Cedarville Affirms Complementarianism

Couldn’t a less biased and obviously hostile link than one from the “Ventriloquist” have been used? I have to think CU has or will issue a press release in some official voice for the University. I’d think “Filings” would be/should be more careful. Every Christian college pretty much has a website like this shadowing them — I sure hope we don’t have to wade through a river of postings from them in the future for credible news reports and/or gossip.

Mod note from Filings editor

There are two links in the Filing. The first is to the Christianity Today article. That article had a link through to The Ventriloquist. I provided a direct link for the convenience of our readers

Thanks

The real story here, which was entirely missed by CT, is the statement about sufficiency and the somewhat cryptic reference to psychology under the heading of “Miscellaneous Theological Items” on the slide. If Dr. White means by “sufficiency” what most of us mean it will require the dismantling of Cedarville’s entire psychology department a la John MacArthur and the Master’s College in the 1980’s.

Blessings on him if that is the direction he is headed but I doubt he can do it. I hope I am wrong.

I’m with DLCreed on this one.
There are four stories listed at the lead on TheVentriloquist. The first I skipped over. Here are sections from the next three:

Ruminations on Diversity

Cedarville’s official diversity statement focuses on attracting and serving a diverse group of Christian employees and students. Recent personnel changes reveal that, at minimum, Cedarville has no intention of attracting and serving a diverse group of Christian employees. By purging women from the ranks of the Bible department, Cedarville has intentionally silenced the voices of women in regards to theology and church. Cedarville has made it clear that when it comes to women being able to teach religion, women are not equally valuable in the eyes of God. This purge is not complete; Cedarville’s commitment to the idea of biblical integration places all female faculty members at risk. Cedarville boasts of Christian professors who challenge students to think biblically in every subject area and offering an education grounded in biblical truth. For professors to challenge students to think biblically in every subject area and to show how each academic area is grounded in biblical truth, female professors must teach the bible, on some level.

The Final Decision

Throughout the fall semester, SGA was required to meet with Eric Garland, the new SGA advisor, for 30 minutes on a weekly basis. In doing so, Eric and I “hit it off.” He would often tell me, platonically of course, that he loved me, was excited that we were becoming close friends, and often missed me when we were apart. I thought it was important to tell him about my sexuality. Being the standing Campus Community Director, promoting unity and inclusion on campus, I thought he should know that being gay fueled so many of my initiatives. Just before Thanksgiving break I told him. He was shocked. Our meetings became his attempt at expressing his concern for me. Jon Wood, the standing Vice President of Christian Ministries and Student Life, became involved when Eric, feeling unable to adequately mentor me through this issue, sought Jon’s advice in dealing with me.

Jon called me into his office. Once there, I explained my entire story to him: I’m gay; I’m single; I’m not sure if it’s wrong to be gay; but don’t worry, I’m single. He labeled it “spiritual instability.” He was fearful that my spiritual influence was too great and too public on campus. With this ponderous issue in my life, I had too many people interested in my opinions, initiatives, and guidance. He gave me a stack of Distorted Sexuality notes from a class he taught in the South and told me that he would be in contact regarding his final decision. The next morning, as students were dismissed from SGA chapel, Jon Wood told the president and vice president of SGA that I had resigned from my SGA position. I was unaware of my fate at that moment. Later that afternoon, Jon called me into his office to break the news. I was removed from SGA, my new OneVoice Gospel Choir core leadership position, and the Tour Guide admissions team.

Jon told me that he didn’t want me to be a face for the University, as he explained his incentive for removing me from the Tour Guide position. Had I been in less public positions, I would have retained my employment. In that final meeting, in my hand was the SGA Constitution. I read him the stipulations for standing SGA members; I told him that I broke none of the rules. He agreed. He explained to me some of the bylaws in the Community Covenant regarding sexuality; he made sure to mention that I broke no rules in the eyes of the university. “Do not see this as a punishment,” he reaffirmed, “see this as an opportunity to clear your schedule to gain clarity on this serious issue.” According to Jon, it was a “profound issue of the soul” that resulted from both not actively working against my sexual orientation and not firmly condemning homosexuality. I told him I was looking deep into Scripture, commentaries, and analytical materials to find sure answers. I told him it was important to me to find answers. Amid this journey, I was apparently too comfortable saying “I am gay.”

Or this, Fear at Cedarville

Medieval author Christine de Pizan had some choice words for the conspiracies of her time—after all, blaming women for corruption in society and oppressing them as a result of such blame did not line up with her own observations of the female “race.” In The Book of the City of Ladies, Pizan argues that “Even if some wicked women have done evil things, it still seems to me that this is far outweighed by all the good that other women have done and continue to do.” Furthermore, she says, “This should prove to you that not all men’s arguments are based on reason, and that these men in particular are wrong.” I have utmost empathy for Pizan, because people like me are also mischaracterized and thrown to the curb far too often—thanks to individuals acting in “the name of God and the Bible.”

I’m not writing to change your political or theological perspective on the issue, either. Instead, I want to stand up against the mischaracterization that we (the gay community) receive all the time in places like Cedarville. You say, “dude, I’m not condemning you at all—but the gay community is an endorsement of a sinful lifestyle! Don’t identify with it.” Exactly my point. In the same manner of Pizan’s time, when women as a collective were ignorantly thought to have corrupt motives, the Church today does not even try to understand the gay community. Historically speaking, people fear what they don’t know—anything that looks different. And I believe that’s our problem. We look threatening, and it brings a whole host of mischaracterization.

I know that Cedarville has all kinds of issues, and I think I’m just barely scratching the surface here by saying that. But seriously - why is SharperIron linking to this? These voices for the Cedarville student body are clearly holding positions that are contrary to Scripture and orthodox belief. So why is SharperIron giving them the spotlight to wage their war against Christianity and Scripture? Was there no one else that SharperIron could have quoted? Did the site REALLY need to link to this to provide further context? Will SI link to the DoRight groups as well in the future? If not, how is this any different?

Paul says in Ephesians to reprove the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:3, 7-11) and do not associate with them. We have no part in their apostasy and unbelief. I fail to see why this site must link to the Ventriloquist, and wish that you would take those links down. Drive them back into the anonymity where they belong.

But seriously - why is SharperIron linking to this?

I, for one, am glad that someone did. I think it fleshes out the perspective. From what I’ve been seeing, the new president has been making some important and needed moves, and if anything, these posts from The Ventriloquist illustrate why they need to be made. I actually hadn’t followed the story very closely before this SI link, and wouldn’t have even been aware of the publication unless the links had been provided. A link is not an endorsement. I say keep them up, and keep them coming!

I’m encouraged by the things I’ve heard (from a distance) about what the new president is doing at Cedarville.