“Is Academia Awash in Liberal Bias?” This is one of many recent headlines we see as the world grapples with a question that we’ve been debating for decades: are colleges and universities dominated by liberals? Over the past few years, charges that colleges and universities are “about Radical Left Indoctrination” have come from several quarters, including from the highest echelons of our government, making this a question that merits serious attention. I received the following from a WFTD reader, and it speaks to the two premiere universities in America and indeed the world.
Harvard College was founded in 1638 by Puritans for training missionaries for the Gospel. Up to the 1700’s, over half its graduates went into ministry. But by the mid-19th century, the last embers of spirituality were quickly disappearing. Yale University was founded in 1701 and from its beginning, taught students, “The Bible is the Word of God.” A group from the university travelled the country preaching salvation. But like Harvard, Yale’s evangelical stand soon disappeared. These universities were founded for the glory of God and yet, they ended up completely lost in all sorts of other purposes, except the one for which they came into existence. It happens all the time, not just to universities, but also to believers. Maybe you started out pure, focused, and full of zeal for the Lord, but got distracted, sidetracked, caught up in money, success, ministry or a thousand other things and forgot the very purpose for which you exist. Reconsecrate your heart, mind, soul, and strength to knowing and serving the Lord. Come back to your first call and don’t end up like Harvard.
I’ve recently spoken with several friends who are nearly terrified to send their kids off to college. Most are currently enrolled in Christian schools. Why would someone pay nearly as much as college tuition in Christian schools? Because indoctrination by liberal educators in public schools begins early for one thing. While commendable that concerned parents are trying to keep their youngsters attuned to God, in itself it is no guarantee that once they go off to college they will not be adversely influenced and stay the course.
I have a Christian friend whose accomplishments for working on building the kingdom on a national level are legendary and he and his wife are as solid in their belief system as anyone I know. One day he called me and asked if I would talk to his son who was dabbling with drugs. So, I immediately made the long drive to see them. We arrived at a restaurant, and I asked the father to please allow me to talk to his son alone. The first question I asked him was how his relationship with Jesus Christ was going. His response was a shock to me. He said, I don’t have one and in fact I don’t even believe in God.
Now this 20-year-old youngster was raised in the church from a baby. He was “saved” and baptized at a young age and his Godly parents loved him more than life itself and raised him in a Christian home. What happened? He told me his biology teacher in high school convinced him that religion was hogwash and evolution was real. It was reinforced further when he went off to college. This declaration led him to choose the dark side of life and he spiraled down into an abyss of sin to include heroin. He was facing some jail time for a possession charge and was due to learn his fate in a week or so.
I spoke with his father after speaking with the son and told him the about our conversation and he sheepishly told me he was aware of his turning from God, but he and his wife had been praying non-stop for him and hoped he would come back to God. It was one of the saddest days of my life to learn that later that very night this young man committed suicide. His parents heard the shot, rushed into his room, smelled the gunpowder, and saw their beautiful son lying on the floor bleeding from the head. I got the call at 3:00 a.m. that morning. Sigh…
I was torn and devastated with grief and wished I could have said something – anything – to convince this young man to turn back to God. It took me many months to come to grip with this and I can only imagine how his parents grieved and coped with the loss of their son. The last part of the piece on Harvard came to mind when I mulled this dilemma over this morning, Maybe you started out pure, focused, and full of zeal for the Lord, but got distracted, sidetracked, caught up in money, success, ministry or a thousand other things and forgot the very purpose for which you exist. Reconsecrate your heart, mind, soul, and strength to knowing and serving the Lord. Come back to your first call and don’t end up like Harvard.
I went through all our children going off to college. They were no longer boys, but men responsible for their own path. I spent many an hour praying for them and still do. I counseled them as much as they would allow. There is little doubt that Satan is attacking schools. We see it with the transgender issue, critical race theory, abortion, and evolution. My sons do not want to be preached to about parenthood, however, I risk their ire at times to gently suggest that they pay attention to spiritual issues especially with their kids and not get sidetracked. The Bible tells us that Satan was created with intelligence that is off the charts and we all must beware of him and call upon Jesus to help wage war against him.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering . . .
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!