Excellent Christian Book This is an excellent book about college and staying in your Christian faith there. I very highly recommend it.
Ted, Coy, Dave, and Lonnie all prove that college isn't Evil Over the past ten years pastors in fundamentalist congregations have become increasingly alarmed over the dwindling attendance and participation in church activities by people age 18 - 30. Many of these people were `raised in the church', which is a term used by fundamentalists to indicate that they participated from a very young age in church-sponsored groups for religious instruction and socializing as children, pre-teens, and teenagers. Such young people were exposed to the church on a regular, continuous basis, not just at Sunday services, but at weeknight Bible Study, choral or music group practices, various retreats and `fellowship' sessions, as well as church-sponsored outings and sports activities.
It is thus with considerable consternation that pastors and parents find that when these young people go off to college (in other words, secular colleges and universities), they soon stop attending church. They also pick up what are considered immoral habits, such as consuming alcohol, engaging in premarital sex, listening to rock n' roll music, and jettisoning fundamentalist doctrine in favor of secular humanism. A proportion of these young adults eventually return to fundamentalist congregations when they reach their late 20s and early 30s and get married and have kids. But sufficient numbers fail to reconnect with the church culture they grew up with, so as to present a major dilemma for evangelical pastors and ministers.
The `college crisis' has generated a number of books from various ministers and advisors seeking to address the damage, and `University of Destruction' is one such entry. As far as author David Wheaton is concerned, one way to forestall this crisis is to urge young adults intent on attending a secular college to maintain their fundamentalist ideology. 'Destruction' is essentially a book-length sermon delivered with this goal ever in mind. Wheaton urges fundamentalist youth to avoid engaging in those actions that would compromise their religious upbringing, and to remain ever-vigilant against sliding into immorality.
The main problem I have with Wheaton's philosophy is that it envisions college as a Smorgasbord of Temptation, and a vehicle expertly suited for the downfall of Bible-Believing Youth.
But is this really true ?
Don't get me wrong; with so many incoming college students either already infected with genital warts and genital herpes, or destined to acquire these diseases during their college years, prudence in sexual matters is good advice. And as for alcohol, yes, too many students binge-drink and wind up with their stomachs pumped, or worse yet, suffering permanent or fatal injuries in booze-triggered accidents.
However, college is no more nor no less likely a place to go astray than any other location or habitat. Just ask "Pastor Ted" Haggard, formerly leader of the evangelical New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2006 it was revealed by Mike Jones, a gay hustler, that Haggard had been having a sexual relationship with him, and later engaging in methamphetamine abuse, over a three-year period. Pastor Ted initially denied the accusations (James Dobson staunchly defended him), but eventually confessed, resigned from New Life Church, and underwent a Christian counseling-based `restoration' procedure. Ted is now a dedicated heterosexual, according to Tim Ralph, one of the restoration process coordinators.
I'm sure if Pastor Ted had been attending a meeting of the Campus Socialists Club every now and then, he may have been able to avoid an inappropriate rendezvous with Mike Jones.
And how about Baptist pastor Coy Privette ? In 2007 he resigned from North Carolina's Christian Action League after it was revealed he had been charged on six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution.
Maybe if Coy had been at the Homecoming dance - even if it meant exposure to rock n' roll - he would not have had idle time for mischief.
And what about W. David Hager, MD, author of several books addressing health and spirituality issues for Christian women ? When serving on an FDA advisory panel in 2003, Hager acted to restrict approval of birth control, reflecting his belief in fundamentalist doctrine. But then, in a 2005 article in `The Nation', his ex-wife revealed that throughout their marriage, Hager had insisted in practicing - without her consent - a form of birth control that many women find physically painful and repugnant.
Perhaps if Dave had going to the campus pub a few nights a week for a few cold ones, his ardor for improper marital relations would have been sublimated.
And finally, let's not forget South Tulsa Baptist Church senior pastor and Southern Baptist Convention executive committee member Lonnie Latham. In 2006 he was arrested for propositioning a male undercover police officer, while cruising in an area with a reputation for fostering gay sex hookups. Lonnie eventually was acquitted of the charge, but it was revealed that he had been a visitor to the `cruising' area at least one time prior to his arrest.
I have to wonder, if Lonnie had been in Biology class- even one that taught Evolution - he would not have had the time to go visiting certain questionable neighborhoods of Tulsa.
So I would argue to David Wheaton that being a reliable congregant at a fundamentalist church is just as likely to lead to the pursuit of Bad Behavior as going off to college. Let Ted, Coy, Dave, and Lonnie serve as reminders of what Christian Youth are NOT to do. You don't need to be at a 'University of Destruction' to understand this fact.
Excellent Information University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus
Here is a must-read for the college-bound. Advice from one who has lived
though it and survived!100,000 dollars for???? This book contains advice for believing Christian students who want to survive a secular college education with faith intact. It covers the concerns of many parents as well, including drugs, drinking, sex, depression, and loss of purpose in life, to name a few. One section I found of interest was the review of the work of Railsback when he was a PhD student at UCLA. Railsback found that about half of those students who said they were conservative Christians as freshman lost their faith as seniors. His exact words were "as many as 50 percent of Christians students say they have lost their faith after four years in college" (book cover) He also found that this was true of not only secular colleges, but of nominal Christian colleges as well. It was less true only of historical black colleges and conservative Christian colleges. In my experience, according to the feedback of my colleagues, a major goal of many professors is to break the religious faith of those Christian students who try to live their religion and act on it in their daily life. The author, who went to Stanford, relates his experience at a top university. If parents knew what actually takes place at college they would not be so willing to fork out 100,000 dollars or more for a four year "education." A great guide for our college bound youth. Mr Wheaton seems to understand a very fundamental problem that we all share. We are, regardless of whether we believe it or not, all influenced by what we are exposed to. Advertisers understand that very well. No one forces kids to eat the junk that advertisers are pushing. No one forces a kid to start smoking just because all of his friends do. And as another reviewer pointed out, no one forces college students to engage in harmful activities. But the fact is - they do it anyway. Even the best of kids (and adults for that matter) are influenced by their peers. So do we not warn them of the pressures and temptations that they will face because we know that no one will force them into anything? Of course not. If they are at least warned about what they are getting into, they have a much better chance of "keeping the faith". A truth that christians have accepted is that we all need help to stay on track. We know we are all weak with out the help of the Lord. Mr. Wheaton is offering very practical help for those who honest enough with themselves to acknowledge they need help. Most students don't realize they need help so they are not open to it when it is made available. "For those who have ears, let them hear."
