A professor at the University of California at Los Angeles last spring prohibited a graduating student from saying “I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” in her own graduation speech. Christina Popa says other students were permitted to have their speeches read aloud at a pre-graduation ceremony. Christina was told she would also be allowed, but only if she didn’t mention Jesus.

UCLA Biology Professor Dr. Pamela Hurley censored Christina’s proposed speech, saying: “UCLA is a public university where the doctrine of separation of church and state is observed.”

The professor proposed a censored version of Christina’s proposed speech, deleting any reference to Jesus Christ.

When Christina objected, Dr. Hurley threatened, “If you prefer, Christina, I can read none of what you wrote. I am very sorry that this is a problem for you.”

Former Navy chaplain Klingenschmitt understood all too well. His career ended when he refused to quit praying in Jesus’ name.

“I am not Christina’s personal spokesman, but I admire her courage,” he said. “Jesus is not an illegal word, and UCLA has no business censoring her speech, especially if they claim to celebrate ‘academic freedom.’

“Instead, Dr. Hurley has terribly misapplied her own twisted idea of the separation of church and state. As a Government school, UCLA has absolutely no right to prohibit Christina’s freedom of religious expression, and she’s earned the right to speak her own words at her own graduation.

“UCLA is crossing the line of separation, not Christina, and we pray UCLA will repent of their anti-Christian discrimination.”

Want to read more? CLICK HERE to read whether faith in Jesus is just too shocking for the news media to handle.
CLICK HERE to consider more about why the media is offended by people of faith
To read “Why do they want to censor Jesus?” CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE to consider whether we are headed for a God-free society
CLICK HERE to read about recent legal efforts to ban church bells
And CLICK HERE to consider a British journalist’s concern that Christianity is becoming criminalized in Western society.