A messianic Jew is suing the University of New Orleans for stopping her from distributing a tract about Jesus. Michelle Beadle, an evangelist with CJF (formerly Christian Jew Foundation) Ministries, says school officials told her the pamphlet could offend people on campus.
In October 2002 Beadle asked university officials for permission to distribute a tract titled "You Can Say Anything … Almost!" They balked at the sentence, "Jews should believe in Jesus."
The American Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on July 28. The ACLJ claims the action violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The suit asks the court to declare the policy unconstitutional and prohibit the university from enforcing it.
Stuart Roth, ACLJ senior counsel, said the law is overly broad and represents a case of prior restraint. He said universities may regulate the time, place, and manner of public speech, but not its content.
A CJF representative declined to comment.
Susan Perlman of Jews for Jesus chided the school. "The university is supposed to be a marketplace of ideas, where students can explore many points of view, including unpopular ones," Perlman told CT. "It is tragic that religious literature which makes the case for Jesus as the Messiah and Savior is an idea the school administration finds unacceptable."
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
We’ve got little information on Jesus’ appearance and personality. But that’s the way God designed it.españolFrançais
But experts say it can offer opportunities for leaders and congregations to grow.
