The College Fix

OPINION: Freedom of speech applies to Christians too, even if some ‘free speech’ advocates don’t believe so

Higher education institutions should have “autonomy” in how they operate, free from political attacks, so says Jeremy Young, a new advisor to the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

However, as recently reported by The College Fix, Young is an inconsistent supporter of educational freedom – he served as executive director and board member of a group called the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. The group wants to crack down on homeschooling parents, warning that many are “Christian fundamentalists” who “abuse” their kids.

As part of this crackdown, Young (pictured, left) and his group want to see government school officials have the authority to haul in moms and dads and question them about their lesson plans. That does not sound like autonomy to me. It is also a direct attack on the freedom of association rights of Christian parents, and all homeschoolers.

But Young is not alone in his hypocrisy.

The secular humanist group “Center for Inquiry” wants to see government agents sent into Catholic churches to question priests and lay Catholics. Much like the anti-homeschooling group, it too warns of the “Christian right.”

The group wants to see Washington Governor Bob Ferguson sign legislation that will require priests to break the seal of Confessional and report their flock to the police if any of them confess abuse.

Briefly for our non-Catholic readers, Catholics confess their sins to a priest. Particularly serious sins, such as abuse, must be confessed. However, a priest is excommunicated if he ever reveals what is said in a Confessional. These strong privacy protections give the penitent, the person confessing, assurances his statements will stay secret.

Therefore, this Washington bill requires a priest to either be excommunicated or go to jail.

That apparently does not bother Azhar Majeed, the director of government affairs for the Center for Inquiry. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because for years he advocated for free speech at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. In fact, I think Majeed may have helped several of my Turning Point USA groups years ago when I worked there.

So, it was odd to find his name on a petition calling on Governor Ferguson to sign the bill.

“Whether they learn of this information through confessional or some other means is immaterial to this responsibility,” the petition states. “To hold otherwise is to simultaneously extend religious privilege and needlessly endanger children’s safety.”

Oddly, the “Center for Inquiry” has apparently spent little time thinking about what happens during Confession (makes sense for an atheist group, though).

A person who goes to Confession, much like someone who goes to a therapist or enters drug counseling, wants help with their problems. They want to make amends in their lives. A Catholic who worries he will be reported to the police even though he is trying to do the right thing and amend his ways might be scared away from the Confessional. This chills his speech.

For some reason, Majeed (pictured, right) supports chilling their free speech and has no problem with prosecutors harassing clergy.

I contacted Majeed on Wednesday to ask him if he had changed his views on speech since leaving FIRE and if he saw any contradiction in his support for free speech and his support for this bill that would force priests to go to jail. I also asked if he saw how this bill would chill speech, because it would dissuade Catholics from going to Confession. He did not respond.

It is one thing to have nuanced views on free speech and where the line is drawn when it comes to say, threatening language or what constitutes direct harassment. It is also okay to change views over time.

But it is never acceptable to send government agents into Catholic churches to harass priests and people who are sincerely trying to overcome their problems and make amends for their harms.

MORE: U. Illinois backtracks after investigating student for complaining about project partner

IMAGE CAPTIONS AND CREDITS: Jeremy Young of the AACU, Azhar Majeed of the Center for Inquiry; Jeremy Young/LinkedIn, Azhar Majeed/LinkedIn

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