Bison(s) For Sale

This is my letter in its entirety to the President, Executive Vice President, Assistant Director of the American Studies Institute and the Director of the Alumni Office at Harding University today. Please keep HU and its leaders in prayer and approach them peacefully and in love as we confront this ugly business:

Dr. Burks, Dr. Carr, Col. Reely,

I hope you're well today. I have a grave concern and wanted to raise it with you.

I learned this week that Harding's ASI series this year is featuring Ann Coulter, and I am distressed. She is not a Christian and is not a loving person. Her comments are mean spirited and vile. I fear that Harding is selling its soul for donor-dollars motivated more by political activism than the cause of the Kingdom. I have disagreed increasingly with the political and public face of the university recently, yet I love Harding and have been willing to overlook political stances with which I disagree. Paying Coulter to come and blare in the Benson with her crass, mean, vapid bluster is too much. She does not promote the cause of Christ or loving reconciliation to the world. She defies the gospel, and I do not think she's coming to extol righteousness or godly politics. Her reputation precedes her, despite any benign message she may deliver from the Benson stage.

I appreciate your devotion to the school and value our friendship. I write today to confide in you my astonished disappointment. I hope that Harding’s working relationship with the Young America Foundation and other political donors will not outweigh the threat of alienating thousands of faithful alumni. My comments may ring hollow in that I have not contributed much money since I graduated, but I have assured Development that we would begin contributing next year when our student loans are paid off. I cannot make that promise now. In fact, unless or until the Administration and ASI repent of these action and change tack, I regret that we cannot, in good conscience, support an institution that takes a public stance so counter to love, faith and reconciliation in the spirit of Christ.

You have made decisions to ban certain other Christian speakers and entertainers out of concern for offending more conservative constituents in the Church of Christ. I hope and pray that you now will reconsider Coulter’s invitation, even if Harding must buy out her contract, for the same reasons. Coulter’s message, writing and activism are not consistent with the cause of Christ and Harding’s mission and work. I pray earnestly that Harding and ASI are not adopting her hate-filled approach to punditry and political speech. She is in a category with Michael Moore, Al Franken and Howard Stern and does not contribute constructively to a valuable political conversation. Please rescind her invitation and change this course of action.

I hope that we can discuss this candidly. I do not want to become alienated from HU or those, like you, who serve her selflessly. I love and admire the faculty and my friends who lead me always closer to the Lord and have prepared me for service in the Kingdom. This decision to invite Coulter, however, is thwarting their - and your - efforts to give glory to God and transform Harding into a tool for peace and loving power.

Please let me know what you think about these issues. I hope I am not the only alum from whom you're hearing on this issue. I assure you, I have heard from dozens in the last few days who share my heartbroken disappointment.

May God bless us all.