It's even more disappointing to read that students at an evangelical Christian university demonstrated not only this sort of political and intellectual close-mindedness, but also an intolerance that ill-becomes students of any university.
According to TheHill.com,
Dozens of students and faculty at Taylor University in Indiana reportedly walked out of a graduation ceremony Saturday minutes before Vice President Pence took the stage to deliver the commencement address.One student said that she “... thought it was a really inappropriate decision [to invite the Vice-President of the United States]. I think his presence makes it difficult for everyone at Taylor to feel welcomed.”
The protest, which was planned prior to Saturday’s ceremony, comes after the university community debated the appropriateness of Pence’s appearance at the Christian liberal arts institution.
Are the Taylor students so psychologically fragile that they simply can't bear to hear a speech given by someone who holds views they think are wrong? Would they have walked out of a speech given by a prominent Muslim speaker who endorses sharia, a legal/theological system which promotes theocracy, the oppression of women, and the total proscription of homosexuality? Would these students and faculty have walked out on a minority speaker who makes a career of disparaging "whiteness," a discourse which often camouflages base race hatred in sociological jargon?
Another student declared that, “Inviting Vice President Pence to Taylor University and giving him a coveted platform for his political views makes our alumni, faculty, staff and current students complicit in the Trump-Pence Administration's policies, which we believe are not consistent with the Christian ethic of love we hold dear.”
Well, let's set aside the question of what grievance, exactly, these students and faculty have against the Trump administration and consider how best to be consistent with the "Christian ethic of love they hold dear."
It is, after all, simply rude and personally insulting to walk out of a speech about to be given by someone who is an invited guest of the college one attends. It demonstrates contempt and scorn for the guest, it's disrespectful and unkind, and it's deeply dismaying that Christian students would've been encouraged to treat someone this way by ostensibly Christian adults among the faculty.
All young people, but especially Christians, should be taught to listen courteously and humbly to opposing points of view, to honor others as human beings even if they think they're mistaken in some of their judgments, and to treat them with dignity and kindness even though they believe he or she is in error.
Christians are taught that it is this loving attitude toward their fellow Christians (Mike Pence is a Christian) which will identify them as sincere followers of Jesus Christ.
Christians, moreover, are taught to love their enemies. Certainly this includes mere political opponents - people with whom they have policy disagreements -but it's surely not a display of love to give a guest the equivalent of a raised middle finger by turning one's back and tacitly declaring that he's not worth their time nor attention.
The few dozen students and faculty at Taylor University who chose to insult the Vice President rather than extend to him the courtesy of listening seem to have overlooked this crucial part of their Master's teaching and have brought discredit upon themselves, their school and the Way that they profess to follow.
Most of Taylor’s graduating class of 494 students remained for Pence’s speech and gave the former Indiana GOP governor a standing ovation after the walkout.
Perhaps some of these students even disagreed with what the Trump administration is doing at home and abroad and will vote against them next year. Nevertheless, their open-mindedness, politeness, and hospitable welcome brought credit to themselves and their university.
