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A news item in Faith Today, a Christian magazine, contained a troubling story. It concerned the University of Manitoba’s action in suspending an unnamed Coptic Christian medical student who expressed his personal opinions on abortion and the ownership of firearms on Facebook. (The Copts are Egypt’s largest Christian denomination, broadly similar in doctrine and worship to Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.)
Pro-life views were for centuries the default position of the vast majority of Christians (not to mention Jews, Muslims, and members of other religious groups), and millions of Canadians today subscribe to those or similar views. Yet, the University (which began as a church college) has called this student every name in the book, including ‘misogynistic and hostile to women.’ Though the student has apologized repeatedly (!) he will not change his beliefs, and therefore is considered to be having ‘a negative impact on the learning and work environment.’