"Christian" Academia: A Den of Unbelief

I read this article today: “Darwin challenged, research censoredChristian university removes professor's website, data from public view” found at Worldnetdaily.

It is no real shock to me, frankly. A “Baptist” university sitting in the seat of scoffers, fearing man rather than God, that's pretty common place for most "Christian" colleges and universities it seems.

Its what Academia does. We’ve seen this before; its why Machen left Princeton. University of Southern California is supposed to be a “Methodist” school. Harvard used to be a Christian school as well. Look at Wheaton College** (see this example of distancing from Creationism to the more popular, less offensive "Intellegent Design" & this for philosphy and feminism), Azusa Pacific University, and Fuller Theological Seminary (Cemetary --let's not forget Richard Mouw's apology and unity with the Mormons a few years back, not to mention Fuller's feminism). Check out Bethel, Biola, Calvin colleges. And while most, if not all these schools have a passable Statement of Faith, those statements don't mean a hill of beans when they practice and teach against clear Scripture. For this issue go here to read a good article on "But they have a Doctrinal Statement!"

Consider this, as well: many, if not most, seminary and college professors have a degree in Religion and/or Philosophy. Indulging in anti-biblical thinking will color their view of God and His Word and will indeed lower its authority and value.

Ken Silva quotes Walter Martin in his article here:

Mr. Pugh gave me a job and said, “I want you to do something that is very important. Princeton Theological Seminary is about to go down the tubes on Scripture. The Presbyterian Church is getting ready for a new confessional and they will use that confessional as a means of denying foundational truths of Presbyterian theology.” I said, “Are you sure?” He said, “I know it!” And so they did, he knew it from the inside. He said, “I want you to make a study of every major theological seminary in the United States; I don’t care what it costs. And I want you to document for me what happened to them. Are they orthodox, neo-orthodox, or liberal; and then I want you to tell me how they got that way.”

So I did, and it was amazing what emerged. Point number one; every major theological seminary that has turned from orthodox Christianity began with disbelief of Biblical doctrine. There wasn’t a single exception. This corrupt Bibliology then lead them to the next step. Their Theology began to be touched by it, their view of the Cross, the Virgin Birth were both immediately questioned; then came the miracles of Christ. And finally they had emptied the Gospel of all its content; they were simply using the outward shell so that they go on collecting money from the people and the churches; because they knew that if the people in the pew knew that they were apostate, they’d throw them out. So the strategy was hang on to the trust funds; hang on to the money we’ve got; hang on the properties we control, and we will gradually educate the laymen into this new approach to theology.

And then finally we will take control of everything. The gradual process of feeding you theological poison until you become immunized enough so that you don’t know what’s happening to you. And when you wake up to what’s happening to you, it’s too late they’ve got everything. That is not a baseless charge, I stand prepared to prove that the Cult of Liberal Theology in the United States has deliberately and consistently followed this methodology to entrap, control and dominate the denominations and the churches of the United States and our educational institutions. The study with Mr. Pugh confirmed the fact that once the Theology became corrupt, gradually then the view of Christ Himself underwent change. (The Cult of Liberalism, audio tape, side 1)

Rare is the “Christian” college that teaches the biblical Literal Six-Day Creation. Refusal to do so is really an attack on God and thus HIS authority. And once you attack the Beginning, you end up denying an actual Fall of mankind into sin in which we are all now born. You can see where that ends up.

When the Evangelical Theological Society can’t get enough votes to boot out three Open Theist “scholars”, that pretty much sums up the state of our “Christian” academia.

Another example of "Christian" academia is The Theological Program and C. Michael Patton. He said, that as a member of ETS, had he the opportunity to vote again to eject the Open Theists, he would change it to a "no" vote, because he thought that academia, and ETS in particular, needs to be "more open minded". This "scholar" believes that the Judaizers Paul discusses in Galatians were "saved", that there are "Polythestic Christians" in Scripture, and that one can be saved without the Gospel (by the gospel of works that RCC teaches). He believes that Truth isn't so black and white, that the Gospel was "hidden" for centuries by "the church" and only the Reformers had "rediscovered it";he offers as "Christian" scholars whose views he things the average Christian should consider on whatever issues. His list includes feminists, Open Theists, pro-Roman Catholics.

To quote Patton (remember, he's a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and also director of Reclaiming the Mind (minstry of Chuch Swindoll's church and Dallas Theological Seminary):

“The presupposition is this: All writers of Scripture, by virtue of
divine inspiration and inerrancy, must have recorded everything in a technically precise way. I take issue with this presupposition. I do not believe that inspiration and inerrancy require technical precision."

“The Gospel writers were simply telling the story of Christ as
enthusiastic reporters of good news who were emotionally committed to the truths upon which they were reporting. This happens every day in our
own news reporting system and we don’t hold their feet to the fire of
technical precision.”

“Did the writers record the very words of Christ or the spirit of
truth that his words represent? I would say any inductive approach to arriving at a hermeneutical method demands the latter.”

But Scripture rejects Patton's notion: Mat 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

"Jot and tittle" indicate quite a technicality, contrary to Patton's view. Also John 8:58 Jesus declares to be "I AM" --not I was, or will be. Titus 2:13 which declars Jesus to be "God and Savior" (grammar rules prove the intent in this verse is to proclaim Jesus is God). Technicalities? Very important.

Patton denies the inspiration of Scripture in that statement above, although if asked no doubt he would deny it. How can he deny the inspiriation of Scripture (2Tim. 3:16)? Because what he is saying for all intents and purposes, is that Scripture is a mere book, on par with a newspaper, and that the men fumbled around with the writing. However, if GOD is the author of Scripture, as we know He is, and HE is perfect in EVERY WAY, and the writers were instructed by the Holy Spirit of what to write and how to write it, then we can be sure that Scripture is accurate. Every dot and tittle.


When Creation is doubted and Evolution (veiled in religious terms such as “Theistic Evolution”) is considered as a plausible option; when Christians cower to the God-hating World and try to sneak in their quasi-Creation view via “Intellegent Design” (even the Muslims would agree with THAT term as would Mormons), you KNOW we’re in trouble.

J Campbell Morgan entered into doubt of God's Word as trustworthy and inerrant when he read too many of man's opinions:

For three years this young man, seriously contemplating a future of
teaching and ultimately of preaching, felt the troubled waters of the stream of
religious controversy carrying him beyond his depth. He read the new books which debated such questions as, “Is God Knowable?” and found that the authors’ concerted decision was, “He is not knowable. He became confused and perplexed. No longer was he sure of that which his father proclaimed in public, and had taught him in the home.

Other books appeared, seeking to defend the Bible from the attacks which
were being made upon it. The more he read the more unanswerable became the questions which filled his mind. One who had never suffered it cannot appreciate the anguish of spirit young Campbell Morgan endured during this crucial period of his life. Through all the after years it gave him the greatest sympathy with
young people passing through similar experiences at college—experiences which he likened to “passing through a trackless desert.” At last the crisis came when he admitted to himself his total lack of assurance that the Bible was the authoritative Word of God to man. He immediately cancelled all preaching engagements. Then, taking all his books, both those attacking and those defending the Bible, he put them all in a corner cupboard. Relating this afterwards, as he did many times in preaching, he told of turning the key in the lock of the door. “I can hear the click of that lock now,” he used to say. He went out of the house, and down the street to a bookshop. He bought a new Bible and, returning to his room with it, he said to himself: “I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be—the Word of God. But of this I am sure. If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and open mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself.” “That Bible found me,” he said, “I began to read and study it then, in 1883. I have been a student ever since, and I still am (in 1938).”

At the end of two years Campbell Morgan emerged from that eclipse of
faith absolutely sure that the Bible was, in very deed and truth, none other than the Word of the living God. Quoting again from his account of the incident: “…This experience is what, at last, took me back into the work of preaching, and into the work of the ministry. I soon found foothold enough to begin to preach,
and from that time I went on.”

With this crisis behind him and this new certainty thrilling his soul,
there came a compelling conviction. This Book, being what it was, merited all
that a man could give to its study, not merely for the sake of the personal joy of delving deeply into the heart and mind and will of God, but also in order that those truths discovered by such searching of the Scriptures should be made known to a world of men groping for light, and perishing in the darkness with no clear knowledge of that Will. (Jill Morgan, A Man of the Word: Life of G. Campbell Morgan, 94)

2Co 11:3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Doubting God's Word as reliable and true is nothing but the lie Satan brought to Eve in Eden. Why in the world would a Christian who loves God sit in the seat of scoffers and fill their minds with doubt of HIS Word which is inerrent and truthful and God-breathed?

Scripture says:

Ecc 12:12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

2Ti 2:23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.

1Co 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.


1Co 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Eph 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ...19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!


1Co 1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1Co 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. …27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

2 Tim. 2: 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

Here are a few truths and challenges:

Spiritual truth (and godliness) is not academically taught. It is revealed by God through the Scriptures.

There is never enough evidence for a skeptic.

Scripture is never enough for a scholar.

Logic and Rationale = man-determined means of accepting or denying truth. Its really nothing short of “practicle atheism.

Many well-educated "Christians" have studied themselves away from Truth.

Scripture says:

Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

Psa 119:98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

Psa 119:100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

Psa 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.


Psa 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

2Co 4:2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

2Co 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

We are not to wallow in notions that set themselves up against God and His Word. Rather we destroy them and don't think and ponder and handle them as "interesting" or "possible". Hypotheticals don't make for biblical thinking. Truth is knowable. Its not an option to think on what is true:

Phi 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

**Update**

The link provided for Wheaton College, as noted by a reader, went to the wrong school website. I have provided other links to Wheaton College in Illinois.