Disturbing Trends @ Baptist Colleges (according to Jon Akin)

[Blake]

and

[Haruo]

[TrudyU]

Ed: Who is John Akin? Could he be related to Danny Akin at Southeastern Seminary? Who ever, I am less than impressed after reading a few paragraphs, what I have read has been discussed on these boards for many years. Could he have been Named after Dr. Danny A's Friend Jon Estes ? who became an unwelcome guest hereabouts. Due to similar moderate bashing.

[William Thornton]

[William Thornton]

On Akin's points:

These things will hurt the CP. He is right about that. I suspect that the state colleges mentioned have factored this into their decisions.

In the case of Louisiana College, the school is in a major meltdown mess caused by the administration. Not sure where that will go.

[Tim Bonney]

I'm never impressed with a doctrinal argument that has as one of its main points "it might cost us money." God and Mammon comes to mind.

[Sandy]

I think the point regarding the money is that you have a state convention related Baptist college that is identified with the state Baptist convention, included in its reports, and listed as an entity which receives Cooperative Program funding that is doing things which are causing churches to cut their giving. That doesn't just affect the colleges and universities, some of whom exhibit the attitude that they don't really care. It affects the other ministries done by the state convention, as well as the portion of the gifts which are forwarded to the mission boards and theological education. Some churches designate their giving, but for the most part, being a "cooperative" venture, it has an effect on the whole program.

The universities should be cooperative as well. Knowing the position of the state Baptist convention regarding specific doctrinal issues, if they can't respect those views and their Bible department teach in harmony with the convention's stated beliefs, they shouldn't take their money, nor should they use the insider advantage that most of them have when it comes to recruiting students or receiving money from donors in the churches. I doubt whether many of the smaller colleges could sustain an existence without the students and financial support that comes directly as a result of their affiliation with their state Baptist convention.

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

Being an alumnus of Carson-Newman, I am already disappointed that they seem to be following the money of CP. God should be far more important. What if God did create through evolution--or some process we haven't even discovered? There seems to be a lot of putting the Bible and science in conflict, and the Bible tends to lose often the way many fundamentalist frame the debate.

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

[Blake]

[Neil Heath]

It should also be pointed out that many colleges and universities related to state conventions may only receive a small portion of their budget from that convention. I would guess that the dollar amount falls well under 10% in many cases, and yet the convention acts as though they should be able to call all the shots in terms of curriculum, personnel, etc. I have a problem with that.

[William Thornton]

[Sandy]

[Big Daddy Weaver]

I'm not sure that Jon Akin necessarily represents the average 20-30 something SBCer. His pops is a seminary president. I'd say he no more represents that generation than Jonathan Merritt.

I don't particularly get the fuss over teaching evolution. That's always been the case at Baptist colleges and universities in the South.

The best move for the Akin and Company is to cut ties with the schools. The era of taking over Baptist schools is gone. These schools just don't depend much on the state convention for funds. The indirect argument - that these schools depend heavily on Tennessee Baptists - is less true and legally probably not a relevant point with regard to C-N and Campbellsville.

I don't think these schools are in a position to go the Shorter U. route and given the years of lawsuits in Missouri, who wants to travel that path?

These guys just don't seem to get that their views about inerrancy did not trickle down. There are simply quite a few rather conservative folks out there who have no use for that term and reject the idea that the Bible is to be viewed as a history and science textbook. Notice that the president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention recently claimed that there were "rumors" that professors at Campbellsville rejected the "authority of the Bible" (by that, he meant inerrancy).

That's just silly rhetoric - but also rhetoric they really believe.

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

When you build a university, the biology department is not necessarily the religion department. Diversity is to be expected in any academic faculty, and the free exchange of all ideas ought not to be restricted. If the idea that God created cannot stand in the face of evolutionary theory, then it ought to be dismissed. If evolution cannot stand on its merits before the idea of a creator God, then it should be dismissed. If neither has cornered the market on truth, then both need to be discussed freely. The a priori determination of truth without its free examination is not education, it is indoctrination.

[Sandy]

[TrudyU]

Ed Pettibone: Sandy why would you make that guess? BTW, Are there any SBC related colleges in TN other than Carson Neman, Belmont and Union?

[Tim Bonney]

Sandy I think you made an error in your own statement about polity. My understanding is that Carson Newman is a Tennessee Baptist related school and not an SBC related school. I'm not aware of a college or university being directly related to the SBC.

Nothing you've said has convinced me that Carson Newman's charter makes it the property of the Convention. Just giving money to something doesn't mean you own it. I send money for tuition for my daughter to Iowa State University several times a year. I don't own any part of the University. Morningside College, right next to my church, is a UMC affiliated seminary. We have more Roman Catholic students then UMC students. That does not mean that the RCC owns any part of Morningside. In fact the UMC does not own Morningside though a certain percentage of the board must be United Methodists and our Bishop is a member of the board.

I think you are making assumptions about ownership versus leadership which may not be true. Without seeing the charter for the school I'm not convinced that the convention owns a college that didn't affiliate with the convention until 1919.

Southern Baptists seem to me to be some what unique in their desire to control college and seminary education with an iron fist. How is it that Baptist freedom extends to churches and individual Baptists unless you happen to gain enough education, training, and Biblical knowledge to become a seminary professor and then suddenly you are beholden you are subject to scrutiny for what you teach.

Given that SBC pastors are held to no doctrinal standard it just seems very odd to me.