Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Institutions with False Teachers and Heretics


The subject of college education is not an easy one. As you know, I am NOT a fan of secular universities. I think they are a very dangerous place for Christian students. The day after A Powerful Keg of Dynamite was published and readers were disagreeing with me on my opinions, I read this in my Jeremiah Study Bible, "Nearly every NT letter speaks of it. Paul warned Titus to 'reject' the heretic, and he admonished the believers to 'withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly.' Peter also warned Christians to stay away from false teachers, and John encourages believers not to participate in any way with deceivers." Yet, we think it's okay to send our children to institutions with many false teachers and heretics??? I just don't see how Christians who think it's okay to send children to Universities match this with Scripture. I have noticed that not one of those arguing against my post used Scripture to argue their case. I refuse to listen to false teachers. Why is it okay to not only have our children listen to them but support them financially? If anyone can use Scripture to answer these questions, I'd love to hear it!

If your view is that Christians need to be on the campus' to be salt and light, then go on the campus' but don't pay to listen to the professors' teaching things we are clearly warned about in Scripture. Maybe if all Christians refused to support and attend secular Universities, they would fail or better yet, begin teaching things that aren't so contrary to God's Truth. We need more true Christian universities for our young people to attend. The study of the Bible should be mandatory and godly speakers for chapel.  If we keep eternity in view and not just the here and now, we would be MUCH more careful about the souls of our precious children.

Besides the heretical teaching at the universities, they do NOTHING to prepare or at least encourage women to be wives and mothers; quite the contrary actually. They teach them how to be feminists; strong, aggressive, independent, and in no need of a man. Many women get deep into debt by going to them in order to get a career and then are trapped in their career to pay off their debt. 

Then we can't even speak about what goes on in the dorm rooms. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret {Ephesians 5:12}. Parents send their 18 year olds to an institution where there will be other 18 year olds from all over and most of them have no faith at all. Now, they are no longer under any parent's authority and chaos ensues. No, thank you. There was no way we would send any of our children to an institution like this. Alyssa went to a Christian ballet company where they traveled all over spreading the Gospel. Ryan, Steven and Cassi all went to BIOLA; the Bible Institute of Los Angeles where most of their friends were raised in godly homes and there are godly professors and strict codes of conduct. 

Are they not prepared now because they were raised in a Christian environment most of their lives? No, they are all prepared since they are now out in the world being salt and light. They were all firmly rooted in the Word of God and His ways before they could influence society around them instead of society influencing them. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving {Colossians 2:6, 7}

Comments (22)

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I get the 'salt and light' response back from people that send their young children to public school. I figure that if my young children can't remember to pick up their socks or put their dishes in the sink, they're not going to remember how to behave Godly without my guidance and protection.
4 replies · active 485 weeks ago
I get that a lot too.
Great point, Carmine! We are called to raise our children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord, not strangers; especially to those who aren't believers. Matthew Henry wrote, "Deal prudently and wisely with children; convince their judgments and work upon their reason. Bring them up well; under proper and compassionate correction; and in the knowledge of the duty God requires. Often is this duty neglected, even among professors of the gospel." We must not neglect this high calling the Lord has given to us.
I've heard this phase mentioned as well regarding children and public school. I remind them that Jesus was teaching to his disciples, which were adults not children. When it comes to college, not all Christian colleges operate the same. My oldest attended 3 semesters at Liberty University. She loved being there but said that there was a large number of students who professed Christ in public but did not live that way on a daily basis. She found that very discouraging. She learned so much there and would have liked to have stayed but we just couldn't afford to pay anymore and it was very far from our home. Now she is attending a local public college. Much less expensive (about 1/4 the cost) and has learned to seek out other Christians based on their life and not just their word.
Yes, Christian colleges are expensive, unfortunately. I wish they could figure out a way for them to be more affordable.
Very thought provoking, thank you Lori. Also, speaking from experience at a top school, University is not the only way to learn information nor is it the best. Many required classes have nothing to do with your major and the apprenticeship model works better than the University model for actual skills.
1 reply · active 485 weeks ago
I completely agree, Michelle. There are many who aren't that great of students in a classroom setting and would rather do something physical. I don't understand why there aren't more trade school for all of these young adults.
There are a lot of votech and trade schools. http://www.rwm.org/rwm/tf_cal.html California had nearly 2 million students in schools like that a couple of years ago. My state has programs where HS students can take classes in a variety of Trades for half days their JR and Sr year of HS. If students want a trade or tech education, there are lots of options available. However, they may still have to move away from home at 18, get an apartment and there is no assurance that their peers will be any more holy than the peers at university.
3 replies · active 485 weeks ago
Very true. I think the apprenticeship model of years ago (like Colonial times) is the way to go. A good businessman would have one or more apprentices and it was personal and hands-on. I know there are some farms that still operate like this (Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms for example), but I don't know of many other businesses. The extra sad thing is that with my degree in my university, my teachers were constantly telling us, "don't worry about it, you'll learn it on the job" and they were right! What I learned, I mostly learned on the job. So it made the University even more obsolete in my mind.
This nation idolizes education. The amount of money spent on it, even by those who never use their degree testifies to this fact.
True, Susan, but they won't be listening to false teachers and heretic, plus they can request Christians to share an apartment with! This is a MUCH better option.
Christian parents need to be very careful in regards to protecting their children. I worked in a public school and I watched children from Christian families get corrupted and/or hurt by the pressures of the world every year. It broke my heart. Christian children who are sent to public school are up against many battles and temptations. The curriculum is against God. The peer pressure is astounding. The enemy is after our children. It is a Christian parent's responsibility to do what it takes to protect children from the many forms of antichrist that are in the world. If Christian parents feel that public school is ok then they don't really understand what it is like for children in public schools today. The Bible says that we are to be separate; being indoctrinated at a young age with ungodly teaching which includes evolution, sexual knowledge and freedom, and the idea that all religions are equal (these are just some of the concepts being taught as early as kindergarten) is not being separate. I know this may sound harsh but I feel very strongly about this. To be salt and light in the world takes strong faith and a solid understanding of God's Word. Children are not equipped for this.
1 reply · active 485 weeks ago
So true! Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right at all! As believers, we are to be set apart and not participate in the evil deeds of darkness and what they are teaching in the school these days is evil.
I guess where I disagree with some of this post is that I dont consider an 18 year old a child anymore. He is an adult and if raised in a Christian home, should recognize false teaching when he hears it, and should be equipped to resist participating in sin. My personal experience has shown me also that there is not necessarily anymore protection from exposure to sin at Christian colleges either. A few of my siblings went to a very well known Christian college with a good reputation and observed the same drinking, partying and sex-the Christian students just knew how to pretend better. Often, the students participating were not disciplined or removed from the school b/c they were connected to someone important-a dean etc. The school was also filled with students who were not actually Christians, but whose parents forced them to go to a Christian college by not paying for any other options. If I have a child that I don't think is spiritually mature to handle being in a dorm-whether Christian or not, I would much rather they live at home and attend a local college. At some point, we have no choice but to be in the world-but not of it, and we can't protect our kids from that reality forever.
5 replies · active 485 weeks ago
Unfortunately, the statistics prove that many 18 year olds who enter Universities as a "Christian" turn against it by the time they graduate. This is way too high of a risk; to gain the world but lose our children's souls. Not worth it at all. Ken and I plus our children went to Christian colleges but they certainly don't allow any of the stuff that goes on in University dorms to happen in the Christian dorms. Therefore, we didn't have to see the junk. Those who wanted it had to go off campus to find it.
I agree with you, Anon. Once a child turns 18, they are now considered an adult. There comes a time when parents have to release their children and trust God with them.
Maybe so but not spend thousands of dollars or go into debt by thousands of dollars to have them attend a secular University and listen to false teachers and heretics. It is not a place I would attend so I would never send my children to a place I would never want to attend.
I used to think 18 was an adult as well until my pastor spoke on how in the Bible you werent responsible for your actions until you are 20. All those 20 and younger were able to go in the promised land. Not the adults who knew better
Good point. They couldn't go to war until they were 20 also. You see these "Christian" teenagers become popular because they are singers or actors and they get all messed up by going the way of the world but if they are in their 20s, it doesn't happen. They stay strong in their faith.
I agree that so often college is a waste. I went to a 4 year university right out of high school because that's what was expected but I had no idea what to major in so I tried a few different things and ultimately wound up getting a degree I don't use. I had several openly atheist professors, and I had to take a Women's Studies class.

However, I don't think college itself is really the problem! (A problem yes, but not the MAIN problem.)The spiritual immaturity and Biblical illiteracy of our young people is the problem and that solution is found in Christian parents doing their job before kids leave the nest! I agree with Anon that an 18 year old is an adult and the fact that they are still considered a child and are immature enough in their faith to be swayed is a reflection on the poor job Christian parents are doing. This article sums up the point perfectly. http://www.firebreathingchristian.com/archives/25... The concept of adolescence is a lie. In Biblical times a child transitioned directly from childhood to being considered an adult in their early teens (around 13). They were given adult responsibilities while still receiving plenty of mentoring from older people (Titus 2 style for women, and apprenticeship style with an older man to learn their trade for males).

I went to college (and I am certainly not advocating that, I agree with all the points Lori made) but I also agree with Anon that most of those problems are found in "Christian" schools as well and the reason I escaped college with my faith still intact is that, due to my upbringing and being given plenty of responsibilities as a teen, I was an ADULT at 17 when I went to college. I was spiritually mature enough to seek out true Christian fellowship in the friends I made, I had a firm grasp of apologetics so that atheist arguments didn't sway me, and I was too busy working 2 part time jobs (adult responsibilities!) to pay for the portion of my tuition not covered by the scholarships I worked my butt off in high school to earn, that I didn't have time to party! (Sadly I was already indoctrinated with a feminist worldview courtesy of my church so college wasn't the problem there.)

I am not saying that Christians should be going to these schools, my point is that the conditions found there are pretty much found everywhere these days, including trade schools, and Christian schools and church youth groups. The solution then is to equip and raise young people to be prepared to face this worldliness wherever they encounter it, not try to avoid it at all costs. Yes, children should be shielded as much as possible, but an 18 year old is not a child anymore and can and SHOULD be prepared to be salt and light.
1 reply · active 485 weeks ago
From what I have witnessed, it is between 18 and 20 years old that a person either decides to take their parent's faith as their own or go in a different direction. This is why the statistics of "Christian" kids leaving the faith after Universities is so high.

Also, why do you think the Word is SO adamant about not listening to false teachers and heretics? This applies to all age groups, not just 18 year olds. I won't listen to false teachers since I know this is not what the Lord wants. It is opening our minds to evil and we are to guard ourselves from this whether it is from a book, teacher, preacher, etc. I don't think it matters how deep the roots of your faith are, we are still commanded to NOT listen to false teachers and heretics. It's a matter of obeying God all throughout our lives.
I agree with you on this topic.

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