I know how you expect that sentence to end. We have covered endless stories of Christian schools abusing teachers or students due to their perceived lack of faith or morals. However on this occasion, the line ends something like this: “Student Class President Comes Out As Atheist And Christian College By Supporing Him.” That’s right, when Eric Fromm, 21, announced in an article that he is an atheist, he said the school and fellow students at Northwest Christian University went out of their way to assure him that he was valued and appreciated as part of their community. It is a good thing. A happy story. Such places do exist where religious people are both tolerant and pluralistic.
Writing in the school paper, Fromm declared “I am an atheist. Yes, you read that correctly, I am an atheist.” He enrolled in the christian school because of its strong communications department.
Jeannine Jones, director of university relations at NCU explained that “All of our students are on a journey. While the majority of our students profess a Christian faith, not all do. We as an institution meet students were they are at and believe that our God is big enough.”
She added “Eric is an exemplary student, a good friend, a thorough academic, and when it comes to credibility as the ASNCU president he is the best qualified to fill that position.” Amen, Sister, Amen.
I see Nick S. has arrived on cue to act clueless on yet another topic and profess his ignorance of the history of Harvard. What a sad life that guy lives.
Even though I pray, my boomerang wont come back when I throw it. I am the biggest disgrace to the aborigine race, my boomerang wont come back. I can ride a kangaroo. etc
Outstanding example being set by these young people and faculty. Thank you for posting on this, Professor. Who would have guessed that an issue of a persons lack of belief in the supernatural could be accepted as a reasonable position to hold? But, seriously, this makes me happy.
That kid had courage. It would be like being Class President @ Harvard and coming out as a conservative Christian. I’m sure the Harvard president would also be embracing that diversity.
Wisdom (as in their motto) has no religious affiliation.
Harry Skip Robinson 1, November 11, 2013 at 3:06 pm
me:
you:
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Okay, let’s move on to the “Let’s all come out as atheists for heavens sake.” part then.
I don’t know who said it, but it was something to the intent, “that I don’t care what you believe, as long as you don’t pick my pocket or break my bones”. No need to part but could you please help the majority of Citizens of this country from having government continuously pick their pockets.
It all started with: “After God had carried us safe to New England, and we … rear’d convenient places for God’s worship … dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry to the Churches, when our present Ministers shall lie in the Dust …
Harvard – founded by Puritans (Presbyterians and some Congregationalists) and named after The Reverend Harvard who willed half his estate and all the books in his library so that the college could be established in the early 1600’s … much trouble ensued when one of the early college’s presidents converted to Baptist and was replaced with a good Puritan. An early brochure, published in 1643, described the founding of the college as a response to the desire “to advance learning and perpetuate it to posterity, dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches”.
William and Mary – founded as an Anglican institution … students were required to be members of the Church of England – late 1600’s (but they received a charter to begin the school in the early 1600’s)
Yale – founded by Congregationalists – 1701 with the hope that it would maintain the Puritan religious orthodoxy in a way that Harvard had not. In 1754 this was one of the rules: “All scholars shall live religious, godly, and blameless lives according to the rules of God’s Word, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures, the fountain of light and truth; and constantly attend upon the duties of religion, both in public and secret.”
Princeton – founded by New Light Presbyterians – mid 1700’s
Oberlin – founded by Presbyterians/Congregationalists in the early 1800’s First class included 15 women and during its early years Oberlin graduated more blacks than all other institutions of higher learning combined.
My 7x great grandfather Samuel Robinson owned the bar/inn across from Harvard. His son moved to Bennington VT, due to religious persecution after his fathers death. A William Robinson was one of the Martyrs at Boston Common – Don’t know if he was related.
It would be cool but sorry Dredd, a small University with youthful exuberance and naivety dealing with spiritual individuality is much different than the potential of decent government. It would be hard to conceive how two elements of society that are economically antithetic to one another, could come to a cooperative agreement, unless force or coercion is used, the key term being cooperative.
Winston,
“Mike Spindell, Gospel tells us not to associate with unbelievers that they may cause us to sin.”
The only thing that causes a person to sin is him or herself. As a Methodist with pagan, atheist, Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, and Jewish friends, I can only think that “unbelievers” might only apply to indecent people, no matter their affiliation or not. Even then, if one associates with indecent people, as Jesus sometimes did, it is still one’s own actions and choices that causes the sin–not the other person.
I am an 8th Day Dog Adventist. Not to be confused with a 7th Day Dog Adventist. We don’t advertise it. No one invented us. We have not been to the dentist. It is simple. On the 8th Day God Created Dog To Give Watch and Guidance Over Humans.
I am a Dog A Thiest.
Oh my, what next, decent government?
Let’s all come out as athiests for heavens sake.
Annie is absolutely correct in that the Disciples of Christ are not a fundamentalist sect.
Mike Spindell, Gospel tells us not to associate with unbelievers that they may cause us to sin. That is not hatred, but prudence.
Winston, how then are believers to reach unbelievers?! As a evangelical Christian, your idea of separatism is misguided and fundamentally wrong. Jesus certainly mingled and associated with unbelievers, that was his mission in life.
Hurrah!! Thunderbolts need not apply.
Now this is Christianity as it was taught by Jesus in the Gospels. It gives lie to all those who call themselves Christians but really bathe in angry hatred and vitriol. Kudos to NCU!
Top Christian Colleges, with their church affiliations.
This was only possible because of NCU’s denomination, Disciples of Christ. They are strong on ecumenism. They have no creed and are accepting of differing doctrines. This would NEVER have happened in a university affiliated with a fundamentalist religion such as Northwest University affiliated with the Assemblies of God. That I can guarantee having grown up in it.
Suspiciously quiet in the comment thread so far. Anti-Christian stories (even well deserved ones like anything to do with Liberty University ever) usually brings out the masses foaming at the mouth. I wish we, as a society of all kinds of beliefs, ideas, opinions on everything ever would put as much effort into recognizing good deeds as one does getting all worked up when someone acts less than ideally.
Climbs back down from high horse, puts soap box away, sits down in chair. And falls off. ^^