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No. Arizona University student was recently asked to stop reading his Bible prior to the start...
CampusReform.org ^ | Apr 27, 2017 at 4:18 PM EDT | Anthony Gockowski

Posted on 04/28/2017 9:30:13 AM PDT by Syncro

A Northern Arizona University student was recently asked to stop reading his Bible prior to the start of one of his classes, according to audio obtained by Campus Reform.

In a recording of the February incident, provided to Campus Reform by Kevin Cavanaugh for Congress, Mark Holden explains the situation to History Department Chair Derek Heng, who had been called in by the instructor, Dr. Heather Martel, after Holden had refused her request that he put his Bible away.

“So, will you, will you, will you, put your Bible away?”   

Holden tells Heng that he had arrived early to his U.S. history course and, as usual, used the spare time to read his Bible, but claims that Martel had objected to the routine because she didn’t want to see a Bible in front of her.

“So Prof. Martel says that she doesn’t want you sitting in front of her because you put, you know, a Bible out, right?” Heng can be heard explaining to Holden, adding that while he doesn’t “know what the dynamics [are] going on in the classroom,” the “real key is to make sure that, you know, the class is able to go on and that you are in the classroom.”

“So she doesn’t want me in the front because I have my Bible out?” Holden responded for clarification, to which Heng responded by inquiring as to why Holden had his Bible out in the first place.

[RELATED: College argues that preaching the Gospel is ‘fighting words’]

“No, I think she, I mean, well why do you have your Bible out anyway?” Heng asked, with Holden clarifying that he was “just reading before class” and that the class hadn’t “even started yet.”

Nonetheless, and despite Holden’s protestations that class wasn’t going to begin for “another five minutes,” Heng concluded the conversation by again asking Holden if he would put his Bible away.

“So, will you, will you, will you, put your Bible away?” he asks, to which Holden replies that he always puts his Bible away once class begins, stating that he only reads the Bible “before class” and always makes sure to stow it away “before class starts.”

[RELATED: Clemson evicts man for praying outside free-speech zone]

Prior to the Bible altercation, Holden had been accused by Martel of violating the school’s policy on disruptive classroom behavior for an encounter in which Holden challenged Martel’s views on cultural assimilation.

Holden told Campus Reform that he had cited news reports about two Muslim immigrants who erected a sign declaring that the Koran gives them the right to commit rape, saying he used it as an example of a case in which cultural assimilation might be desirable.

According to an email that Martel sent to Holden explaining the violation, Holden had allegedly interrupted the class multiple times and “made a scene,” only stopping after a classmate intervened.

“Then you raised your hand for most of the rest of class. When I acknowledged that I saw your hand but stated we would be hearing from your classmates instead as you had already had your input, you said in a loud voice: ‘You work for me. I pay your salary,’” Martel alleged in the email, though neither she nor Heng responded to Campus Reform’s requests for elaboration on the matter.

Martel then sent out a second email about the altercation, not just to Holden but to the entire class, outlining “steps to re-instate [sic] civility in the classroom” and declaring emphatically that “hate speech” would not be tolerated.

[RELATED: Criticizing Sharia is ‘hate speech,’ Georgetown students say]


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: antichristian; arizona; bible; biblereading; christianpersecution; education; freespeech; nau
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Full title:

A Northern Arizona University student was recently asked to stop reading his Bible prior to the start of one of his classes

The rest of the article:

“It’s a systemic problem, not just at this university, but across the United States in the restriction of free speech,” Holden told Campus Reform, revealing that he eventually withdrew from Martel’s class.

As Holden sees it, most college professors are “pushing an ideology on students and any opposition to this is refuted and slashed.” While there may exist students “who want to speak up,” they don’t “feel that they can because of fear about their grades,” he elaborated, noting that conservative-leaning professors face similar concerns in relation to keeping their jobs.

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Casey Mattox weighed in on the matter, telling Campus Reform that "public universities are supposed to serve as a marketplace of ideas, and Christian students are not second class citizens on their tax-funded campuses." 

"By singling out a student's religious views for discriminatory treatment a professor not only violates the First Amendment, but also disserves the very purpose of a university," he added. 

Campus Reform contacted both Martel and Heng, offering them the opportunity to address Holden’s characterization of the events and offer their own perspectives, but neither responded in time for publication.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski


1 posted on 04/28/2017 9:30:13 AM PDT by Syncro
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To: metmom

Ping FYI


2 posted on 04/28/2017 9:31:17 AM PDT by Syncro (Facts is facts)
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To: Syncro

This rat hole is the home of transgenders and cross dressing in America. A real dump.


3 posted on 04/28/2017 9:32:18 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Illegal immigration is the first step in the voter fraud process.)
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To: Syncro

If it was me the next day I would be back with a Hustler magazine...


4 posted on 04/28/2017 9:35:22 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Syncro

The instructor and chairman are bullies, IMHO.


5 posted on 04/28/2017 9:36:19 AM PDT by ptsal
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To: Syncro

It’s time for Christians to politely refuse such requests and let the school escalate the action.


6 posted on 04/28/2017 9:36:39 AM PDT by The Louiswu (Yes, I am voted for Donald Trump.)
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To: Syncro

Contact info for the “professor” the “ChairMAN” and the U Prez and Board of Trustees, et al?

Flake(1) and Flake(2), where are you on this? Guv?


7 posted on 04/28/2017 9:38:20 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("Liberalism is a mental disorder" On FULL Display NOW! BOYCOTT Mexico nba NFL PepsiCO Kellogg's)
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To: Syncro
As Holden sees it, most college professors are “pushing an ideology on students and any opposition to this is refuted and slashed.” While there may exist students “who want to speak up,” they don’t “feel that they can because of fear about their grades,” he elaborated, noting that conservative-leaning professors face similar concerns in relation to keeping their jobs.

I could have written this as a college freshman in 1977.

8 posted on 04/28/2017 9:39:35 AM PDT by henkster (Orwell, Rand and Huxley would not be proud of our society, but they'd have no trouble recognizing it)
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To: Syncro

Sue the bastards

Seriously.


9 posted on 04/28/2017 9:39:56 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("Liberalism is a mental disorder" On FULL Display NOW! BOYCOTT Mexico nba NFL PepsiCO Kellogg's)
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To: Syncro

My first inclination was to look up a number to call the school and complain.

Although it’s still not clear what was going on. If a student uses a Bible to stir up trouble, that’s as unbiblical as you can get.


10 posted on 04/28/2017 9:44:45 AM PDT by reasonisfaith ("...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians))
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To: A_Former_Democrat

So the department chair Heng asks the student why he has his Bible out? The only acceptable answer is “it’s none of your effin’ business.”


11 posted on 04/28/2017 9:50:22 AM PDT by DPMD
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To: Syncro

We need to start playing smarter than this.

If you are going to go into class with a Bible because you know they will react negatively, you need to have a copy of a Koran with you (or a friend with one) and start reading that too. (or pretend to) and see what happens

Have video recording.


12 posted on 04/28/2017 9:51:16 AM PDT by Mr. K (***THERE IS NO CONSEQUENCE OF OBAMACARE REPEAL THAT IS WORSE THAN KEEPING IT ONE MORE DAY***)
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To: Syncro

I earned my MBA FRom NAU in 1977. I was 36 years old at the time, and perhaps my age and life experiences (11 years USN active duty as a Naval Aviator) made a difference, but I seriously doubt it.

It was a different time, a different era. I do not recall any LIEberal indoctrination during my 2.5 years as a Grad student at NAU. As far as I was concerned, NAU was a good University and the MBA program was very highly rated.

Students & professors were serious and did not, to the best of my knowledge, as noted above, engage in LIEberal indoctrination.

I’m not pleased with this revolting development! Will definitely let NAU PooBahs know of my displeasure!


13 posted on 04/28/2017 9:51:27 AM PDT by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: reasonisfaith

What I mean is, it’s always good to take a look at the surrounding scenery. And it’s not pretty.

Not only do we have non-Christians fighting against Christians, but there’s the devil himself right in the middle of things, doing whatever he can to trick Christians into doing his bidding.


14 posted on 04/28/2017 9:52:02 AM PDT by reasonisfaith ("...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians))
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To: reasonisfaith

The only problem here was on the part of the hateful professor.


15 posted on 04/28/2017 9:55:50 AM PDT by MeganC (Democrat by birth, Republican by default, conservative by principle.)
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To: reasonisfaith

It’s not always an easy question because we can’t read his mind.

To do it to show off in the face of unbelievers isn’t right. IF that is what is happening.

A better show of his faith would be for him to answer “God bless you, and this book shows me how” to those who are giving him grief. At the very least this will push his tormentors out on a limb with statements like “We don’t need God’s blessings.” The reply could be a meek “I disagree.” And then let the good Lord take it from there.


16 posted on 04/28/2017 9:56:35 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Syncro

Hey Prof...will you, will you GTFO of my country?!


17 posted on 04/28/2017 10:04:29 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (WKU 2016 Boca Raton Bowl Champions)
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To: reasonisfaith

How is reading the bible on your own time “stirring up trouble”? It seems the objecters have a problem, but how is that the Bible-reader’s problem? Besides, 1 Corinthians 1:23 states But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; So we know others will be offended, but we still must preach. Reading the Bible seems a fairly non-troublesome method of doing so. Like I said, it’s their problem. They can deal with it by growing up.


18 posted on 04/28/2017 10:10:39 AM PDT by chesley (What is life but a long dialog with imbeciles? - Pierre Ryckmans)
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To: Syncro
A Northern Arizona University student was recently asked to stop reading his Bible prior to the start of one of his classes.

To which he said, no thank you and kept reading.

19 posted on 04/28/2017 10:14:29 AM PDT by gunsequalfreedom
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To: Syncro

Can you imagine the outrage if this had happened while he was reading the Koran?


20 posted on 04/28/2017 10:20:09 AM PDT by TruthWillWin (The problem with socialists is that you eventually run out of other peoples money.)
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