Secularism and Christianity on Campus

[MatCauthorn]

A new book shows the depths which religious paranoia has plumbed:

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44670

"Fish Out of Water: Surviving and Thriving as a Christian on a Secular Campus," suggests that universities are actively trying to turn Bible-believing Christians into evil, godless atheists. Check out this quote from the page above:

"From the perspective of a parent with college-age children, I thank Abby Nye for confronting us so boldly with the reality of what Christian students face in the secular world of academia," said WND Editor Joseph Farah. "Children need to be prepared for this experience – or they need to avoid it. This book is a needed wakeup call to a nation with its head in the sand about indoctrination, brainwashing and mind control taking place at America's colleges and universities."

Brainwashing and MIND CONTROL?! When did stepping onto a college campus mean becoming a character in a bad 1950s sci-fi novel?

-----

Argh, calming down a bit. The assertions by this author, and in general by those who say that Christians are embattled on college campuses need only look at the lists of registered student organizations on any campus in America. The rolls are bursting with groups like Campus Crusade for Christ, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and countless other national and regional Christian groups. Christian meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, cookouts, laser-tag games, etc... are *everywhere* on college campuses. This is not exactly a picture of "indoctrination and mind control."

If a Christian wants to get an education that doesn't involve anything but material which has been vetted for its accordance with Biblical truth, they can go to any of the colleges like Biola University or Bob Jones University which are taught with a Christian bent. If, instead, they choose to go to a mainstream college or university, they shouldn't be surprised to find non-Christian views presented in classrooms and elsewhere. That doesn't mean anyone is trying to brainwash them - it just means that there are other beliefs in the world than Christianity.

And, of course, it goes without saying that it would be terrible if a student were, say, being graded down or harassed because of what s/he believes, but having a professor or students express views which are not your own is not the same thing as being discriminated against.

-- Mat

 

[michel]

All I can say is that we must be much better of in England than I thought.

 

[ayani]

my own college is rather liberal, and there's been some conflict between students of non-christian faiths / glbtq students and conservative christian students. we're trying to make everyone happy, but it's not easy!

 

[Lloyd]

My college, which is also Gracie's yes is rather liberal. But I think the problem is more that the secular humanism of the academics speaks an entirely different language than just about all Christian groups. For example, you can't quote Paul in a paper on Foucalt, even if you think Foucalt has a lot to do with Paul.

World Net Daily is another one of those online news sources that is more concerned with bashing liberals than offering genuine social commentary. I'd take anything you read from there with a grain of salt. There is no conspiracy against Christianity in academia. The academy is merely rooted in a centuries old intellectual tradition that is intended to be parallel to Christianity, not tied to it.

Also, if you want to see academics hostile to Christianity go back to the 18th and the 19th centuries. Those were the days when religion was considered the "opiate of the masses." Nowadays if you want to get published in serious circles you have to atleast show a tolerance and mild respect for religion. Nowadays the most vocal advocates for sympathetically understanding Islam on its own terms are coming from the same academic circles that would have likened it to the plague a century ago. I've read those types of authors. It's only a matter of time before that sympathy is applied to Christianity as well.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

The rolls are bursting with groups like Campus Crusade for Christ, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and countless other national and regional Christian groups. Christian meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, cookouts, laser-tag games, etc... are *everywhere* on college campuses. This is not exactly a picture of "indoctrination and mind control."

I think one could even argue that the opposite is true--that college students are indoctrinated into Christianity on college campuses. How often do nontheist groups attempt to seduce converts with games, parties, and friends?

 

[Lloyd]

The Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group at my school is really cool. There's quite a few Christians who are so different culturally from the rest of the campus, not just religiously that the group is one of the only places they really feel at home.

 

[MatCauthorn]

World Net Daily is another one of those online news sources that is more concerned with bashing liberals than offering genuine social commentary.

This is probably true, but the Christian Right's rhetoric about universities being havens for all the terrible things that secularists do is becoming more pointed by the day. There have already been a few recent cases of religious students / groups taking on professors who they felt to be "too liberal" and it's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

This whole situation is scary not because of the merits of any of these cases, but because it's intended to produce a chilling effect on professors' speech and the content of their classes. The message to academics is, "don't discuss anything that our group might find offensive, and we won't come after you. But if you do talk about things we find offensive, we'll file complaints, we'll put you on a blacklist, and we'll undermine your ability to gain tenure." Who wouldn't be concerned about such threats at their job? Professors have to feed their families too.

The worst part about this is that books like the one cited in the original post serve to put kids and parents on guard where they wouldn't have been before -- in fact, almost creating a problem where one didn't exist before. What would previously have been seen as a passing comment or an unrelated aside suddenly becomes the basis for a complaint or a lawsuit, because people are now looking for a bias.

This is all very disturbing because if people don't learn critical thought, and get exposed to lots of different kinds of ideas when they're in college, where else are they going to learn?

-- Mat

 

[Ormiston]

This is probably true, but the Christian Right's rhetoric about universities being havens for all the terrible things that secularists do is becoming more pointed by the day. There have already been a few recent cases of religious students / groups taking on professors who they felt to be "too liberal" and it's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

This whole situation is scary not because of the merits of any of these cases, but because it's intended to produce a chilling effect on professors' speech and the content of their classes. The message to academics is, "don't discuss anything that our group might find offensive, and we won't come after you. But if you do talk about things we find offensive, we'll file complaints, we'll put you on a blacklist, and we'll undermine your ability to gain tenure." Who wouldn't be concerned about such threats at their job? Professors have to feed their families too.

The worst part about this is that books like the one cited in the original post serve to put kids and parents on guard where they wouldn't have been before -- in fact, almost creating a problem where one didn't exist before. What would previously have been seen as a passing comment or an unrelated aside suddenly becomes the basis for a complaint or a lawsuit, because people are now looking for a bias.

This is all very disturbing because if people don't learn critical thought, and get exposed to lots of different kinds of ideas when they're in college, where else are they going to learn?

-- Mat

Christians follow a rigorous recruiting practice and then baulk if anyone else attempts the same thing. Chastising open-mindedness is the key to the longevity of Christianity. A revolution of thought would be a welcomed thing in my mind.

 

[Lloyd]

This whole situation is scary not because of the merits of any of these cases, but because it's intended to produce a chilling effect on professors' speech and the content of their classes. The message to academics is, "don't discuss anything that our group might find offensive, and we won't come after you. But if you do talk about things we find offensive, we'll file complaints, we'll put you on a blacklist, and we'll undermine your ability to gain tenure." Who wouldn't be concerned about such threats at their job? Professors have to feed their families too.-- Mat

Have you heard any about David Horowitz and his Academic Bill of Rights? I think it's passed in a few states. I'll try to find a link.

http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/abor.html

One of the fortunate parts about this is that it would be pretty easy to get Bible colleges and their alumni vehemently against this legislation. The language is so vague while draconian at the same time that it is possible to use it as a weapon to force Bible colleges to teach evolution, feminist theology, post modern literary criticism, or anything else that such schools are actively trying to exclude.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

This is probably true, but the Christian Right's rhetoric about universities being havens for all the terrible things that secularists do is becoming more pointed by the day. There have already been a few recent cases of religious students / groups taking on professors who they felt to be "too liberal" and it's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

To be fair, I think it's fairly well known that professors are more liberal than the population in general, and that students become more liberal while in college (in general).

Christians follow a rigorous recruiting practice and then baulk if anyone else attempts the same thing.

*Some* Christians do, yes.

 

[capthowdy]

A new book shows the depths which religious paranoia has plumbed:

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44670

"Fish Out of Water: Surviving and Thriving as a Christian on a Secular Campus," suggests that universities are actively trying to turn Bible-believing Christians into evil, godless atheists. Check out this quote from the page above:

"From the perspective of a parent with college-age children, I thank Abby Nye for confronting us so boldly with the reality of what Christian students face in the secular world of academia," said WND Editor Joseph Farah. "Children need to be prepared for this experience – or they need to avoid it. This book is a needed wakeup call to a nation with its head in the sand about indoctrination, brainwashing and mind control taking place at America's colleges and universities."

Brainwashing and MIND CONTROL?! When did stepping onto a college campus mean becoming a character in a bad 1950s sci-fi novel?

-----

Argh, calming down a bit. The assertions by this author, and in general by those who say that Christians are embattled on college campuses need only look at the lists of registered student organizations on any campus in America. The rolls are bursting with groups like Campus Crusade for Christ, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and countless other national and regional Christian groups. Christian meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, cookouts, laser-tag games, etc... are *everywhere* on college campuses. This is not exactly a picture of "indoctrination and mind control."

If a Christian wants to get an education that doesn't involve anything but material which has been vetted for its accordance with Biblical truth, they can go to any of the colleges like Biola University or Bob Jones University which are taught with a Christian bent. If, instead, they choose to go to a mainstream college or university, they shouldn't be surprised to find non-Christian views presented in classrooms and elsewhere. That doesn't mean anyone is trying to brainwash them - it just means that there are other beliefs in the world than Christianity.

And, of course, it goes without saying that it would be terrible if a student were, say, being graded down or harassed because of what s/he believes, but having a professor or students express views which are not your own is not the same thing as being discriminated against.

-- Mat

"feeble is the faith of those who need others for affirmation" - T.R.
I myself once thought of joining a christian college (and they are ripe full of them here) just so I could say they brainwashed me.