March 31, 2008 | Calvin College | Great Hall East, Prince Conference Center | 7:30PM
Sponsored by the Paul B. Henry Institute
The annual Paul Henry Lecture, featuring Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, Illinois and 2002 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award will be at 7:30 p.m. on March 31, 2008 in the Prince Conference Center on the Calvin College Campus.
In 2000, plans to purchase a vacant Christian church and open a mosque in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights was met with extensive opposition from the community and city council. Mayor Koldenhoven took a stand within his community in support of the Al Salam Mosque Foundation, condemning bigotry and religious intolerance toward the Islamic community. He was subsequently defeated in his bid for relection in 2001.
In 2002, Koldenhoven received the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for political courage and public service. When asked how he decided to take his controversial stand in the community, Koldenhoven replied "I learned in grammar school about the First Amendment in which the first part of it says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and Jesus command in the Bible when he says to "love your neighbor." The decision was easy."
A reception will immediately follow the lecture in the Fireside Room at the Prince Conference Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.