North Central University has had the spotlight this week for its stance on homosexuals. The private Christian university in downtown Minneapolis was targeted earlier this week by Soulforce Equality Riders, a caravan of people traveling the country protesting universities with religious-based opposition to homosexuals. Homosexuals, however, are not the only casualties of North Central’s failure to enter the 21st century.

Two editors from North Central University’s student-newspaper, Northern Light, were removed from their posts after refusing to publish an issue censored by university administration. The issue originally would have published criticisms of North Central’s stance on homosexuality.

News Editor Chuck Bahr and Editor in Chief Hope Bahr were dismissed after refusing to allow university officials to read and edit stories before publication. Chuck and Hope Bahr are married to each other. The new news editor will be picked by faculty members overseeing the paper.

Although North Central University has legal authority over Northern Light, its decisions to censor and whitewash news stories are deplorable.

The central pillar of any journalistic institution is the pursuit of the truth. If newspapers fail to ask the questions that bring us closer to truth out of politics, financial consideration or because of censorship, they fail to fulfill their central mission. And we are all worse off because of it.

The trend at North Central University of censoring publication is a trend that should be extinct. After all, if one cannot ask questions or criticize on college campuses, what is the reason for that campus to exist?

Censorship works hand-in-hand with tyranny and bigotry. North Central’s decision to act on behalf of censorship certainly makes it clear where its priorities lie.