In the last Catalyst, we reported that Bethany College allowed the performance of the anti-Catholic play/movie, Agnes of God. The league sent a letter to the president of the school, Dr. D. Duane Cummins, stating its objections and calling into question the propriety of a Christian college (Bethany is affiliated with the Disciples of Church) sponsoring an anti-Catholic play.
When the league received no response, a phone call to Dr. Cummins was made. He said he had been advised not to respond to our complaint because it had been determined (by whom?) that the play was not anti-Catholic. He also said that there were no problems attendant to the performance and that as far as he was concerned, it was a dead issue.
Well, it’s not a dead issue for the league. That is why we wrote to the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities, the school’s accrediting body. We stressed that it was our hope that this organization “will give due consideration to this incident when Bethany’s multicultural curriculum is being reviewed during the next accreditation process.”
By the way, one of our members, who is also an alumnus of Bethany, wrote a stinging letter to Cummins blasting the school for its anti-Catholicism. It just so happens that Bethany previously performed Sister Mary Ignatius, one of the all-time worst Catholic-bashing plays. Members can write to the president at the college; the address is simply Bethany, West Virginia 26032.
