“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you would know my Father as well.” (John 14:6-7)
Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., who serves as President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote a wonderful piece concerning the assault of secularism on orthodox Christianity. Dr. Mohler cites a rather crass assault on the fundamental beliefs of Christian students at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt University to southerners is what Harvard University is to northerners. A simple study of the history of schools such as Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt and others, will unearth an amazing reality: Most of the Universities in America were founded by Christian organizations. Take Vanderbilt for instance; historically, it was ‘founded by Christian believers for the purpose of inculcating Christian beliefs in its student. Vanderbilt was founded in the 1870s by Methodists and later funded largely by New York’s Vanderbilt family.’ As Dr. Mohler and others have noted, in just over several decades, the administration at Vanderbilt have strayed far from the founding principles of the university in an effort to accommodate the ‘emerging secular consensus in American higher education.’ Moreover, Dr. Mohler cites the president of Notre Dame, James Tunstead Burtchaell, who declared that Vanderbilt provides a glaring reality concerning the ‘secularization of American higher education’ known as the ‘disengagement of colleges and universities from their Christian churches.’ In other words, in an effort to appease its secular base, Vanderbilt University simply eviscerated its heritage, which was very much Christian oriented and ‘transformed itself into a secular university, embarrassed by its Christian founding.’ So how is Vanderbilt fulfilling its goal to advance secularism so as to saturate its culture? The administration at Vanderbilt informed religious groups on campus that had been ‘recognized student organizations’ for years that they have to ‘comply with an absolute non-discrimination policy.’ Simply put, the student body (Christian groups included) ‘must now allow any Vanderbilt student to be a candidate for a leadership office, regardless of religious beliefs or sexual orientation.’ For instance, a Christian group would have to allow anyone, regardless of their beliefs in terms of sexual orientation/preference, to run for office. Imagine Richard Dawkins at the helm of a Christian group (I am exaggerating of course)? The goal however is secularization, which is the polar opposite of exclusive Christianity.
The question on the minds of many is simply this: Why the push to eviscerate the old way, or in this case, the intent of the founders? James Peter Kenney offered at least part of the problem when he declared, ‘[that] all these public changes are ultimately grounded in a failure of belief and of nerve, in which the members of these religious communities lost the will to express their theologies in the academy. In each case, academics—even if they were religious—came to believe that faith did not yield knowledge apposite to the disciplines or relevant to public life.’ Another reason is what constitutional lawyer David French describes rather bluntly as ‘Vanderbilt’s mendacity, hypocrisy, and anti-Christian discrimination.’ French, who writes for the National Review went on to highlight a startling example of hypocrisy which countered the comments made by the ‘provost of the university [who] defended the policy, stating that student organizations may elect their own leaders, but may not disqualify any candidate based on, among other things, religious beliefs or sexual orientation’ (Mohler). French states: ‘The reality, of course, is that Vanderbilt is trying to force the orthodox Christian viewpoint off campus. The ‘nondiscrimination’ rhetoric is mere subterfuge. How can we know this? Because even as it works mightily to make sure that atheists can run Christian organizations, it is working just as mightily to protect the place and prerogatives of Vanderbilt’s powerful fraternities and sororities —organizations that explicitly discriminate, have never been open to ‘all comers,’ and cause more real heartache each semester for rejected students than any religious organization has ever inflicted in its entire history on campus. Vanderbilt’s embattled religious organizations welcome all students with open arms; Vanderbilt’s fraternities and sororities routinely reject their fellow students based on little more than appearance, family heritage, or personality quirks.” (Vanderbilt University Insults our Intelligence, March 30, 2012). French does highlight several dodgy areas that definitely require some consideration. I agree with his charge that the ‘nondiscrimination’ rhetoric as deceitful. It is intolerance at its best. (July 29, sermon “Intolerance or Tolerance” wherein I will unpack more of this thought process in light of Scriptures exclusive claims). However, the most damning articulation by French in relation to this mendacity is simple: Vanderbilt is merely pandering to its secularist supporters who find Christianity’s exclusive claims as problematic, and quite frankly, narrow minded and bigoted. Consequently, efforts to remove any semblance of orthodox Christian teaching and understanding off campus are well under way.
Why is this important? Think about the church, and how secularism has infiltrated its ranks and how it has subverted the authentic Christian message of Christ. Indeed, it was Christ who declared that he was the only way to God. Many today believe in a Jesus who loves all and requires nothing from anyone. Hence, we now have ‘believers’ who have created ‘buddy Jesus’ who agrees with anything they want. There are caricatures of ‘Inclusive Jesus’ who wants me to be on the inside, including non-believers, which in fact, is a markedly different portrayal of the Jesus we read of in the Bible. There are depictions of ‘Happy Jesus’ who wants all to be happy at all cost to themselves and to others. We now have ‘tax’ Jesus and ‘golden rule’ Jesus, and so on and so forth. There are so many variations of Jesus that one is forced to ask the question: Will the real Jesus please stand up? I mentioned caricature earlier. The danger of secularism within a Christian worldview is that it promotes a distortion of the real thing. Much like Vanderbilt, secularism aims to distort and dismantle worldview’s that are exclusive—in an effort to promote inclusiveness. But here is the caviar, it is not just any worldview, Vanderbilt is targeting only a particular worldview—namely, Christianity. The same goes for church as well. Secularism is an easier form of belief, because you simply don’t have to believe anything, no accountability, no responsibility; we simply live and let live. This ideology has a lot of perks mind you, the most attractive of course is the notion that you are basically in control.
But let us be reminded of the words of Solomon, who at the end of his illustrious life, famously said, “…all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccl. 12:13). Orthodox Christianity teaches that God is both exclusive and inclusive, but not according to our mortal definitions of the terms. Salvation is for all, [inclusive] but this salvation, comes only from the Son of God, (John 14:6) [exclusive]. Secularism excoriates the fear of God. Orthodox Christianity embraces it. As secularism continues its assault, the words of Eleanor Roosevelt come to mind, “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Think of David, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psa. 119:11). Now, Roosevelt is right in saying that ultimately, no one or no outside force of nature can take away that which you have hidden in your heart, without your consent. My prayer is that we will embrace the challenge, and meet it head on—and fight for the preciousness of God’s truth claims. After all, this is the whole duty of man. Blessings
