Religious Universities

[Flying-Emu]

So, I'm a sophomore knee-deep in the college discovery process. I've been receiving a lot of letters from Christian universities, as well as a few from non-religious ones.

I'm a Christian, yes, but I'm also logical. I'm fiddling with the idea of attending a Christian college, but I'm held back from going all-out for it by a few things. Namely if they are required to teach non-religious views on certain subjects, such as Evolution/Creationism. Personally, I have a mixture of views on that topic, so I'm worried about having a professor who just rattles on about how there's no holes in the evolutionary theory, OR one who dismisses evolution as rubbish.

I'm asking you all; Are Christian colleges required to teach things that may go against Christian belief? Is there any control over that by the federal government, or is it all under state jurisdiction? And for the sake of argument, SHOULD the Feds place restrictions on it?

Also, if anybody has a college they could recommend and possibly describe to me (and the college happens to be in or around the United States Northwest), I'd love it if you'd take the time to PM me.

 

[Lord Krunk]

Evolution doesn't really defy the Bible; Creationism was created because of a fanboy calculating that the events of the book would have taken 6000 years.

As for Christian Universities; what's the difference from the actual ones? Besides the names, and a church?

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

They teach the same as regular colleges, just have a few more rules. My sister goes to one and you can still study evolution or whatever, they just don't allow on campus drinking...which will probably make you want to go to a non catholic uni.

 

[dangerousdave_42]

personally I say screw christian colleges though I don't care if they teach creationism or evolution(I find the whole argument pointless bunk) I just hate how most if not all of them require strict dress code and moral code of conduct ie no violent video games movies or music or any real form a a relationship with the opposite sex

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

personally I say screw christian colleges though I don't care if they teach creationism or evolution(I find the whole argument pointless bunk) I just hate how most if not all of them require strict dress code and moral code of conduct ie no violent video games movies or music or any real form a a relationship with the opposite sex

Yup, it's mostly a regular Uni with all the good stuff removed. But recently most now allow relationships in the same way other Uni's do, except no on campus drinking establishment. Depends if you live on or off campus, and how strict the uni, some just have a chapel, some are thinking of using the cane.

 

[Alex_P]

An accredited school is supposed to give you at least a passing imitation of a real degree regardless of religious affiliation.

With a non-accredited school (or one accredited by a spotty agency), all bets are off. They might teach you anything from the real stuff to absolute crap. You don't have any guarantee the little piece of paper you get once you graduate will mean anything to a potential employer, either. It seems that going to a small unaccredited religious school basically dooms you to working dead-end jobs in that school's dinky little home town -- you're much, much better off going to an actual seminary and at least getting a real education in religion in that case.

Many colleges will have Christian roots. Pretty much every college has student groups for worship and religious exploration. Schools that explicitly advertise as "Christian colleges" tend to be more interested in feeding you orthodoxy/propaganda and enforcing codes of behavior than actually providing a good education. They're also more likely to represent some kind of fringy belief system that may actually be radically different from your particular idea of Christianity.

Generally, I think you're much better off getting a good education and exploring religion on your own than you are going to a religious school and then struggling to educate yourself later.

-- Alex

 

[ellimist337]

Christian schools are run by neither the federal nor state governments, because they are private schools. As such, they are not required to teach any particular curriculum or vary their teachings to cover other views. Also, with many Christian universities, there are strict rules, such as: no "R" rated movies are permitted, no "social dancing" is permitted, certainly no drinking is permitted, and you are required to go to weekly or daily church or "chapel" services. Fail to attend these a certain number of times per semester, and they can fail you or kick you out, regardless of grades or other behavior. This varies, of course, by university. Indiana Wesleyan is much more strict in matters like this than Illinois Wesleyan.

EDIT: Basically, what I'm saying is that you should go somewhere where you will get a good education, and most importantly you will have some fun. This doesn't mean you have to party, drink, or have promiscuous sex if that isn't your cup of tea. It simply means that if college is making you miserable, and you hate it, you're not getting all you should be out of it. This is supposed to be a fun time of your life, and class is most certainly not the only facet of college.

Speaking from some experience (having visited several Christian universities during my search as well as knowing several people that have attended some of those same universities) it's my personal opinion (and nothing more) that religious vs. non-religious should be one of the much smaller considerations (if, indeed considered at all) that you make when making this decision. I hope this helped. Good luck with the search, and feel free to ask any other questions about it if you have them. People who have gone through it will be infinitely more helpful than your counselor, I can almost guarantee it.

EDIT AGAIN: Sorry, about a recommendation: I know that if you go to a Pac-10 school, the cost would be comparable to a private Christian university, and you would enjoy the experience much more. Oregon, for instance, would get my recommendation.

 

[DrNick]

In order to stay accredited, a school has to meet certain basic educational standards. As long as its accredited, you don't have a lot to worry about - unless it's a cultural thing, as other posters have suggested. I would recommend two questions:

One: how religious are we talking about? Is it a real school that maintains ties to a church body, or a front for a fundamentalist political group (coughLiberty Universitycough)?

Two: Do you know what you want to study? The sad fact is, if you want to be a scientist, you're better off going to a respected public school, or a private school not known for religiosity. If you go to a place like Bob Jones or Liberty, that could be a drag on grad school applications to get into a PhD program in evolutionary biology. I'm not saying its impossible, but there's no sense making life harder on yourself.

Just remember, its entirely legal to be a Christian in a public school, so don't think you have to choose between your faith and your education.

 

[mark_n_b]

Colleges and universities are privately owned and operated and, as such, can teach whatever they want however they want. The value of the degree offered is calculated by the number of graduates that become employed.

To receive accreditation (required to grant degrees) certain points of training have to be assured. These vary depending on the degree the institution wishes to grant. But again there is no law saying these schools HAVE to as long as they don't claim they are giving accredited degrees (which would be fraud).

As for "Christian beliefs" unless you are talking about fundamentalist sects, the very nature of Christian philosophy denies the possibility of educational concepts that counter its religious teachings. Assuming we are discussing things like science and engineering. If the college taught how awesome santanism was, that would be contrary to Christian teachings, but it would cease to be a Christian institution at that point.

 

[Alex_P]

One: how religious are we talking about? Is it a real school that maintains ties to a church body, or a front for a fundamentalist political group (coughLiberty Universitycough)?

Yeah. There's a world of difference between a place like Georgetown and a place like Bob Jones. The latter is a waste of your money and your mind.

-- Alex

 

[meatloaf231]

personally I say screw christian colleges though I don't care if they teach creationism or evolution(I find the whole argument pointless bunk) I just hate how most if not all of them require strict dress code and moral code of conduct ie no violent video games movies or music or any real form a a relationship with the opposite sex

Goodness, what a wonderful sweeping stereotype.

No, most Christian colleges are nigh-indistinguishable from non-religious colleges, aside from sometimes having different policies on drinking. There's usually some type of chapel, but attendance isn't mandatory sometimes.

As far as the moral codes of conduct, every Christian college I've seen has had little dress code aside from no public nudity and very few bans on video games, music or movies - nothing porn-related, sometimes R rated movies are restricted. Also, There's means of maintaining a healthy relationship with someone aside from having sex all the time.

Edit: You know what, just read what ellimist337 said. He's got it down.

 

[willard3]

I went to Grove City College...a small Christian school in western Pennsylvania. It's loosely Presbyterian, but is not officially affiliated with any denomination. It also takes no federal funding, so it can basically teach whatever it wants, but it really keeps the tuition down...it's about $16k a year for tuition, room and board.

Now it's different from a lot of Christian colleges because there is no enforced dress code. Drinking on campus is not allowed, and you have to attend 16 chapels a semester (there are something like 30+ offered per semester, and most are only 20 minutes long). Many classes can have a slight Christian bend, especially the required humanities core, but it's rare to find screaming Bible-thumpers. Most students are pretty normal, but still pretty religious. Also, there's no on-campus Sunday service; the administration likes students to go to community churches.

It's still accredited and offers lots of different majors...music, sciences, engineering, maths, business, entrepreneurship, history...and it gets consistently good ratings from national reviews.

So don't go painting Christian colleges with a broad brush after looking at Cedarville or Pensacola Christian College. *shudder*

 

[nekolux]

I'm currently in a catholic rooted high school. I am however, an atheist. I dont see a problem with it, sure there's a prayer every morning but if you're not catholic and you do not wish to participate then it's perfectly ok that you simply move aside for others.

However if you're going to a university where they're gonna teach you intelligent design...
It isnt even about religion anymore. You need to take a good look at their courses, if it's objective and it teaches you what it needs to teach you then its fine. Also look up the reputation. You dont want to go into a university learn absolute bollocks then go out and look like an idiot because you went to some fundamentalist university.

 

[peachy_keen]

I went to a Catholic college. I was raised Catholic, but became agnostic as soon I was a teenager (surprise, surprise). Anyway, some of the classes were extremely religious- especially the philosophy courses which was really disappointing. But, the science teachers were all very practical! Even a great deal of the brothers who taught there believed in evolution.

 

[dangerousdave_42]

personally I say screw christian colleges though I don't care if they teach creationism or evolution(I find the whole argument pointless bunk) I just hate how most if not all of them require strict dress code and moral code of conduct ie no violent video games movies or music or any real form a a relationship with the opposite sex

Goodness, what a wonderful sweeping stereotype.

No, most Christian colleges are nigh-indistinguishable from non-religious colleges, aside from sometimes having different policies on drinking. There's usually some type of chapel, but attendance isn't mandatory sometimes.

As far as the moral codes of conduct, every Christian college I've seen has had little dress code aside from no public nudity and very few bans on video games, music or movies - nothing porn-related, sometimes R rated movies are restricted. Also, There's means of maintaining a healthy relationship with someone aside from having sex all the time.

Edit: You know what, just read what ellimist337 said. He's got it down.

alright I will admit that might have been a little harsh but bear in mind my experiences have been mostly tied to Pensacola and bob Jones but on that same token are any of these colleges going to be fine with me wearing a metallica shirt and why bother banning games of any sort or R rated movies heck when I was a teenager my youth pastor was the one who introduced me to movies and games like the matrix and unreal tournament. I am also not saying you can't have a healthy relationship without sex all the time but come on at least if the case of Pensacola you are not even allowed to talk to someone of the opposite sex unless you are in a chaperoned area. In short I just hate the concept that I must follow some stupid and puritanical rules just to avoid expulsion.

http://www.pensacolachristiancollege.com/rules.htm
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Bob_Jones_University_-_Rules_for_students/id/618291

 

[Xvito]

Religious Universities... Aren't.

 

[Amoreyna]

I don't know where some posters went to college at - but on campus drinking is not allowed at state uni's here, nor are drinking establishments. It makes a kind of weird world were you have the quiet prestine campus surrounded by more bars then what you would find in many major cities.

Also many schools - both public and private - have rules about coed dating and who you can have in your dorm room and at what times. This isn't new. While some private uni's do strictly regulate dress code most just simply ask that you show up looking decent.

What you should be paying attention to is if the school has a good program for the area you want to study. As a sophmore you're just getting into things and may not have decided your life long career goals yet which is perfectly okay. Personally I think the whole pressure of college thing is over rated and starts too early. (And yeah, I went to a private Catholic school and took all advance placement courses - I still think it's a bunch of bunk).

Some schools may have stellar science facilities but that may not mean anything to you if you decide that you want to go into art. Look carefully at what each school offers, their list of classes, the required classes (and yes schoold do differ on these) as well as what kind of support and success rate students can expect. Look to see what kind of activites are available both on and off campus. Is this campus in the middle of a major city or in the middle of now where? How do you plan to get aroud - do you plan on having a car or relying on city transportation and does the campus support and pay for that? Do you plan on living on campus (which is horribly over priced for what you get) or do you plan on living off campus and if so how far away and how do you plan to get to class? What kind of job opportunites are available in the community and does the college offer a good amount of student jobs to help pay for your over inflated tution?

To me the question of going to a religious uni was always a moot point. While I had a better chance of getting into Notre Dame then others because of my background schooling, it didn't really matter much. They are going to offer pretty much the same classes with the added bonus of relgious study if you would like to go into that. In my experience, private schools have generally small class size, more experienced teachers and a more one-on-one attitude then public uni's but there are always exceptions to this. You are not going to be inudated with relgion if you go to a private school.

If you have questions you should ask the colleg recruiters - it's their job to answer these sorts of inquiries and trust me they have heard it all before. You can also talk to other students that attend there and even make an overnight visit to campuses so that you get a better idea of what it's like.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Not every religious based school is run by fundamentalists...Sewanee: University of the South is owned by the Episcopalian Diocese. They don't require their students to attend church, were voted #7 party school in America, and have no qualms about co-ed dating.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Evolution doesn't really defy the Bible; Creationism was created because of a fanboy calculating that the events of the book would have taken 6000 years.

As for Christian Universities; what's the difference from the actual ones? Besides the names, and a church?

Lord Krunk wins internet cookies for rational thought and compromise.



I went to a Christian school for my last two years of education (AS and A Levels), and I must say, it helped me clarify a lot of my thoughts on life, the universe and everything. Such as curing me of the rather idiotic notion that religion is altogether bad. I mean, it's not for me, but regarding it as the source of all of humanities ails is rather like blaming Gordon Brown for the Mongol invasion of Korea.

Also- arguing against people who deny evolution is an excellent way of strengthening one's own elitism. And having people of faith demonstrate that there really is no contradiction, and indeed that genesis is spectacularly similar to how the universe came into being (if you neglect the seven days timescale, which is clearly metaphorical).

 

[Chaz D]

I'm a Christian, yes, but I'm also logical. I'm fiddling with the idea of attending a Christian college, but I'm held back from going all-out for it by a few things. Namely if they are required to teach non-religious views on certain subjects, such as Evolution/Creationism. Personally, I have a mixture of views on that topic, so I'm worried about having a professor who just rattles on about how there's no holes in the evolutionary theory, OR one who dismisses evolution as rubbish.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a reputable university, Christian or not, that doesn't teach the theory of evolution. And no self-respecting professor would say that the theory has no "holes", since all theories do.

Whatever your view may be, evolution is science, and will be taught as such. So you don't need to worry about that.