Kevin Bauder on "The unnamed students behind BOJE"
https://www.facebook.com/BOJE.US
Meanwhile … another group wonders who they are:
The group seems to be primarily made up of “cool kids” that happen to be current students at Bob Jones University. They don’t allow those “outside the community” to participate in discussion (apparently disgruntled alumni, expelled former students, and dropouts are outside of the community).
To make things even more interesting, Do Right BJU has seemingly endorsed BOJE by liking a few of its posts on Facebook
Way back, when dinosaurs walked the earth, back in the 1960’s, ‘70’s & ‘80’s - way back before Al Gore invented the internet, Bob Jones University (and other similar schools) were able to control what the students saw, listened to and read. Oh sure, there were exceptions, but they were just that - exceptions - not the rule.
Of course now, there are a plethora of ways for current BJU students to peek and speak beyond the imposed limits of The Fortress of Faith. This silly BOJE newspaper (and equally goofy YouTube video) seems to be an attempt to bleed off some of that pent-up social networking anxiety among the current crop of students. An attempt at “controlled rebellion”, under the guise of losing focus on Christ, i.e., becoming legalistic.
Apparently a few of the sharper students aren’t buying it (see Jim Peet’s post).
In 1995, it was Bob Jones IV who said it best during an interview in the BJU film Better Than Ever…
I think growth will be a lot harder than it has been in the past just because, in previous years, everybody believed like we believe and more or less practiced the kind of Christianity that we practice here. But that’s changing now. People are becoming more self-indulgent, more self-absorbed and I think there’ll be fewer people that are interested in that kind of self-denying Christianity. But they’re certainly out there. I mean, God is always going to have his ‘Remnant.’ And that – those are the people that we want to minister to, I think.
BOJE is a not-so-subtle attempt (one of several) to hang on to some type of “Remnant”, lest BJU find the “Hallowed Halls” of the future empty.
And, yes, Mr. Bauder, in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s we would have been “shipped” for a BOJE type publication.
Thanks, Dr. Bauder. Your words are full of grace and balance.
Jim Newcomer
VA Beach, VA
What does it say about the culture of a Christian university that a group like this feels it must be anonymous!
(Not a question!)
It’s orchestrated, Jim.
BJU’s biggest problem is they will not be open and honest.
Easton, what happened to your HGC blog?
Will be interesting to see if this BOJE group can control themselves and not devolve into yet another version of the Do Right crowd.
Easton, are you saying this BOJE group is not as anonymous to BJ as they try to appear?
Not really sure what to think about the Unibomber guy in the youtube video.
Technological advances notwithstanding, this type of thing never, ever would’ve been allowed at Bob Jones University even as late as the 90’s. BJ would’ve found out who was behind it and shipped them without hesitation. BJ, and ONLY BJ was to be in total control at all times.
Never have understood what’s supposed to be bad about an educational institution that is “in control” of student life. In any case, back in 80’s when I attended, we all knew the school was ‘in control’ of the school when we went there. If we didn’t want that, we could go elsewhere. (Oddly many went there anyway and got all shocked that there were lots of rules and the admin. ran a tight ship. How did they manage to miss that going in?)
Even in my adolescent rebellious phase it never occurred to me that the school should not be in control of, well, itself.
But is it possible to have that kind of environmental control now? No, it really isn’t. Times change and you have to adapt. Along with not getting the angst about the control thing, I don’t really get the present drama either.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
[mmartin]Easton, are you saying this BOJE group is not as anonymous to BJ as they try to appear?
Yes, that’s what I’m saying.
[mmartin]Easton, what happened to your HGC blog?
Way off topic, but nothing “happened”. I simply shut it down. They have BOJE now.
[Aaron Blumer]Never have understood what’s supposed to be bad about an educational institution that is “in control” of student life.
It’s the old “in loco parentis” concept and debate. Wiki has a good article on it.
Though in loco parentis continues to apply to primary and secondary education in the U.S., application of the concept has largely disappeared in higher education. This was not always the case.
Prior to the 1960s, undergraduates were subject to many restrictions on their private lives. Women were generally subject to curfews as early as 10:00, and dormitories were sex-segregated. Some universities expelled students—especially female students—who were somehow “morally” undesirable. More importantly, universities saw fit to restrict freedom of speech on campus, often forbidding organizations dealing with “off-campus” issues from organizing, demonstrating, or otherwise acting on campus.
…
Private institutions are given significantly more authority over their students than public ones, and are generally allowed to arbitrarily dictate rules.
[Aaron Blumer]Along with not getting the angst about the control thing, I don’t really get the present drama either.
The “drama” was first generated from without by disgruntled former employees & students. There is nothing unique about BJU having people upset with them, but now, social media gives them a voice allowing them to be noticed in way that amplifies their disaffection and gives it some apparent credibility.
The biggest mistake was made by BJU in responding to this unsubstantiated drivel. When you have the president of BJU going on Facebook to argue with these clowns, something is awry.
This “BOJE” thing is in the same vein - an unnecessary and misguided response to adolescents masquerading as adults.
Am I missing something? I see a 1 page website with a few paragraphs about prayer groups being a waste of time in their current form. They have 1000 likes on FB and 3000 views on a YT video. All pretty insignificant. Why are they on anyone’s radar, much less Bauder? Maybe he is friends with one of the people behind it or something.
I had the same impression as GregH as far as the group’s significance, but a poster above indicates there is a newsletter (note to BOJE: this is what Scribd is for, or at least PDFs.)
And while I am sympathetic to the posture Dr. Bauder describes as critical collaboration, two elements of BOJE give me pause, and Easton points them both out—the calculated renegade appeal (witness the video) and the whiff of some less than critical collaboration behind the scenes (yes, color my hat aluminum foil).
Which is why I’d like to see the newsletter. What is the substance, if any?
EDIT: Just saw link at top. Duh.
Isn’t this group, just a renamed group for the same individuals who changed Northland? Ha!
Discussion