Fuelling ‘Snowflake’ Stereotypes?

Impact’s Amy Evans reflects on the University of Nottingham’s treatment of Father David Palmer and argues it is representative of a larger issue of censorship and intolerance on university campuses.

Earlier this academic year, the University of Nottingham refused to acknowledge the appointment of Catholic Chaplain Father David Palmer following concerns over the manner in which he had expressed his religious beliefs online. Despite the University’s U-turn on the decision, the fact that his position was ever questioned as a result of his speech raises major concerns about the state of religious tolerance, and the tolerance of others’ views more generally, on campus.

The specific comments made by Mr. Palmer regarded abortion and euthanasia, two points of particular importance in the Catholic faith. Using Twitter, Father David Palmer expressed his belief that euthanasia is “to kill the vulnerable”, while in a later tweet, as part of a criticism of US President Joe Biden, he referred to abortion as the “slaughter of babies”. A number of days later, the University officially refused to accept Father Palmer as the University’s Catholic Chaplain, citing the manner in which he expressed his religious opinions as the reason.

The Times reported that Father David Palmer was asked by the University to use more inclusive terminology when voicing his views online, yet he regarded this as “unacceptable policing of religious belief” and refused to make changes. Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that euthanasia constitutes “a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person” and abortion as equivalent to infanticide, an “abominable” crime. Contrary to the University’s claims, Father David Palmer did not divulge from Catholic teaching in opinion or language. His choice of words was synonymous with central Catholic authority, and his decision to use social media to talk about his beliefs seems in tandem with the Catholic teaching of “[preaching] the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ”. How can the University expect a Catholic Chaplain to preach anything else but the core tenets of the Catholic religion? Further, as a community of religious, racial and socioeconomic plurality, the University of Nottingham prides itself on inclusivity. According to the University’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, which all students and staff are expected to abide by, it is “a community where everyone can contribute and be appreciated for who they are”. And yet, where is the evidence of such tolerance toward Father Palmer?

Do the University’s actions, then, constitute unjustified censorship of the Catholic faith? What is for sure is that the University of Nottingham risks contributing to growing concerns regarding censorship and a homogenisation of political discourse on university campuses. Parliaments’ Joint Committee on Human Rights reported that, too often, controversial debates or non-mainstream views are shut down at university, rather than allowing students to confront such differences in opinion. The Committee, which is chaired by Harriet Harman, raised concerns that in a similar fashion, safe-space policies on campuses are “problematic” because they “often lead to the marginalisation of minority groups’ views”.

Although, indeed, the Catholic faith is not one of a minority, Father David Palmer’s failed appointment is not the first incident whereby the University has seemed to censor Catholic belief on campus. Back in 2019, Nottingham midwifery student Julia Rynkiewicz was suspended from her hospital placements for almost four months due to her involvement in the prolife ‘Nottingham Students for Life’ society. The Students’ Union even got involved when they denied the group affiliation until the society threatened to take legal action. The University stated that they “support the rights of all students to bodily autonomy and access to safe, legal abortion services, which is the position in Law”, failing to comment on their failure to allow Julia to speak freely about her faith without unfair repercussion. Clearly, the introduction of the ‘Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill’, requiring universities to defend free speech and “to help stamp out unlawful silencing” , by the Government is necessary and most welcome. This legislation extends to both the University of Nottingham and the Students’ Union, and they should do well to heed it.

Exposure to others’ opinions sparks debate, and this should always be welcomed and never avoided. Our cognitive and spiritual development is reliant on our ability to access platforms where we may freely debate our conflicting opinions. Listening to views that do not align with our own does not mean that we are agreeing with these beliefs, but rather that we are learning from them. We are expanding our awareness and coming into our own. To develop our moral compass, we must first be exposed to opinions with which we disagree. We must speak up for what we believe in and out against what we believe is harmful. Most importantly, we must educate those who are unfamiliar with our perspectives and listen as others seek to educate us. Any conflict of opinion is an opportunity to grow; how else are we to learn what we do and do not agree with?

I disagree with Father David Palmer’s opinions on abortion and euthanasia. I am pro-choice. I do not, however, resent his use of social media to express his religious belief. In fact, I welcome it. By refusing to allow those with differing beliefs to speak freely in multi-faith settings, we are fulfilling the snowflake stereotype; “easily offended and lacking resilience”. As the ‘Covid-19 Generation’, we are anything but. To borrow the words of Ann Furedi, former CEO of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (‘BPAS’), we should “let Catholic students decide individually if they want [Father David Palmer’s] counsel”. After all, we are encouraged to explore divergent opinions within our university studies. This case should be no different.

By Amy Evans

Photography by Rian Patel and Megan Wilde Illustration by Ciara Lurshay Page Design by Chiara Crompton