UCLA okays mention of ‘Jesus’
June 9, 2009
Charlie Butts — OneNewsNow
A freedom-of-speech case on a major university campus has ended on a positive note.
Christina Popa is one of several students whose personal statements will be read aloud during graduation at UCLA this coming Saturday. During the approval process, Popa was informed by a faculty member that her reference to Jesus would have to be deleted or changed. Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt of The Pray In Jesus’ Name Project tells OneNewsNow that all Popa wanted to do was to thank Jesus in her submitted comments.
“But no, the faculty advisor, Dr. Pamela Hurley, wrote back to her an email saying that she could not use the word ‘Jesus’ in her graduation speech,” explains Klingenschmitt. “She would have to say ‘God’ instead of ‘Jesus’ because Jesus might offend people.” Reportedly Hurley cited the “sheer diversity of religious beliefs” at the school as making her uncomfortable in reading a reference to Jesus.
Popa posted the email interchange on Facebook — prompting Klingenschmitt to take action.
“And as soon as I became aware of this, I put out a press release and I emailed that to the chancellor at UCLA, Gene Block, and the provost, Scott Waugh — and within two hours UCLA repented and reversed their position,” he explains.
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That is important to Klingenschmitt, who was booted out of the Navy for insisting on praying in Jesus’ name while appearing in public in uniform.
