University Majorly Backtracks, Claims It Won't Immediately Destroy Crosses or Bibles

The leadership at Oklahoma's East Central University slammed on the brakes and jettisoned their decision to remove crosses, Bibles and other religious symbols from a historic campus chapel.
The leadership at Oklahoma's East Central University slammed on the brakes and jettisoned their decision to remove crosses, Bibles and other religious symbols from a historic campus chapel. (Public Domain)

The leadership at Oklahoma's East Central University slammed on the brakes and jettisoned their decision to remove crosses, Bibles and other religious symbols from a historic campus chapel.

"We moved too quickly," ECU president Katricia Pierson said in a prepared statement. "We regret not taking time to pause and thoughtfully consider the request and the results of our actions on all of the students, faculty and community members who we serve."

In other words—they messed up.

The reversal came just a few hours after I unleashed our readers and listeners on the university—calling on them to engage the call to action in my new book, The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again.

Earlier in the week, the university had announced it would commence with a Christian cleansing of the Kathryn P. Boswell Memorial Chapel.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State had fired off a terse letter accusing the school of displaying "religious iconography."

"These displays include Latin crosses on the top of and inside the building, Bibles and a Christian altar," the letter stated. "While it is legal for a public university to have a space that can be used by students for religious worship so long as that space is not dedicated solely to that purpose, it is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display religious iconography on government property."

Much like the Islamic radicals, the atheists and secularists want to erase Christianity from the public marketplace. And they are waging their cultural jihad not with bombs—but with lawsuits.

As I wrote in The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again, it is time for patriots to mobilize and fight back. Appeasement is not the answer.

But even though the university reconsidered its plan—the cross and the Bibles are still in danger.

The university plans on convening a committee of students, faculty and community members to study the issue.

"This requires a more thoughtful and deliberate approach to the request," Pierson said.

In the spirit of thoughtfulness, perhaps the university could leave the cross atop the chapel instead of tossing it into a wood chipper? 

The university stressed they want to hear from a "diversity of viewpoints."

"ECU is committed to diversity and welcomes different perspectives," she said. "This is an opportunity to have a thoughtful dialogue."

It's been my experience that whenever a university mentions the word diversity, it does not include Christians—or conservatives.

So I recommend the alumni continue to withhold their donations until the study committee releases its decision.

Finally, I want to commend the readers of this column. You folks truly embraced the message in The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again.  When people of faith stand together, we can facilitate change—and we did at East Central University. Well done, folks.

Todd Starnes is host of "Fox News & Commentary," heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter. His latest book is The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again.


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