Professor says he was fired over evangelical beliefs

A professor who was fired in July by the Interdenominational Theological Center says the Atlanta consortium of black seminaries discriminated against his conservative Christian views.

The Rev. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, an African-American expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in July. He accused ITC administrators of harassment that included “disagreeing with my conservative religious ideals, intimidating me, slandering my character, giving me poor evaluations, and changing student grades from failing to passing with no merit.’’

Hopkins, 42, told Religion News Service that tensions arose after a speaker from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship addressed an informal session he organized in February. During the session, attendees were offered a book that declared homosexuality was a sin.

He said his department chair, the Rev. Margaret Aymer, questioned the distribution of the book and threatened his job.

Continue reading at www.religionnews.com

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Chris

Sorry – we need to stop using religion as an excuse for bad behavior and not providing proper health care and insurance. You can h ave your religious freedom but don't inflict it on others.
- Linda F.
  
  We can have our religious freedom, Chris? Really? You mean it? Oh, I'm so happy that you have given us permission to believe what we want to believe!
- Linda F.
  
  Chris, what does your comment have to do with the article?
- Evermyrtle
  
  Religion, alone means exactly nothing!! Except to a trouble maker!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004047180339 John Adams

True, Biblical Christianity is under fire. However, a seminary that has a female department chair should have been a HUGE, waving, red flag to him.
- Evermyrtle
  
  Wyy???
  - http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark
    
    "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
    
    1 Timothy 2:12
Winston

@Jamal-Dominique Hopkins: count it God's grace for removing you from the apostasy you would not remove yourself from. The scriptures teach believers "com out from amongst them". Biblical Christians are being persecuted more and more by those who call themselves "Christian", but in name only. I count it joy that when we leave church after church because God's Spirit within me gives me discernment to recognize the apostasy being taught and blind sheep hear only what they want – the "tickling" of the ears. Pastors have become "man-followers" instead of being firmly planted in their first love – Jesus.
- Ruth
  
  Amen Winston ! Things are escalating in the world soooo quickly…Bibical prophecy is taking place before our eyes, but only those of us who truly know the Bible can see it…Soon they will be taking all Christian programing off of TV and radio, especially that of Dr. Jack Van Impe who tells us what is happening overseas that our liberal media NEVER tells us about…."Soon The Lights Will Go Out" being said by the evangelist, Rev. David Wilkerson, just before he was killed in a headon truck/car crash just over a yr ago…Meaning that we will be reading our Bibles in secret by candlelight…Then they will also soon convinscate our Bibles, And ALL we will have of the scriptures is what we have memorizes and have in our hearts….I have Soooo many friends that say, "This Will Never/Can Never Happen In The United States"…..Most people are like sheeple…They just go withthe flow to fit in…..As everyday goes by…I realize how FEW will make it when Jesus Christ returns !
  - Winston
    
    True. We are observing the beginnings of "the great falling away" daily all around us…even in our own families. We attempt to reveal truths and the lies and deception daily to our friends and family but we are snapped at, ignored, and rebuked…all for naught. We'll continue even if it means we've been isolated away from doing the Lord's work here on earth.
    - Evermyrtle
      
      They do not want to hear any discussion of Christianity, in almost any family that you talk, too
Evermyrtle

It would be an honor to be dismissed from a church that did not follow GOD'S laws and taught the same. We know what GOD teaches on homosexuality, beastiltiy, and murder. These are acts of Saran and have no place in a Christian Church.
aceituna

Would that more pastors would come out and expose liberal schools of religion, and that a outcry against teaching ungodly ideas be removed from our religious (meaning Christian) schools.
fliteking

I have no doubt he is telling the truth. The Lord likely has done this for a reason, it seems he has been hanging with the wrong crowd.

I bet he turns out a better man in the end.
mallen11

This was an interdenominational theological school? They should be extremely happy to have him as a professor. If I were he, I would not want to teach there even if he won. Our theologions no longer use the Word of God to teach their students or ministers their congregation. All is taught is being good and everything will be alright.

Heb 4:12 -For the word of God is alive and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Roman 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world (human viewpoint), but be transformed by the
renewing (renovation) of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.