Samford has long been criticized for its notorious “bubble.” As the nation polarizes, Samford has become an echo chamber of conservatism with a habit of silencing dissent.
On Oct. 26, a Samford junior created a petition to remove historian Jon Meacham’s speech from the itinerary of Dr. Beck Taylor’s inauguration week because of Meacham’s involvement with Planned Parenthood. The petition has received over 1,000 signatures from students, parents, and alumni. As a result, Meacham’s lecture about his book, “Soul of America: The Battle of Our Better Angels” will be postponed until after the inauguration.
However, Taylor issued a statement on October 27, saying, “Our mission as a Christ-centered institution of higher learning is to stand boldly at the intersection of society and the church and to convene important conversations about how to live faithfully in the world. That mission calls us to invite speakers and artists to campus who challenge our perspectives and who share wisdom and insights.”
President Taylor is right. Though Samford has its foundations in Christianity, it is still an institution of higher learning, and intellectualism can only be pursued in an environment that nurtures divergent viewpoints and encourages discourse.
The petition states that Meacham’s “beliefs and core values do not align with those of Samford University.” It goes on to say, “Mr. Meacham is involved with raising money in support of an organization that does not value life in the same way the Christian faith does.”
As a pro-choice Christian, I disagree with this sentiment. Often on this campus, I have been told by my peers that I do not count as a Christian because of my liberal politics. However, the United Church of Christ, the denomination I grew up with, has supported reproductive justice since the 1960s.
Christianity is comprised of many vibrant denominations with varying viewpoints on political and social issues. Jon Meacham himself is a Christian. According to Pew Research Center, 33% of Evangelical Protestants and 48% of Catholics in the United States believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
In the wake of recent protests, Samford administration has branded itself as welcoming diversity, and yet, the explosive response to Meacham’s invitation to speak has proven that the Samford community is only willing to elevate voices within the conservative Baptist evangelical tradition.
Jon Meacham and speakers like him must be permitted to speak on campus regardless of their political leanings. It is time for Samford to actually live up to their promise of religious diversity.
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Samford Crimson.
Staff Writer
Thank you, Kate! You speak for many of us. As an undergraduate at Samford, I was SGA president and editorial page columnist and editor for the Crimson. I was also pro-choice. The importance of Samford being emphatic as to the diversity of views and non-ideologically rigid nature of Christianity would be difficult to overstate. Freedom of debate and inquiry are at the very heart of academic purpose. Furthermore, the SGA statement has at its core a misconception that anti-abortion is Biblical, which it is not. In fact, the only relevant Biblical passage would seem to be more consistent with a pro-choice position as a fetal life is valued less than a fully formed life. Thank you
Excellent! Speaking as a Samford alum (1977), you make me proud!
Thanks, Kate, for stepping up and expressing an alternate christian view. As a 1974 graduate, I’m pleased to hear this perspective is still present on campus. My response to this decision is to support the work of Planned Parenthood with a donation in honor of The inauguration of President Taylor @ Samford University. If anyone would like to join me here is a link to the donation page of the southeast region. https://bit.ly/31riZwT
It’s also worth noting that the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in St. Louis in 1971, passed a resolution calling for the legalization of abortion. They reaffirmed that resolution in 1974 (a year after Roe v. Wade) and again in 1976.
Interesting that this thread has several grads from the 1970s (BA – 1977). John Archibald’s commentary in AL.news gave some perspective that the powers at Samford seem to have missed. I can’t imagine that canceling an event at your own party is a good way to start a presidential administration. My recollection is that the administration would never have done acquiesced to an SGA action like this back in the day.