Dinesh D’Souza was born in Bombay, India, to catholic parents. He was schooled by Jesuits at Saint Stanislaus High School. He would later come to America as an exchange student. While here in America it appears he was introduced to Reformation theology and embraced it. He now claims to be a non-denominational Christian. He is the author of the book The Root of Obama’s Rage on which the movie Obama’s America: 2016 is based.
Probably in response to his religious upbringing, D’Souza became very conservative in his political views and served as an advisor in the Ronald Reagan Administration. His views on social issues are equally conservative. He has risen to celebrity status on the debate trail as an apologist championing the Christian worldview on a number of issues. He has debate and earned the respect of well-know atheist Christopher Hitchens.
D’Souza was appointed president of The King’s College in New York City on August 23, 2010, by the board of trustees. The King’s College is a Christian liberal arts college that is located in the financial district of New York City. Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ Dr. Bill Bright was instrumental in helping The King’s College overcome its financial debts and reinvigorate the school.
When D’Souza moved from California to take up residency in New York to assume his responsibilities as the new president, his wife Dixie stayed behind in California. That should have been a clue to the board that something was not quite right in the D’Souza household. That clue unfortunately found fruition recently.
On September 28, 2012, D’Souza was one of several speakers at a conference in Spartanburg, S. C. defending the Christian worldview and how to make the Christian faith applicable to daily life. He was in the company of a young woman named Denise Odie Joseph II. Later when one of the event organizers, Tony Beam, transported the two to a hotel they appeared to check into the same room. The next morning when he returned to escort D’Souza back to the conference, he called D’Souza’s room and he replied, “We’ll be down in ten minutes.”
When another conference organizer Alex McFarland learned the next day of D’Souza’s behavior he called him and asked if he had stayed in the same room with his fiancé. D’Souza purportedly admitted they had shared a room but “nothing happened.” He further admitted they were engaged and when McFarland asked if he had filed for divorce from his wife of twenty years, D’Souza replied he had “recently.”
Court records showed he filed for divorce on October 4, 2012, after the conference was over, but he maintained the filing had been in the works weeks prior. When asked how he could be engaged to another woman while still married to his wife, D’Souza said he had consulted an attorney and it was legal. His answer showed he was oblivious to Christian beliefs about marriage. After the news broke on October 16, 2012, D’Souza commented the next day, “I had no idea that it is considered wrong in Christian circles to be engaged prior to being divorced.”
Focus on the Family marriage expert and family formation studies Glenn Stanton said, “It’s disappointing that he was interested in the legal standpoint but not in the Christian standpoint.” Tony Beam said, “It certainly surprises me. I mean I certainly would think that if you’ve been in conservative evangelical circles … that you would, at some point, kind of pick up on the idea that announcing an engagement to a woman when you are still legally married to another woman would be a problem.”
When these events became known to the board of trustees a telephone conference was held with D’Souza and the board members. On October 18, 2012, D’Souza resigned as president of The King’s College. He says Joseph and he are “trying to do the right thing” and have decided to suspend their engagement. Board chairman and now interim president Andy Mills said they are praying for D’Souza.
It seems incredible that a man as intelligent as D’Souza could be so ignorant about the Christian doctrine on traditional marriage when he has defended it from same-sex marriage assaults. It seems just as incredible that the board of trustees would vouchsafe the presidency of The King’s College to a man who apparently had unresolved marital problems from the outset. But we are all human and mistakes are made.
Someone should have connected the dots. That being said let us heed the words of Paul, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted (Galatians 6:1).”
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