A part-time instructor in the BYU philosophy department who wrote an opinion piece opposing the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the traditional institution of marriage will no longer teach at BYU for the time being.

"The philosophy department made the decision not to rehire Jeffrey Nielsen as a part-time instructor," said Carri Jenkins, university spokeswoman. "The department made the decision because a recent opinion piece written by Mr. Nielsen publicly contradicted and opposed an official statement made by the First Presidency, and that is in violation of university policy."

Jenkins said the decision was the prerogative of the philosophy department and no higher officials needed to approve the action.

According to the Associated Press, Nielsen received a letter on June 8 from Daniel Graham, chairman of the Department of Philosophy, informing him of the department's decision.

"I believe opposing gay marriage and seeking a constitutional amendment against it is immoral," said Nielsen, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, in a June 4 op-ed piece in The Salt Lake Tribune. "God is not the author of incoherence or injustice, but we humans often are."

Copyright Brigham Young University 15 Jun 2006