What Bob Jones was doing forty-six years ago.
Spectrum of Protestant beliefs
And the fundamentalist? Some compromiser from the IFCA or the left wing of the GARBC? No, the fundamentalist is Bob Jones—to be specific, Bob Jones, Jr. The publication date of the book is 1968. Yes, that’s what Bob Jones was doing forty-six years ago. He was contributing to a book for a Catholic editor, with coauthors who included a neoevangelical, a Confessional Protestant, a prominent liberal, and a radical Death-of-God theologian. He did it unabashedly, even proudly. Evidently, he did it without a word of reproof from other fundamentalists.
- 15 views
[dcbii]To be completely correct, it was *nearly* a decade after both Clemson and USC had been forced by court order to enroll black students that BJU also finally allowed entrollment (Clemson, USC - 1963, BJU - 1971).
FWIW, In 1971 BJU began to offer enrollment only to married black students. Unmarried black students were not accepted until 1975. (See Section “B”: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=461&invol=574 )
So because of BJU’s policies on race, fundamentalists shouldn’t be involved with books that express radically different views on religious subjects?
(Being 1/16 black, I spent my time there in fear of being discovered…………just kidding….about the fear part.)
I read “Four Views on the Millennium” when I was forming my eschatology and found it very helpful. Friends of mine were appalled that I would read a book that had anything but the “right” view expressed.
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
[Larry Nelson]FWIW, In 1971 BJU began to offer enrollment only to married black students. Unmarried black students were not accepted until 1975. (See Section “B”: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=461&invol=574 )
True, and they were wrong on their views of miscegenation into the year 2000. But even that is now 14 years gone (though it certainly affected my generation while I was there) and they are changing for the better. However, though those old views will be remembered and continually brought up by some, they will not be what defines them going forward. To use Martin Luther again, I don’t know if he ever gave up his wrong view about the Jews, but that position is not the one he is known and remembered for. Also consider Senator Byrd, not only with wrong views on racial separation, but a one-time member of the KKK. He renounced those views, and though it will be remembered that he held them, it’s not what defined him at the end of his life, and he is fondly remembered by many Democrats (and some Republicans).
It’s almost as though people not only (rightly) hold BJU more responsible for such views, since they claimed the Bible as authority for their position, but also (in my view, wrongly) are much less willing to forgive them for the past than they do pretty much anyone else.
Dave Barnhart
As we furiously pursue the rabbit down the trail (sorry, Ron!)…
It’s almost as though people not only (rightly) hold BJU more responsible for such views, since they claimed the Bible as authority for their position, but also (in my view, wrongly) are much less willing to forgive them for the past than they do pretty much anyone else.
I wish to counter that on two fronts.
- I have gladly had BJU teams in, taken visitors to campus, and purchased their curriculum to educate my children. I’m not sure, personally, what else forgiveness would look like.
- At the same time, if a leader personally fails in a prominent way, forgiveness doesn’t always mean that they automatically resume their former position and influence as if nothing ever happened. This is an institution, and not an individual- but it is an institution that has intentionally identified itself with a a very small series of individuals named Jones to this point. If trust was broken- and I submit that in the perception of today’s generation, one can argued that is a case that has been established in the past- then the institution and its supporters should not complain about a lack of tolerance and willingness to forgive. The proper response lies with them- to make clear and intentional moves to rebuild a reputation while actively repudiating the errors of the past. That’s not something that’s going to happen quickly. A new reputation takes time to establish- just look at how long it is taking Fundamentalists to change their perception of the SBC…
I have no axe to grind with BJU. Truth be told, it’s been one of the schools I’ve been encouraging my high school daughters to become familiar with. But the public response referred to as a “lack of forgiveness” is a consequence of previous choices, and frankly, complaining about it accomplishes nothing more than a whining 5 year old does when he complains something isn’t fair. The institution and its supporters need to resolve to be different, establish a new reputation that will leave the old one in the shadows, and be willing to have the patience enough to realize that task may not be complete in their personal life spans.
Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN
Discussion