Record numbers flocking to evangelical Christian colleges

[Bluebear]

Evangelical Christian colleges are attracting record numbers of applications this year in a trend that bodes well for an educational niche that was struggling to survive just a generation ago...

Growing enrollment "is part of the strategy," Fedje said. "We're trying to increase it significantly, but strategically" by remaining what he terms a "moderately selective" school...

Strong students sometimes see a religious environment as a factor worth considering. Helena Swanson-Nystrom, for instance, has an honors-track background in the Chicago public schools to support her applications this year to such powerhouse colleges as Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. But she's also applying to North Park University for the spiritually supportive environment there.

"It becomes harder to be a practicing Christian if there is no Christian community," she said. Her example: Wild parties aren't the assumed part of life at Christian colleges that they are at large, secular schools.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-06...

[Roland99]

1. The Dominionists sense their rise to power

[Bluebear]

11. I am interested vis-a-vis the new Homeland Security faith department

We need to pay attention whether our tax dollars will be bailing out these supposedly cash-strapped schools.

[cantstandbush]

89. They have the "faith-based" funding but we will never catch up in math

and science if this is true.

[IsItJustMe]

15. Just because it's christian don't mean it's bad or fundie

I am not a christian but my daughter is going to a christian college and I am glad she is. The college has very good educational program.

Because it's small, the students have personal attention from their professors. I went to a public college and had to make an appointment to make an appointment with the professor.

They do have some religious classes, but believe it or not, they are teaching tolerence. They study other religions and their beliefe systems and is rather liberal in nature.

[Roland99]

A significant increase in enrollment doesn't just occur.

There are usually reasons behind it.

[Bluebear]

19. Indeed.

Falwell said two decades ago there is a definite strategy for changing our country. They are seeing the fruition of infiltrating school boards, House seats, the courts.

[Swamp Rat]

44. It's a two-way street.

We are 'infiltrating' their communities and schools at a faster rate because we greatly out number those crazy religious nuts - we don't need to 'infiltrate' because we are the super-majority. They may be TRYING to change this country, but the blowback will wipe them out for decades.

[Bluebear]

55. Great new work Swampy. nt

[IsItJustMe]

23. The increase is because the cost of public college has increased by huge

amounts in the last few years and administration is taking up the bulk of that increase.

Private colleges can hold their costs way down as compared to public institutions. A Proffessor in a private college makes half than that of a public institution.

[Roland99]

31. Not so sure about that. For example, the University of Louisville

is about $6,000/yr (tuition and books).


Find me an evangelical school with $6k/yr tuition.

[IsItJustMe]

46. Christian schools usually have big time breaks for their students.

These schools get big donations from people that have went there before and made it big.

My daughters tuition is about 12,000 a year. She only pays about 2,000.
She couldn't have done better at a public institution.

[Roland99]

53. Sounds anecdotal or can you prove all students are getting this break?

[ret5hd]

40. yeah, it's just you...really.

guess you haven't priced private (fundie or not) colleges vs. state colleges.

[doublethink]

24. Deferment in case of an up-coming ..... millitary draft?

2-D Ministerial Students - deferred from military service.

http://www.sss.gov/classif.htm

[murielm99]

96. I went to that kind of school and got an excellent education.

There are some very fine colleges out there that are affiliated with Christian denominations.

My school experienced an increase in enrollment after some of the campus unrest of the sixties. Some parents preferred to enroll their offspring in smaller schools to avoid all that. Funny thing, our administration building was burned during anti-war demonstrations. The conclusion of the Vietnam war ended most of the unrest. But that was the stated reason for the increase in enrollment.

But I went to a very good school. It was selective academically, too.

This article may be fluff. Or there may be a variety of compelling reasons for people to enroll in smaller Christian schools.

[Sammy Pepys]

2. To each his own...

If that's the kind of school they want to go to, good for them.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

49. Maybe they are easier to get into than secular schools?

[Sammy Pepys]

56. Maybe n/t

...

[stepnw1f]

3. Christo Fascist Brainwashing Camps

Proselytizing their hatred of the natural world...

[Jara sang]

4. Solidifying their block.

The worst is Patrick Henry College in No Va. Fundy college for home schooled kids. The kids their have internships with FBI, CIA, Senators and occasional walk Rick Santorum's kids when they need it.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

48. And they are damned good at it, it appears.

[eallen]

5. It's a shame to see good students opt out of a good education.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. And you know this how now???

I didn't know you had a crystal ball! Wow!

[eallen]

59. Here's how Liberty University searches for science faculty.

Here is how Liberty University searches for science faculty:

Biology: Liberty University invites applications for: Faculty member with Ph.D. and compatibility with a young-earth creationist philosophy. Teaching expertise in Microbiology and supervision of undergraduate research expected. Experience in molecular genetics helpful.

Note what is required, and what is "helpful." I would call that a rather large clue about the quality of science education there.

[Bluebear]

68. Ay yi yi. nt

[alarimer]

37. Well I imagine the science departments lack a little

something. Like evolution, only the entire foundation of biology.

[FreedomAngel82]

43. Of course you offer no proof do you?

Do you know every single Christian school? Have you gone to every single one and observed them?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

50. Notre Dame

Wesleyan
Texas Christian
St. Olaf's
Southern Methodist

Actually, there's some pretty good schools out there.

[Bluebear]

51. Definitely, way different from a lot of these "schools" popping up

I mentioned St. Olaf's further downstream. Gonzaga, ND, Boston College....quite a difference from Bob Jones, Liberty, et al.

[eallen]

60. The ones I recognize in your list are not the subject of the article

[bowens43]

6. Scary stuff.....

These people represent the biggest threat to our freedom and our Constitution. Make no mistake, they intend to do away with our form of government and to replace it with Biblical Law.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. And this is news why?

Yawn.

[bowens43]

20. Because it highlights a very troubling trend.

We as a nation seem to moving away from reason and toward superstition. There are constant attacks on science and education, on our freedom and our Constitution and those attacks are orchestrated by the folks that attend these indoctrination centers.

Keep yawning if you like but don't be surprised if you wake up one day and find that everything you once believed in and everything you once liked to do has become illegal.

(unless of course you're one of them)

[FreedomAngel82]

30. And you know every single school and what they're doing right?

Still yawning.

[seabeyond]

22. because the christain coalition is smart. htese schools are pumping out

lawyers, pharmicists and teachers with religious agendas to take into those positions. the pharmicists are the ones that are scarying me the most. the lawyers are getting positions in internments working for the senators and reps and our going to be our next lawmakers.

my kids went to christian school. for the first three years it was great. the last three years i saw the school and its agenda change. it was sad. made us sad.

[Bluebear]

42. Exactly.

The pharmacists who won't provide contraception, for instance.

[Name removed]

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[FreedomAngel82]

70. Not every Christian votes republican

News flash. Last week on Stephen Colbert's show he had a guy on there who was a debate teacher at Falwell's school but he considered himself a member of the evangelical left. Colbert asked him what that meant and the guy said the left focuses more on helping the poor, enviornment, elderly etc. So you all are doing nothing but sterotpying us and it's really quite childish. Oh and for the record so far in my young voting life I've never onced voted for a republican and never will.

[seabeyond]

85. seeing how i am a christian and you are a christian, i think that is a

given. u.s. is about 87% christians. a good faction of the democratic party is christian. as i admitted below i was seeing the christian colleges as fundie run. and there is a distinction to be made. regardless there is the issue of the fundie colleges puttting fortha concerted effort to take over areas of professions for the purpose of creating a religious u.s. and it is documented. they are not shy, nor do they hide it. i think we have talked about dominion.

[maveric]

8. Its easier than REAL education that takes critical thinking.

I wonder what they're science programs are like?

[Name removed]

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[Bluebear]

10. My "anti-Christian shit"....waaaaaah

Are you being persecuted again?

It's an article in the Chicago Tribune, go drop a dime and tell THEM it's "not news".

[revree]

12. As a minister

I am frightened by this. These schools are nothing but fronts for the CHristian right. They have nothing to do with mainstream Christianity, or the morals and values taught by Christ. Thanks for the post.

[Bluebear]

14. You are welcome

There are plenty of established faith-based schools which hold their own and are not intertwined with the right wing Republican agenda.

[IsItJustMe]

21. Your absolutly right, my daughter goes to one. And believe me, if was

fundie, I would not have allowed it. A very moderate christian school with a liberal component to it.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted sub-thread

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[seabeyond]

18. no they dont, and thank you as a minister to say this out loud

yet knowing you arent bashing christ, christianity as a whole. i appreciate it. cause, tis true

[FreedomAngel82]

28. And you've been to every single Christian school right?

[seabeyond]

13. does increased enrollment have anything to do with christian

elementary schools telling pupils public school kids are sinners and if you go to a public school you will go to hell.

i wonder

[tsuki]

16. You need to be careful. Some of the universities are not

accredited.

[DetroitProle]

17. oh good.

More jobs for us with a real university education.

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. LOL

Exactly.

[IsItJustMe]

25. There is some ignorance going on here.

After reading these posts I must say that there are two wrong assumptions going on here.

First: If you attend a christian college, you won't be as smart as someone who attended a public college. This is just flat out wrong. There are many christian colleges that provide excellent educations for their students.

Second: All christian colleges are fundi. Absolutely wrong. Some of them have little or no religion in them at all (christian by name only). OThers are actually left in their orientation (believe it not).

Big stereotyping going on here. Believe me.

My daughter goes to a christian college and one of her main professors is a die hard liberal democrate who happens to be a black woman.

[seabeyond]

27. point taken. thank you for reality check. now, lets see where the

increase is in the christian churches. my guess it is the fundie ones from what i saw and hear in the christian private school my boys went to. but i dont know. and your point is taken. it matters. i sent my kids to a christian school for a reason. i just wasnt get what i wanted

[FreedomAngel82]

35. Or they just have a Christian enviornment

No alcohol, drugs etc. allowed. Most of the youth at my church ends up going to this Christian college called Freed Hardman. They're a very good school and have all sorts of classes just like your average college. They do have majors there who go into something with Christianity. One of my brothers friends goes there and is now studying so he can be a youth minister. Oh and not every Christian goes to a Christian college ends up in a secular job. One of my best friends went to our town's university and she is a social worker who now works for this guy at my church who has a Christian firm for social work. If the person comes to him is Christian he uses the religion to help them with their problem whether divorce or depression or whatever. Anybody can go to them though.

[Bluebear]

36. There is a big difference...

you are correct. St. Olaf, Concordia, Gonzaga, all probably different from Second Sweet Home College, Bob Jones U. or some other such Falwellesque front.

[FreedomAngel82]

39. This is why you can not judge everyone together

And not everyone who goes to these schools are brainwashed either. On this Christian forum I frequent someone posts there who attends Falwell's school and this person is very open-minded and doesn't like Falwell at all.

[bobbieinok]

67. Chris Harper, editor of Landover Baptist (A PARODY SITE)

attended Falwell's Liberty U, where he + some friends developed the parody......everything was apparently OK with the school, and then the 2nd semester of their senior year the 3? who developed the idea and distributed it at the school were expelled

the above info is what I read in a connected link when I first visited the site some years ago

[yellowcanine]

41. Well here is some stereotyping from the article that is wrong also.

"Wild parties aren't the assumed part of life at Christian colleges that they are at large, secular schools."


Wild parties and Christian colleges aren't mutually exclusive and anyone who assumes otherwise is kidding themselves.

Secondly, secular schools, particularly state affiliated ones, often have just as restrictive of policies regarding alcohol on campus as Christian colleges do.

[IsItJustMe]

47. I'll agree with that.

[harpo]

26. Who's being fooled? What college doesn't have wild parties?

[alcibiades_mystery]

33. I'm sure they get all the best faculty, too

[Cleita]

38. Wild parties? Did I miss something?

Or, did I choose not to participate? There we are again with that choice thing.

[SaveElmer]

45. They are circling the wagons...

They know deep down they are fighting a losing battle, so they are huddling together for support.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

52. Note that the article says EVANGELICAL Christian colleges

Those are the Wheatons and the Biolas and the Bethels and the Pepperdines.

Not the Notre Dames or the St. Olafs or any of the other fine colleges sponsored by mainstream denominations.

I went to a Lutheran school, and while we had required religion courses, they were taught from a critical standpoint, not as indoctrination. The required freshman course was called Introduction to Theology, and the syllabus was whatever the individual instructor felt like teaching. The sophomore course was Biblical Studies, and we learned about the critical-historical method of Biblical scholarship and the parallels with other Middle Eastern traditions. In our junior and senior years, we could choose our courses. I took one which involved visiting churches all over the area to see the different styles of services and music, and another about the book of Genesis, which went into the creation/evolution controversy and came down on the side of evolution.

[Bluebear]

54. Indeed.

We have listed some dandy schools in the thread, as well as some of the not-so-dandy ones (Jones, Liberty, and you entered some more to add to the list.) Mainstream, established schools are not the scope of this, it's the madrassa-like 'schools' popping up....who claim poverty and whom I expect will asked for 'faith-based' government aid anytime soon.

[Name removed]

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[Bluebear]

79. Then leave the thread little one.

Much more discussion is going on without you here, truthfully.

[Shakespeare]

57. THANK YOU, Lydia--that's an important distinction.

And one that the more thin-skinned on this thread would do well to note.

Here's an example of the kind of institution this article is talking about: Pensacola Christian College. It's a fundie cesspool of the highest order, and no, the kids are NOT getting a top-notch education there. Always check the accreditation of these institutions, especially to see if their individual academic colleges are recognized by the relevant accreditation groups.

Here's their main site: http://www.pcci.edu /

And here's the page for the biology major; note the coded language:

http://www.pcci.edu/Academics/Majors/BasicSciencesandEn...

Major: Biology

The study of living things has fascinated mankind since the Creation. From the beginning, man has been naming, studying, and using living things. In Gen. 1:28, “God said unto them, . . . have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Biology enables one to observe the variety and design of life. By learning to apply the scientific method in biological research, students can begin to understand how living things function and how they depend upon each other for sustenance. They can also learn what conditions interfere with normal life processes and how many of these conditions can be prevented, reduced, or even cured.

And one look at their course requirements for the major shows it to be less rigorous than other "conventional" universities. Gee, no Principles of Evolution course--what a shocker.

[Bluebear]

58. "It's a fundie cesspool of the highest order"

hehehe

Thank you, William

[kestrel91316]

92. I predict within 50 years your style of liberal religious school will

simply cease to exist. The Dominionists will be busy working to engineer its demise.

Fundie lawmakers and courts to arrange for financial favoritism for the Bob Jones sort of "university"............

Terra terra terra attacks on liberal universities of all stripes.........

RW employers using secret databases to discriminate in hiring liberal Christians, so they never get a decent enough job to be able to donate to their alma mater..............

"Witch"-burning to follow..........

[fujiyama]

94. An important point you bring up

and I think most people do understand that.

People here aren't talking about Georgetown, Notre Dame, or hundreds of other schools that have loose affiliations with churches. I have a friend that attended a small private school that at some point was Methodist, but he was atheist and many of his friends there were liberal as were many of the profs. There are many fine small private universities that have a religious affiliation.

The problem is fundamentalist EVANGELICAL nutjob colleges that don't teach real science (deny evolution) and require their students to attend church services like Pat Robertson's Regent University or Jerry Falwell's Liberty University (I think these are the names - I could be wrong), or of course the infamous Bob Jones University.

These schools are probably popping up like crazy in the last few years. They are not accredited and they offer a mediocre education of little more than indoctrination.

There were also issues with the IRS not giving them tax breaks, which the administration was fighting. I'm not sure how that has went.

Probably the most interesting scandal is what happened at Hope College here in MI - a small college catering to wealthy repukes. The president had an affair I believe and then eventually commited suicide. It was quite a story. He was a major repuke contributor as well.

[Ksec]

61. Thats alarming

I have nothing against real Christians. My problem is with the ones who use their religion for political purposes.

The way Christians in the US have been pushing for Repukes is very unchristianlike. They should lose their tax free status . I grew up going to church every Sunday, so I know the culture. The way the church has acted has turned me against it. I do not go anymore and will not go again.

[brooklynite]

62. In other words, they can't manage their own lives...

...they need someone to do it for them:

- Her example: Wild parties aren't the assumed part of life at Christian colleges that they are at large, secular schools.

I went to a "large, secular school", and the frats across the street from my dorm had wild parties every weekend. I simply didn't go.

If these folks need to be protected in a Christian Community at college, who's going to protect them when they graduate?

[Ksec]

65. Remember the wildest ones

are usually the preachers sons and daughters .

[AnnieBW]

63. Almost ALL Campuses Have Bible Clubs

If all they think is going on at college is partying, they need to ask better questions. Back in the hedonistic 80's, when I was going to college, you could find a Bible Study or other Christian organization on just about every campus. I would imagine that a Jewish or Muslim college wouldn't have one, but certainly any other institution would.

If they were secure in their faith, they would go out among the "heathen" and live according to their beliefs.

[greiner3]

64. I'm in school for EEOB;

Evolution, Ecology, Organismal Biology. The way I figure it, the more damn xtians that go to schools like that, the less prospects I'll run across when I graduate.

[bobbieinok]

66. from my experience at 1 such school...many parents see such schools

as physically safe, especially for their daughters....they think there will less chance there of sexual assault or rape

1 reason there were more women than men at the school with which I am acquainted

[Maddy McCall]

69. Bluebear, alert on her for stalking you. She's doing the same thing....

to Erika and me. Alert on her. Maybe eventually she'll get what she deserves.

[Name removed]

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[Maddy McCall]

78. I have her on ignore. I assume she replied to me below.

I took numerous people's advice and did what I've only done once in my almost four years at DU. I put another DUer on ignore.

If I were you, I'd do the same. It sure does make life at DU easier.

Oh, and in about five minutes, check your PM. I've got a crazed message to send you.

[Bluebear]

81. Correct, we're all "pathetic" and "haters"

I think she is a young teen and enjoys riling things up for the sake of. I put her on ignore too, you're correct, i don't need the aggravation.

[Name removed]

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[Bluebear]

76. I am not running for anything, why would they "vote for me"?

You are the one who said this was a "non news story", yet it is taken from the Chicago Tribune. You are here as a disruptor and that is what is "pathetic".

[Name removed]

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[AwakeAtLast]

84. Ummmm.....if you are a true Christian, it doesn't matter where you go

I graduated from a top 10 party school (Ball State University, Muncie IN, go cards!) and somehow I
was able to remain a Christian. I maybe attended one or two parties at best. I had a great college
experience and found a great church and friends who were spiritual. I really enjoyed having so many
people around me believing so many different things. It actually made me a *better* Christian. If
you are already a wavering Christian, a Christian college is not going to help you. Oh, and, of course
there are no wild parties around Christian colleges

[Maddy McCall]

87. A university is not a university unless it exposes people to...

many different cultures and belief systems. You ARE a much better Christian for having had the universal university experience. Imagine how confining it would have been to go somewhere like "Liberty," where you wouldn't receive that experience.

When I teach on evolution in my classes, I tell my students, "If you are a Christian, please don't take this lecture as an assault on your beliefs. When we emerge on the other side of this lecture, you will either be more assured about your religious beliefs, or you will question them. There is nothing wrong with either."

And, of course I explain to them the difference in science and mythology. I've never received any negative responses to my lecture. Indeed, one girl, who's father is a pastor, came up to me and thanked me for teaching something to her from which her parents, her Christian school, and her church had always shielded her. She said, and I'll never forget, this: "I'm glad I have this knowledge. I can see now that there is room for both evolution and my beliefs. It's not evil, like I've been told all my life."

If nothing else tremendous ever happens in my years in academia, that one student's comments will have made it all worthwhile. (Except for the student loans. )

[Atman]

86. FLOCKING? As in SHEEP?

Enough said.

[demgurl]

88. I really understand this.

Everyone likes to be with like people. We do not like going to FR and they hate being over here. I like hanging out with liberals and I am sure the other side only likes their own and wants nothing to do with us.

Staunchly religious people have their own set of values and that is being accented more than ever with the false claims of religious prosecution. I could see why, in this day and age, someone would feel more comfortable in an environment that caters to their belief system.

More power to them, perhaps we should start a college that caters exclusively to liberals. There would no tape recording and no backlash for any activities. In fact, perhaps we should do that as sort of a magnet school for all levels of education. I know some would argue that is basically all our system is but the left and right are still mingling and it is getting harder and harder to express our liberal views without being suspended or ostracized in the news.

[Maddy McCall]

90. A good university education makes students uncomfortable at times.

"If I don't piss you off over the course of this semester, I'm not doing my job."

[demgurl]

93. Point taken.

Although it is nice to feel comfortable most of the time and with the rowdy parties, etc then a regular campus can feel awfully uncomfortable even when you are not in the classroom.

I know it is better to be subjected to other viewpoints so that you can expand your knowledge and become even better educated. I do not purposely try to go to places that only have liberals but I must say that I felt very good when I entered a used book store yesterday. I figured most of the people there were liberals considering the bumper stickers as well as some buttons, books they were carrying, etc... It felt really good, as if I was in my element.

[undeterred]

91. I don't think of North Park as extreme

There are some Christian colleges where you can still get a decent education.

But there are a lot of others where you pay for indoctrination and end up with no marketable skills or even a recognized degree. Parents should think seriously about how long they want these kids living at home because they can't afford to move out.

[Hubert Flottz]

95. Flock Them Flockers!

Sheep like to stick together! It makes them feel safe from the Wolves, but we know better!