A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter Five – A Freshman at Bob Jones University
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My own kids and college:
- We were borderline poor for much of my time as a pastor (didn’t have to pay taxes - most years (perhaps all years) received the EITC and the kids got free lunches at school (almost all clothing was 2nd hand)
- We inherited some money when Kathee’s parents died and put aside $ 5,000 for each of our kids for college
- End of story - all kids now college grads
- Kid by kid:
- I tried to aim them towards Minnesota’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) plan
- Kathee and I both paid our own way through college and we had hoped it would work for them (it ultimately did)
- By the time our kids went to college our income was high enough (both then working in IT) that FAFSA was no help
- Kid #1: Was so smart (at least he thought he was) that school was a complete bore. Was in complete rebellion against us at 18 that we had him move out at about 19 [end: finally received an accounting degree at about age 31. Now an accountant]
- Kid # 2: We thought he was less than average and directed him to trade school. He announced to us (called us at work) that “he was going to join the Marines and we couldn’t stop him”. We couldn’t and we didn’t and he did. (off to Iraq after 911): [end: now a mechanical engineer]
- Kid # 3: Did PSEO. We wanted her to stay in the Twin Cities but she moved to Mankato and paid her own way through college working at a coffee shop. [end: now a VP with Goldman Sachs]
As a former CDS teacher/administrator I must confess that really listening to students and paying attention to them was not a priority. My lame excuse is that I was busy, teaching every period, coaching after school, and at our school being heavily involved in a year-round athletic program for the community. But that’s just an excuse. The reality was that as long as kids kept the rules and acted like we thought Christian young people should act, we were content. As to listening to the type of questions that John was asking himself, we either didn’t want to get involved with our student’s lives or, in my case, were discouraged from doing so. When the kids graduated we rejoiced in those that continued to live like they had in school. When one of our product wound up in jail, divorced and remarried, became a Roman Catholic priest, came out of the closet, or was the guy who showed up at school with long hair and ear rings (all happened BTW) we either responded in temporary shock or said that we always knew that their heart wasn’t right.
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
This article is way less about BJU and more about anger and rebellion in one’s heart. My attending BJU was ending when this author’s was starting. We may have crossed path once or twice, I do not know. I saw the same thing out what was going on at BJU as this author saw, but I also saw other things. Life at BJU was multi-facted and could not be covered by a single stroke. It mattered more about who you were, who you hung out with and what you were trying to get out of the education than anything else. I didn’t come from the Christian School movement at the time, had never visited BJU and was not forced to attend the school. Yes I saw all of these things, saw the inconsistencies and such, but I tried to get something out of it. I had never been subjected to the rules outlined at BJU in my personal life, so going there was a bit of a shock to me. People would complain about the rules to me, and I would just tell them, “hey, if you are here you need to abide by them, I don’t like them anymore than you do”. Some I skirted and most I just simply followed. I thought it no different than my boss wanting me to be at work at 6am during the summers, even though I didn’t want to be. I didn’t really see a difference. If I wanted a paycheck, I needed to follow the rules, if I wanted to stay in school I needed to follow the rules. What I saw at BJU, was that a lot of people were “forced to attend” and didn’t want to be there, and there were many that had a lot of immaturity, thus getting angry with every little rule.
This is not a series about BJU. It’s a series about a self-confessed “godless fundamentalist.” It is a memoir, of sorts, from one guy who grew up in the fundamentalist sub-culture, from the cradle. It’s also a gentle rebuke against the way this sub-culture (from the home, to the church, to the CDS, and in formal education in general) trains its children.
This isn’t about BJU. Let’s not miss the boat, here.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
I didn’t say the series was about BJU, I was only making a reference about this particular article. Both the author and others made multiple mentions about BJU in the comments, as well as the concern that it might be anti-BJU. I was just making the comment about the fact that this was more about altitudes. Really you could supplant fundamentalism with all kinds of things. Fundamentalism is not the only home situation that puts pressure on a young person, who is very resistant to it.
I have a whole slew of people who act like this at work, that have to be dealt with as well :)
an angry and rebellious heart within the specific context of BJU. So, yes and yes.
I don’t view this series as either anti-CDS or anti-BJU
I would liken it to Augustine’s Confessions
If I ever publish this as a book, Jim’s comment is going on the dust jacket.
I became a Christian as a college student at Clemson. I was blessed with close fellowship and teaching there. When I transferred to BJU I was surprised that some were not as excited about their faith. Still, I am thankful for my time there and the friends I made.
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