Evangelical Cattle Drive: What happened to the universities?

We live in an individualistic culture enveloped in an autonomous age, fertile soil for the evangelical doctrines of “soul competency” and the priesthood of the believer (singular). The very idea of absolutes applicable to all believers is regularly discounted in light of the final accountability we owe to God individually. American evangelicals are comfortable with this autonomy; they are not comfortable with uncompromising biblical standards or with admonitions for failing to adhere to them. The evangelical concept of “just me and my Bible” has become so pervasive we rarely unite around creeds, confessions, or even common commitments. To have anyone (including ecclesiastical authority) call us to a biblical standard of Christian education . . . .Well, bless your heart, brother; we would rather not talk about it. From Bradley Heaths book "Millstones & Stumbling blocks"....

....There has been a steady movement towards social pragmatism and messianic ideals---so that the state is viewed as the sole originator of law, and its legislation aims to create a perfect social order...

...Since the rule of Christ and God's law has been restricted to individual commitment and (if anywhere) private conscience, man has seen himself as free to generate or reject, as his own ethical authority, moral ideals and obligation. Individualism and liberty become the only absolutes which govern interpersonal relations. To "be yourself" and do what is dictated by desire is the goal of life; thus responsibilities and standards of justice come to be seen as shackles. Such thinking has gained widespread endorsement, being promoted in secular schools and represented in popular culture...Greg L. Bahnsen, Theonomy in Christian Ethics Pg 8

Monday, February 8, 2010

What happened to the universities?

I was only going to send this to Rob so he would have something to read during his wee hr restlessness. But It might be helpful (enjoyable) to others.

Here are two posting from Wilson where he notes…. You need to understand the world before finding your place in it.

He makes some observations on why our universities became what they are, and when it took place. Mid 1800’s One side was getting ready to take a nap and the other side was trying to take everyone else’s thoughts captive.

These are both very good to nibble on, but one place I differ with Wilson is wrapped up in this sentence….. And on top of that, when someone proposes that their older student attend a liberal arts school that is seeking self-consciously to reestablish the old tradition, the parental (and Marxist) objection is often that "want their kid to be able to get a job." But before we think about getting a job, we need to train the next generation how to get a life.

On this point I see that, biblically, it is within the family, that the next generation should be trained to get a life. It should be from within the Christian family, with the church showing families how Gods word is more than sufficient! And when we do not do this, we have families with every member doing his or her own thing, you will watch your kids become sullen, directionless teenagers. Whoa to us, if we turn our backs on Gods reformation that is being played out right in front of us!

I learn a lot from Wilson but he has a soft spot in his heart for Christian schools that I do not share.

College as a Counter-Revolution
Topic: Education

Four Years to GoTopic: Education

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…Furthermore, the field of Christianity is the world. The Christian cannot be satisfied so long as any human activity is either opposed to Christianity or out of all connection with Christianity. Christianity must pervade not merely all nations, but also all of human thought. The Christian, therefore, cannot be indifferent to any branch of earnest human endeavor. It must all be brought into some relation to the gospel. It must be studied either in order to be demonstrated as false, or else in order to be made useful in advancing the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom must be advanced not merely extensively, but also intensively. The Church must seek to conquer not merely every man for Christ, but also the whole of man… 1913 J Gresham Machen

ouch! This explains so much "...by the dawn of this century the Marxist realized that direct attacks on Christianity did not persuade so much as provoke. They had more success with the argument that religion is a purely private matter-of no concern to the Government or to society....by the turn of the century the new alternatives to Christianity had convinced universities and the intellectuals. The clergy vanished from the administration of colleges their churchs had founded, and were replaced by professional educators of carefully neutral agnosticism....though Christians had built the west and comprised the majority of its western citizens.

Around 1900, American scholars and writers began to expurgate Christianity from our litature. This was a remarkable step.... The Christian scholars of the United States, however, decided that the heirs of Christiandom in this land did not need to know the history of christianity. Nineteen hundred years of effort were culled from our history books, and only that which tended to place Christianity in a ridiculous or intolerant light was retained...."
Otto Scott , Journal of Chrisitan Reconstruction 1985 , From the good guys at Chalcedon.

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the futility of their mind...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you may put on the new man which is created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness Eph4:17 , 4:23,24

A world view is a net work of presuppositions that are not testable by natural science, in terms of which, all experience is related and interpreted...our most basic convictions make up our world view and it is what we use to measure and test all we know and experience... Greg Bahnsen