Creighton University and author Anne Lamott have mutually agreed upon cancellation of her public lecture on September 19, 2007.
After careful review of Ms. Lamott’s most recent writings (which postdated her contract agreement), we have concluded that key points are in opposition to Catholic teaching which, in our judgment, makes her an inappropriate choice for the Women and Health Lecture Series.
Creighton University is not “viewpoint neutral” as we have a religious, Catholic mission. However, as an authentic university, Creighton does respect other views and regularly has speakers, panelists and others who do not necessarily agree with all aspects of our beliefs. At a featured lecture like this, the degree to which the speaker’s views do not harmonize with our Catholic mission becomes more salient. As a Jesuit university, Creighton is a place of intellectual honesty, pluralism, and mutual respect where inquiry and open discussion characterize the environment of teaching, research and professional development.
What the...? Says I. So I get online to find out just what she could have written that got their hackles up so. Turns out it was this:
A book about grace? And faith? That's what all the fuss is about? I don't get it. But here's the thing...it has two of the biggest no-nos in the Catholic faith. _bortion and _uicide. Okay. Yep, that would do it. So, an institution that promotes educating the minds of doctors and lawyers can't let people possibly think for themselves. Either that or they don't want her to speak because she is a _resbyterian. (BTW, she wasn't going to speak on those topics.)
Then, just when I was despairing that the world was going to H-E-double-hockeysticks...
I had coffee with my good friend whose church is part of a group called 'Connections'. Look what these people were able to pull together! Glory be to 'Connections'.
The funny thing is, the new (bigger) place will be packed to the rafters thanks to the free PR. And get this...Anne Lamott has waived her $20,000 speaker's fee. Free will donations will be accepted for Girls, Inc. and the Samaritan Counseling Centers.
That's what I call grace.
P.S. Extra Points to those who know where my title comes from.
7 comments:
An unfortunate slight.
And jonnynono gets the extra points!
Wow. Thanks for telling us about this. Why do people fear ideas?
It seems like their own faith must be pretty shallow if they are so afraid of the slightest difference of opinion totally changing someone's viewpoint.
I'm inclined to believe that some donor threatened to tighten the purse strings if they didn't cancel, and unfortunately money talks these days. That seems kind of cynical, you'd hope that a respected university like Creighton would have more integrity than to bow out for money alone. But you never know, I guess.
It seems weird, but this is the second time in just a couple of months that a speaker has been pulled. Roberta W. from Girls Inc was supposed to do commencement at College of St. Mary's and she got yanked at the last minute because they didn't like the Girls Inc. platform. It really sucks. There are some serious _atholic folks here who have the power to call protesters up from multiple states to really raise cain.
(I don't really know the appropriate way to use the _, please advise).
K
You used the _ just fine!
From what I understand, there were some doctors (probably big contributors) who started the whole thing about Lamott. Perhaps they are connected with the (extremely conservative) Omaha priest who was instrumental in getting Roberta pulled.
Anyway, a woman at my church is a professor at Creighton and says that the faculty is incensed that she got cancelled. It totally goes against the Jesuit tradition.
So I heard it was awesome.
I want to haer your version.
Post a Comment