!
*:Saints Abdon and Sennen [AD 303]. These were Persians who converted many in their country, then came to Rome where they worshiped in the catacombs, ministering to the early Catholics and burying the bodies of the martyrs persecuted under Emperor Decius. They were captured, were trundled in a wagon around Rome and when told that they could save their lives by worshiping the gods, they spat upon their images which certified their execution. That, my friends, takes real guts. Result: they were fed to the lions while the crowds at the Coliseum cheered wantonly. They have been venerated as saints since the 4th century.
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