LEUVEN, Belgium -- People can believe a lot of
crazy stuff nowadays and not be fired from their jobs, but a senior
research associate at the Catholic University of Leuven learned that you
better not believe that God can heal.
The university is the oldest and largest in Belgium.
It was founded in the 1400s under the approval of the Vatican. But as
modern Europe has secularized, so has the University, and even here,
faith has come under fire.
Fernando Pauwels worked at the University's Research
Institute for Work and Society for 11 years without a negative review
when he was suddenly fired.
He said, "If you would have asked me, 'Do you get a
new contract?,' I would say, 'Yes, of course.' 'Do you have problems
with your colleagues?' I would say 'No, everything is fine.' So there
were no issues there. A week later I'm out, and I'm like, 'What
happened?'"
What happened was the Catholic University's great
displeasure with Fernando's ministry website, Powerthroughlove.be that
included testimonies of people healed through the power of God.
Pauwels said, "The University saw some of these
movie clips of people being healed and giving their testimonies, and
called them 'unscientific.'"
The university, which declined our interview
request, told CBN News in a statement that "when a researcher working on
matters of a scientific or medical nature allows religion to take the
place of science, he compromises the scientific reputation of the
university and breaks the bonds of trust with the university."
Pauwels says, "If I'm fired because of believing
something unscientific like that, that Jesus Christ still heals, I'm
fine with that. But it's still wrong."
Ward Kennes of the Christian Democratic Party, who
serves in the Flemish parliament told CBN News, "I was very much
surprised that a Catholic university, which is also a university where I
have studied myself, was behaving like this."
Rik Torfs, a faculty member at the university, is a
national media figure who wrote about the case for the Flemish
newspaper, The Standard (***italics***). He said, "Freedom of religion
means people can believe anything they like or anything they feel
attracted to."
Torfs was recently elected faculty dean at the
university, and had told CBN News that, if elected, he would re-hire
Fernando Pauwels.
Pauwels, who has a heart for the persecuted church,
especially in Pakistan, told us he feels privileged to have suffered for
Christ, but he also wants those Christians who come after him to be
protected from discrimination.
"One day I will stand before the Lord and He will say 'Well done.' That's all that counts. That's all that matters," he said.
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