At Fundy U it is not only encouraged that the students do their good works before men to be seen of them, it’s downright required.
Chapel is on the beginning of the extra spiritual walk that is demanded from the students at fundamentalists colleges. For some students “Christian Service” outreach will be a requirement, for everyone it will be very, very strongly suggested. As a reward for fulfilling the Great Commission by doing skits for neighborhood children and yelling at drunks, your collegian (think fundy fraternity) may receive points towards a trophy. This accolade will be awarded with great ceremony before the entire student body to congratulate these students who are evidently a little less unprofitable than the other servants. Blow that trumpet a little louder. I don’t think enough people are looking yet.
Students at Fundy U will also be attending an evening prayer meeting with their roommates whether they like it or not. At some institutions the unwritten mandate goes so far as to state that someone in the room must actually be praying for 10 out of the allotted 15 minutes. Evidently God takes the same attitude toward 8 1/2 minute prayers as He does toward 9 1/2 percent tithing. This time limit presents a problem since it only leaves 5 minutes for roommates to give competing testimonies of how many people got saved on their outreach that afternoon.
There will also be required Bible classes for every student in which students will learn important spiritual truths such as why Rahab was wrong to lie when she tried to save the spies and how if you turn your head sideways and squint you can see the shape of a cross being formed by the furniture in the Hebrew tabernacle. For all classes students will need to purchase approximately 1,983 3×5 cards in preparation for taking KJV Bible verse quizzes. Even Algebra classes may have a verse quiz from time to time. Be prepared.
Work for the night is coming and be sure to document your efforts well. It’s not like you have a choice and there may be a trophy in it for you.
picture of BJU girl’s prayer group courtesy Life magazine.
During my junior year I finally found an extension I wanted to go on (to be honest my desires were for one of the girls on the extension, not for the souls being force fed easy-believism), but since I was on every conceivable form of “probation” I was not allowed to go on extension. I visited one the admins to “discuss” it with him. During our discussion I asked him why I was allowed to go to the mall to buy clothes, but wasn’t allowed to go to the mall to pass out tracts. I received a permission slip in my box the next day.
Reading the College Week posts and comments here for the last couple of days, I am absolutely amazed as to what goes on at these “universities”. I never had the “pleasure” of attending one of these fine institutions.
I mean college for me, at a secular college, was a time of learning how to navigate in the real world and to be responsible for your own actions/decisions. I’ll never forget when I realized for the 1st time in college that “hey, I don’t have to go to any classses today if i don’t want to”. No excuse slips needed, like in high school. But when I would skip a class or a day, I realized that I was behind in the work. So I learned that being irresponsible and not going to class had negative ramifications.
That is just one example but my point is that part of the college experience is not only learning the material, it was preparing you for your life beyond college. The Fundy U’s that I have read about should not use the term “College” or “University” in their names. It is a lie. They should be called “(Fill in the name) Fundamental Training Center”. It seems like they feel they have to control every action, thought and appearance of the students or they may think for themselves (which is going to happen anyway). All to perpetuate their own legend and thought process.
My heart truly goes out to all of you who had to endure this grade-school level of control under the guise of higher education.
I’m anti-PCC now too, but for different reasons…
All students going to any of the aforementioned colleges know what they are getting into when they go…
That being said, I am a grad of a fundamental college (sort of) and find a lot of the rules pretty ridiculous. I still support them because I think there is a lot of good, but the bad (or silly) sure is hard to handle
no they don’t.
Ah, yes.
The Fundamentalist Trade School that I attended had a weekly Soul Winning Report, required to be filled in and submitted every Monday. Aside from the obnoxious and ever confusing terms such as soul winning, this and other forms of mandated spirituality reveal the driving force of Fundamentalism (and most evangelicalism): Childishness.
I’m proud to say that I have never, ever, ever won a soul.
Really? They don’e get the catalog?
I knew exactly what I was getting, and after living on my own for a couple of years, wasn’t really excited about it.
Who doesn’t know? Do they not read the catalogs?
What is the HTML tag so it shows as quoting what someone else said like you did above?
the tag is blockquote
The catalog does not contain the rulebook. Even if they received the rulebook (which is unlikely) any fundy college student can testify that not all the rules are written down. Add to that the downplaying and outright lying about things like accreditation and many students do indeed show up to fundy college having very little idea what they are in for.
I was roommates with a bunch of kids exactly like that.
Ok, fair enough, I was a different situation. Our school was small, so I guess it was different.
I actually thought PCC was accredited until just a little while ago, something at PCC must be accredited, just not everything. Is that right?
Mandated Spirituality – well said.
Extensions at BJ were like this. There always was a perception that not going on extensions made you less spiritual or made you a bad APC/PC or whatever they go by now. I would always tell my APC (and later, my PC) that my primary purpose in going to school was not so I could be out all weekend witnessing to people – my primary purpose in school was to get my degree! I’m not sayin’ it is wrong or bad to do that; I’m not spending thousands of dollars per year to teach kids how to sing “Deep and Wide” on Saturday when I have a 50-page paper due on Monday.
The nursing program is recognized for the purposes of licensing. As far as I know, that’s it.
@ Good Grief. . .This is how it works:
John Doe grows up in little sheltered life (refer to all previous posts on SFL for examples). Spends all day Sunday, every Wed. night, and every night during evangelistic/revival meetings in church. Is brought up by very strict conservative parents. . .Has a Pastor who basically thinks he (the pastor) is God. Is homeschooled or attends small, private Christian school in church basement (with teachers w/ no education, but a “good heart”). Media access is extremely limited.
John Doe (even if he secretly questions his church/beliefs/parents), is far too afraid to ever say anything for fear of punishment, and basically “shunning” (you don’t understand unless you’ve lived in this type of environment).
John Doe lives his life under a huge weight of guilt. He prays to get saved 1,000 times. He does everything the “youth pastor”, pastor, and his parents say he should do, to try to “please God.” When the time comes for college he is given the choice of two or three “approved” colleges.
John Doe has no choice but to go to one of these colleges to “prepare for the Lord’s work”. He’s been told that is his life’s calling and “God’s perfect will”. If he should refuse to go to one of these colleges, his parents and church will be furious and he will probably literally be out on the streets at the age of 17 or 18 (which, after his sheltered life, is not such a great thought).
So, there you go. . that’s how it happens. . .
Oh, and the mentioned-above process is for girls too, except girls are even more sheltered and unprepared to live in “the real world.” They are sent to Fundy U for the express purpose of marrying a good fundy guy who is preferably going to be a pastor, youth pastor, evangelist, or missionary. Their only job in life will be to bear lots of children, cook, clean, etc. . .
Yeah, I’m slanted.
I am a small Christian School grad, but my parents weren’t like that. I went to public school for a long time, but transferred to Christian school for my last year and a half at my own discretion.
Then I went to University, so my outlook is a bit different.
That’s how it’s supposed to be for all college students.
My freshman year at BJU I went on one extention the entire year & that one was a requirement to pass Freshman Orientation. I just didn’t have the time & couldn’t find anything that really interested me.
My sophomore year I took Education Psych & you were required to do some sort of mentoring. Us counseling majors got to spend 2 hours a week at a day care for less fortunate kids & it was counted for extention. So I was covered for that year, plus it looked even better on the card to say I ministered twice a week as oppossed to just once a week.
My junior year I found a fun one with friends where we went to the local YMCA & played basketball with the kids there, ate pizza, & counseled them. I can’t play basketball worth anything! The following year the ministry ended.
Finally my senior year I got in on a Sunday morning nursing home extention. That one was often sought after because it got you out of Sunday morning “mass” as we called it. Just sang hymns, even “I’ll fly away” which didn’t check on campus, & talked with the residents.
Extentions should be changed as voluntary only. It shouldn’t be forced, especially on freshmen who are learning how to juggle classes, possibly a job as well, & have something of a social life.
When a freshman, my sophomore roommate said to me, “Almost everytime you have to give the devotional in prayer group, you give it from Psalms. I’m concerned that you’re not having your personal devotions often enough.”
“Well there are 119 Psalms; now should we talk about how you lied that your parents were in town so that you could take cuts and spend the weekend with your girlfriend off campus?”
(crickets chirping)
What kills me is how everybody’s supposed to be gifted in the art of “leading” people to Christ. At BJ Academy, the dorm students were forced by our study hall monitors (you heard me right M-R, 7 – 10 PM) to do extension on Saturdays. Now, if you were in study hall, that means you weren’t pulling in a 3.0, so rather than spend Saturdays doing extra studying, you had to go to Columbia or Spartanburg and “lead” people to Christ. I had a small KJV Bible that fit into my pocket. I would walk a long way away, go into a store and read magazines, have a soda, etc. Then I would return and lie about what I had done. My last semester at the acad, I did find a good extension putting on puppet shows at a children’s hospital. At least I enjoyed that. What a total waste of time.
When I arrived at App State, I saw very active Christian groups that did all kinds of things to show God’s love to the community. What a breath of fresh air. I’ve always said I found more Christians at a state university than I ever did at a “Christian” university.
Don’t forget about the mandated “fun” too. It usually involves cheering for a soft drink or a certain color and a big ball.
If you don’t enjoy these reindeer games, you just aren’t spiritual enough.
Mandatory fun. Oy vey.
One summer on campus they had a ‘worker appreciation picnic’ in honor of all of us student workers. Nice, right? Not so much.
This was a required all-day event with nobody allowed to skip. Oh, and since it rained this turned into “8 straight hours locked in a gymnasium without being allowed to leave.”
The last 2 hours were spent in extremely awkward ‘testimony time’ interspersed with half-hearted chorus singing.
I’d rather not be appreciated so much, thanks.
I absolutely hated BOJO, and saying I knew what I was getting into couldn’t be farther from the truth. My only option would have been to transfer to a real school and start over. My future sister-in-law did that after 2 years, she just couldn’t take the mind games anymore. Her new state institution was kind and gave her 3 hours for philosophy.
There are two things you won’t find there-love and grace, they have been replace by appearance and conformity.
So basically you have to go through the motions and play the game to graduate. Session after session with my hall leader and dorm sup. and the draft dodging Tony Miller and the smartest man in the world (just ask him) Jimmy Berg where we would discuss my lack of devotions, and not going on extension or church on Wednesday or Sunday night.
@RJW
“John Doe grows up in little sheltered life (refer to all previous posts on SFL for examples). Spends all day Sunday, every Wed. night, and every night during evangelistic/revival meetings in church. Is brought up by very strict conservative parents. . .Has a Pastor who basically thinks he (the pastor) is God. Is homeschooled or attends small, private Christian school in church basement (with teachers w/ no education, but a “good heartâ€). Media access is extremely limited.
John Doe (even if he secretly questions his church/beliefs/parents), is far too afraid to ever say anything for fear of punishment, and basically “shunning†(you don’t understand unless you’ve lived in this type of environment).
John Doe lives his life under a huge weight of guilt. He prays to get saved 1,000 times. He does everything the “youth pastorâ€, pastor, and his parents say he should do, to try to “please God.†When the time comes for college he is given the choice of two or three “approved†colleges.
John Doe has no choice but to go to one of these colleges to “prepare for the Lord’s workâ€. He’s been told that is his life’s calling and “God’s perfect willâ€. If he should refuse to go to one of these colleges, his parents and church will be furious and he will probably literally be out on the streets at the age of 17 or 18 (which, after his sheltered life, is not such a great thought).
So, there you go. . that’s how it happens. . .”
Wow! How did you find out my biography? I am going through the shunning right now and I am in my thirties!
Often during the mandated spirituality at my FU I would go on “visitation” to “counsel” some good friends of mine. Often this “mentoring” involved going to a restaurant, sometimes it involved going to play basketball or going fishing.
Then on my report I would be able to mark 6 hours spent on “discipleship”.
Where I went we were also required to join an “approved” church within a few weeks of the start of the semester, attend three times a week (we were allowed only a few absences), be involved in weekly ministry at our church for at least three of our years there, and intern (usually done at a church for the non-education majors). Paperwork was required for ALL of the previously mentioned things.
Wait, some of you had fundy equivalents of fraternities and sororities! Heathens!
@Amanda “Wait, some of you had fundy equivalents of fraternities and sororities! ”
Yes. They were called collegians at PCC. There were even “spiritual” and “non-spiritual” collegians. Of course that was off the record.
Great post. But I am somewhat confused. The perfect number of verses to memorize from the KJB is 1611. Imagine that! What I would put on the remaining 372 cards?
@RJW
Bravo. Apt description.
What totally astounded and disgusted me about “mandated spirituality” in college was that many times the leadership enforcing it on other students were students themselves. Frankly at my (hurriedly mumbled) college the student leadership sucked. Many times after they told you to do something you found out later that they were fighting their own vices or were “struggling” in that very area.
My favorite was when a “student leader” would preach at us and keep us up past our curfew… because evidently we needed to listen to a douche like him tell us how wrong we were. The next week we found out that he was “struggling” with the same “thing” he preached against. The irony… the hypocrisy…
Great post, as always. I never was forced to attend a fundy college (thank God), but I do remember very well a fundy youth program my pastor decided to use when I was about 15. I think it was called Proteens or something? Anyway, the youth group consisted of me and my brother (since that’s how small my fundy church was). We had a daily devotional we had to do, which were checked every week by the youth leaders. I still remember frantically scribbling in 3 or 4 days’ worth of devotions at once before leaving for church since I would “forget” half the time! There were also mandated acts of Christian service, and we had to complete at least one every month–it could be passing out tracts, giving someone the gospel, or (for less points) helping out a widow or something. Seeing as we had huge difficulties talking to strangers (being strictly sheltered does that to you), had an extremely small social circle, and no self-confidence (since that equals pride), we accomplished almost no Christian service, and our points at the end of the quarter were abysmal. Apparently if you obtained high points, you could submit them for trophies and a trip to the annual conference, and my pastor just knew that a youth group raised under HIS teaching would have way more fire for God than those large youth groups!
Anyway, his pride received a large blow and he petulantly stopped the program with a public announcement before the sermon one night, and following it up with chewing us out publicly for our spiritual worthlessness for a good 15 minutes. I remember writhing under the verbal tongue-lashing at the same time as feeling the hugest weight of pressure off my shoulders!
Oh, MrsSaraN, I was in the church where Proteens started. Oh my, don’t get me started.
“@ Good Grief. . .This is how it works:
John Doe grows up in little sheltered life (refer to all previous posts on SFL for examples). Spends all day Sunday, every Wed. night, and every night during evangelistic/revival meetings in church. Is brought up by very strict conservative parents. . .Has a Pastor who basically thinks he (the pastor) is God. Is homeschooled or attends small, private Christian school in church basement (with teachers w/ no education, but a “good heartâ€). Media access is extremely limited.
John Doe (even if he secretly questions his church/beliefs/parents), is far too afraid to ever say anything for fear of punishment, and basically “shunning†(you don’t understand unless you’ve lived in this type of environment).
John Doe lives his life under a huge weight of guilt. He prays to get saved 1,000 times. He does everything the “youth pastorâ€, pastor, and his parents say he should do, to try to “please God.†When the time comes for college he is given the choice of two or three “approved†colleges.
John Doe has no choice but to go to one of these colleges to “prepare for the Lord’s workâ€. He’s been told that is his life’s calling and “God’s perfect willâ€. If he should refuse to go to one of these colleges, his parents and church will be furious and he will probably literally be out on the streets at the age of 17 or 18 (which, after his sheltered life, is not such a great thought).
So, there you go. . that’s how it happens. . .”
Wow, that’s pretty spot on with me too! Although thankfully, I was spared being forced to attend a Fundy college, only because my parents were already paying for my sister’s education at HAC, and they couldn’t afford to send me. So…I escaped by default, LOL! Still, there was HUGE pressure while attending my small Christian school to attend either HAC (first choice), or PCC. I would say about 85 percent of our church/school staff were from HAC or PCC. For some reason BJU was even too “liberal” for our church…although we used the BJU textbooks sometimes, when ABEKA didn’t cut it…
Oh, and you’re right, it is different for girls. They joke about going for their “Mrs. degree”, but it’s not really a joke. That was one of my sister’s main goals to get out of college. And, yes, her husband was, of course, going to be a pastor. Now, he’s driving a FedEx truck…
I’m one of the only people I know who escaped from four years of “bridal college” WITHOUT my Mrs. Heck, I didn’t even go on any dates those four years! Apparently being an independent thinker who loves to learn and has a feminist streak and average looks does that to you lol.
I remember when my *student* wrote on my course evaluation that I wasn’t spiritual enough because I watched too much TV, and I needed to read more books. This is a student who couldn’t get her basic work done and was barely passing. I had already gotten my degrees, thank you very much.
That mandated spirituality does everyone a disservice. She wasn’t really that out-of-the-ordinary in the grand scheme of things. In your 20s you’ve got the world on a string. In your 30s your hands get sweaty and your start to slip. In your 40s you let go of your sorry little string and realize God had you all along.
I don’t know what’s after that though. . . .
And see — I think this goes back to the whole distrust of education. Back in the day, ordinary “folk” distrusted a minister who had a degree. And in the process of shunning the elitism of a formal education for their undershepherds, they privileged a “mandated spirituality” like we’re describing here. It’s another kind of elitism, but one in which they are in control.
@MrsSarahN & Dan
I….wa…wa…was ….a…. Proteen…..Oh I can’t say it it’s too horrible… Oh the humanity! I… was a Proteen …. BLOB! There I said it… and it’s true… I probably still have the BLOB Button I wore to (public) school somewhere in my stack of junk. Mrs N you triggered a memory that I had beaten into submission and caged away until your post. Proteens was the main reason I quit going to church as a teenager. I just couldn’t live the Idylic Christian life the BoJo grads were selling. I knes I could never be the Christian that they were trying to mold everyone to. Sinless perfection wast the requirement if thou wert to be right with thy god, verily.
The Marine Corpss was a breeze after trying to keep all the IFB rules….
Now for the irony: When I started back to church guess where I returned to? You guessed it right back to that vomit… of course when I was 38 the Lord saved me and now at 47 I have escapped the fundy cult… but I still find pockets of fundy programming that prevail and must be dealt with.
Proteens was IFB cult programming at its best. Waterboarding would be a relief compared to the IFB manipulation techniques employed on impressionable children, teens and adults.
*shudder**
Don, be grateful it was only a button. The original Blobs wore beanies, yes, orange Blob beanies, to school. The schools (public at the time, there weren’t any private schools in Rocky Mount) called and asked him not to have the kids wear beanies – too distracting, so buttons it was. BTW, I’m FB friends with my former youth director who started Proteens. He’s a Piedmont Bible College grad and is a great guy. We just don’t talk about that life. Even he will admit that it’s about the heart. These guys just don’t have any other way of measuring these things, so they create external busy work to do. Also, secretly, he’s proud of me, even though I work at a liberal, apostate church and drink. 😉
Oh man. Prayer group was so often more of a drain on my spirit than a blessing. I was blessed to have a few “cool” ones that allowed us all to just be ourselves rather than the perfect spiritual archetype.
And my “Will you make a friend or not?” meter was often 1) how long did it take new person to ask what Christian Service I went on? and 2) their reaction when I said I didn’t go on a Christian Service, and that my service was to be the most excellent student I could be. haha
Can I just say how good it makes me feel that I wasn’t the only one? Haha Anyway, I’m SO glad I never attended a fundy college because from the stories everyone is telling, I am picturing my Proteens experience times a million. *shudder*
@Everyone…wow, all this really takes me back to school. I’m so happy to be free of mandated-everything. Seriously, no wonder kids have a tendency to implode once they leave their sheltered lives. I know I did. When every second of one’s young life is scheduled with mandatory Righteouscercise, it’s very difficult to deal with freedom. I know I still have a hard time to this day getting involved with any kind of organized activity (even outings with friends)due to bad memories of youth groups, missions trips, and my mother harping on me incessantly about my lack of interest in personal “devotions”. Ugh, makes me sick just thinking about the double-life I had to maintain to not be shunned by my family, “friends”, and church.
I think Jesus actually had a lot to say about those people who did their good just to be seen (the Pharisees who sounded a trumpet to announce their giving, those who paraded their disheveled appearance while fasting). Last I checked, an overall theme in good works, giving, and life in general is do your good, whether it gets recognized for school credit or not, and let God choose to reward as He sees fit. Otherwise, consult 1 Cor. 13.
He also had a lot to say to and about the Pharisees who loaded down the people with their 600+ rules. What would he have said about the average fundy college rule books, along with their “unwritten rules” that follow? He only gave us two rules to follow.
Absolutely, Tyler!!! I love the freedom I have in Christ, and that’s what propels me to do things for God. When I take the dogs to the bark park, I strike up conversations with people. I talk to my neighbors. I develop relationships with people. Then, over time, they discover what my faith has done for me. I think that’s much stronger than reducing the Gospel to a sales technique and tick marks on a piece of paper.
Do any of you that went to a Fundie university feel at all resentful that you didn’t really get the “traditional” college experience like having more freedom, deciding to do things of your own accord, slacking off every once and awhile for simply because there was no one there to tell you you couldn’t, etc.? Luckily, I’m going to a state university, but when I first got there and realized that my teenage years were much more severe and restricted than most, I kind found myself upset that Fundamentalism had sort of robbed me of the traditional high school experience.
@Jordan: I’ve been asked that before, and things like that. I don’t feel resentful or angry. God had a sovereign, wise, loving purpose for taking me through those times.
Besides, I look back on my time at BJU and I remember all sorts of wonderful experiences I had there:
I lost my fundamentalism in college.
I lost my dispensationalism in college.
I learned to think in @Camille’s class.
I did some stuff in an opera I never thought possible.
I learned how to play racquetball.
I fell in love with cookies and cream milkshakes and discovered vodka and mudslides.
Notice what I didn’t mention? I did NOT become more spiritual through all the mandated crap that we had to go through. My extension ministries were a joke! I was a Prayer Captain for a while…wow, even that title sounds ridiculous…but that didn’t make me more spiritual, just more judgmental.
It’s amazing how crappy the Bible training was in the ministerial program. It’s equally amazing how unspiritual mandated spirituality really can be!
Jordan, I didn’t resent missing the “normal” experience, but I did get in a lot of those experiences when I graduated and got married. My husband bought me pants the day after our wedding and we saw Garfield in theater – talk about going wild!!! 🙂
However, I believe both of my sisters have carried some resentment for missing out on “normal” life experiences.
@Jordan,
I enjoyed both my high school and college experiences; however, I struggle with resentment now because neither were accredited in any way. I cannot get any kind of real diploma, certificate, or degree from my Community College or State college without getting a GED or Adult High School Diploma first. My last hope is something like Liberty University Online. I’m trying for that now. If anyone has any other ideas, let me know!
I went to BJU for the reasons they give in public: I grew up outside of Biblical Christianity, got saved as a teenager, and decided I wanted to be further trained in the faith. So I went off to BJU. To me, daily chapel made sense; going on extension made sense, even following the rules, to a large degree, made sense, because I had come there to re-train my sensibilities and learn the Bible.
Hearing all the whining and complaining from kids from Christian homes used to bug me, because I labored under the delusion that they had been given a choice, and actually they had not. I faced great opposition in my decision to go to BJU. The idea of being forced to go there was a new one for me. I didn’t really grasp it until well after I had left BJU behind me.
I know that those of us who came from divorced and violent families, where we acknowledged that Dad got too lickered up and beat the hell out of us, were second class Christians at BJU, and Dr Fremont could trot out all his warnings about how we would turn into child beaters, too. But it turns out that there was a sort of scrubbed-clean, shiny, short haired, long skirted, God-glorifying abuse that was also going on.
I actually had a good experience, overall, at BJU. Maybe my Catholic school upbringing had already taught me to jettison the crap and see the good. I’d *never* go back. I’d *never* send my kids there (if I had kids). But to this day I am glad I went. BJU actually put the tools into my hands to help me see how profoundly Fundamentalism has erred.
If the experience was different from the expectation, why does anyone go back for the second term. If the food is wretched, do you ask for seconds? I can believe that the literature you get from the schools do not tell the whole story, but when you get there you find out fast. So grads, especially you who thought it was horrible at the time, what gives?
The whole story is not told by most schools, regardless of where they are on the spectrum. All the “go to our school” literature my son got when he turned 17 emphasized the social aspects of college life. Oh yeah, we got academics too. It was an application of the first rule of sales: you need what we are selling.
Jordan, to answer your question, yes. I resent not having a normal college experience. I do not wish I could’ve gotten drunk all the time. Nor do I wish I could’ve skipped class all the time. I just wish I could’ve had the fun normal college students talk about. Going to eat or shopping whenever you want, not being guilted into going to church, and extension. And not having the Bible forced down your throat at all times. I can honestly say that I do not have one friend from there that I keep in contact with and nor would I want to. I do however wish I would’ve had a group of “normal” college people that I still met up with and had a good time with. If I had friends from college, we wouldn’t be able to sit around and laugh about what fun times we had because there weren’t any. Unless you count short-sheeting someone’s bed or setting someone’s alarm to go off at some weird time.
The thing about freedom in secular colleges is true. But, you learn very quickly what happens if you miss too many classes or drink too much. What I wasn’t prepared for was how helpful the faculty in a state school were if you missed for a legitimate reason. I was taking German and French in summer school one summer. One night, I had been up all night with sciatica pain. The next morning, I went to the infirmary, where they gave me some absolutely wonderful pills. I slept right through my classes. I went to the professor’s offices that afternoon and told them what happened. Both profs gave me about a 45 tutorial on what happened in class. These people were great – if you want to learn, they will help you learn.
But Dan, I got that at BJU, too. Judy Groff personally taught me Expository Writing and Critical writing in her office, as well as fiction writing, simply because my dream was to become a writer. That woman critiqued my stories, essays, everything, for FOUR YEARS. I wasn’t even her student. Dawn Watkins, Judy Groff, and Bea Ward all coached me on fiction writing. I don’t think any faculty at any college could be as dedicated as some of my teachers from BJU. Yes, there were dopes and bad eggs, but there were also some exceptionally dedicated and profoundly humble teachers there.
@BASSENCO
Yup, got saved in my early teens, desperately wanted to be ‘trained up and kept right’ and I probably would have considered a Bible college if that was a serious option in my country. But it wasn’t, so I went to secular university and, sadly, rapidly became corrupted by exposure to the wanton, depraved hard-core theology and religious philosophy available in the university library. Between reading detailed histories of the development and evolution of the Bible (and discovering just how dubious either the origins or common translations of some of the most treasured fundie texts are) and dances at the Student Union with beer available, I was a goner by the start of my third year.