There's a strong strain of anti-intellectualism in American Evangelical Christianity. Through their allegiance with pro-big business corporate interests, they've worked actively to undermine scientific thinking.
From those corners, an often-repeated talking point is, "liberals and political correctness are ruining universities" or that "conservative students and professors are persecuted at the university level."
But that canard doesn't take into account that being anti-evolution, anti-climate change, anti-intellectual, and anti-factual aren't values that line up with most universities. Universities aren't bereft of anti-intellectual conservatives because of a vast liberal conspiracy. Rather, it's that people committed to anti-intellectual views aren't a good fit in an environment dedicated to being open-minded, inquiring, and growing intellectually.
An inherently regressive worldview of anti-intellectualism is different than unpopular ideas getting a hearing, differing opinions being debated, and sincere disagreements between people of differing philosophies that can be a part of on-going dialogue and clarification - all things that the academic tradition have cherished and nurtured for millennia. In other words, the level of agreement that is sought isn't that of homogeneous opinions but rather of agreeing to be intellectually honest and rigorous.
I have no interest in universities being populated by people who think just like me. No one is. But I do have an interest in them being populated with people who are willing to think.
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