A 37-year-old Christian theology lecturer in the United Kingdom is suing his former employer after being fired and allegedly threatened with a referral to counterterrorism authorities for a social media post discussing the Christian view of homosexuality.
“Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this [because] they’re busy apologising for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true,” Dr. Aaron Edwards, a theologian who formerly taught at the Methodist-run Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, wrote in a February post on X.
“This is a ‘Gospel issue’, by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour,” Edwards’ post stated.
Cliff College suspended Edwards in March, following the theologian’s social media post, and allegedly threatened to report the lecturer to the British Prevent counter-terrorism program, a claim denied by the college, Christian newspaper Harbinger’s Daily reported.
Edwards was later fired for “bringing the college into disrepute,” according to Harbinger’s Daily.
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The lecturer was dismissed for allegedly refusing to delete the controversial social media posts, according to Christian Today, with Cliff College claiming that Edwards’ posts violated the institution’s social media policy.
Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, sacked and threatened to report theologian Dr. Aaron Edwards for a viral tweet in which he said homosexuality is “invading the church.” https://t.co/SovCf5tpuU
— News Pug (@news_pug) March 20, 2023
The language the theologian used in his social media post “is inappropriate and unacceptable and does not represent either the views or ethos of Cliff College,” the college said in a statement shared with Christian Today.
Homosexuality is considered an “abomination,” according to the Bible, a view held by all major Abrahamic faiths.
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Edwards sued Cliff College, seeking damages and accusing the institute of harassment, discrimination, and unlawful termination, Harbinger’s Daily reported.
Specifically, Edwards accused Cliff College of being disproportionate in its handling of the situation, with the dismissal proceedings lacking “requisite fairness.”
“Anyone concerned about academic freedom, Christian freedoms and free speech should be deeply concerned by what has happened to me,” Edwards told British newspaper The Telegraph.
The Christian Legal Center is helping Edwards with his lawsuit against his employer.
Edwards claimed that his termination resulted in him suffering “severe physical distress” and harmed his ability to seek employment elsewhere in the British higher education system, Christian Today reported.
“The tweet was not defamatory; it was not an attack on any colleague or individual; it was not abusive; and it was not an extremist religious view,” Edwards said, according to Christian Today.
“It was addressed to evangelicals as a point of doctrine, and it has been misunderstood by many who wish to cause personal and institutional trouble for those who express that view,” he said, the outlet reported.
“As internal processes remain ongoing, we are unable to respond to specific issues,” a spokesperson for the college told The Telegraph.
“As a Methodist institution, Cliff College is committed to being a safe and hospitable place where those with differing convictions are welcomed and encouraged to live and learn together as faithful disciples of Christ,” the representative said, according to the newspaper.
