How such stories are newsworthy in a secular newspaper is a bit beyond our collective pay grades. A newspaper (with a website) repeated the story of a tenured teacher at Wheaton College--a private evangelical liberal arts school in the US. But, there we are. We venture to say that most New Zealanders have never heard of Wheaton, and if they have they probably think it is an additive used in a bakery.
We bypass ruminating on why Stuff might think this newsworthy in NZ. But we understand why it may be considered important amongst Christians. What is going on?
A professor at Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school in the west of Chicago, has been suspended after making a post on Facebook saying that Christians and Muslims "worship the same God". In her post, Dr Larycia Hawkins, who is a Christian and an associate professor of political science, included a photo of herself wearing a headscarf.Let's follow Hawkins's train of thought:
I don't love my Muslim neighbor because s/he is American. I love my Muslim neighbor because s/he deserves love by virtue of her/his human dignity.No problem so far. Did not Christ's apostle instruct us thus: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." [Galatians 6: 9-10]. Moreover, the great summary of the Law includes the universal command that we are "to love our neighbour as ourselves". That command presupposes the universal oneness of the human race in some vital ways.
The same law demands universal love for males, females, children, unborn children, elderly, all races, murderers, racists, sexually perverted, and so forth. We would seek to do good to all, extending the love and generosity of the Saviour of the world, along with judicious appeals to repent of sin and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ as the true God-provided indulgence for sin.
But, we move along. The good professor went on to say,
