########################################################## The Student Voice Issue 5, Number 1 2.7.1997 ########################################################## 364+ Readers ########################################################## The Student Voice: PCC's alternative newsletter ########################################################## Who We Are: The Student Voice is a weekly, on-line commentary and editorial page about the problems that are prevalent at Pensacola Christian College. As an institution that considers itself at the pinnacle of true Christianity, PCC ought to be willing to back up its practices with Scripture, but unfortunately, when one compares the "system" of PCC with true Christianity, PCC falls far short. Our purpose is three-fold: (1) To provide public exposure regarding the practices at PCC; (2) To compare PCC dogma with Scriptural principle, generally accepted societal behavior, and the law of reason; (3) By bringing about this exposure, to see PCC make some positive changes in the areas of discipline, communication with parents and students, church practice, ethical behavior, and educational philosophy. Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." ########################################################## QUOTES OF THE WEEK "[Y]ou must remember that Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken. . . ." - Abigail Adams, from a Letter to John Adams (May 7, 1776) "The nature of God is a circle of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere." - quoted by S. Bonaventura in ITINERARIUS MENTIS IN DEUM "The world is full of fools, and he who would not see it should live alone and smash his mirror." - Claude Le Petit, from DISCOURS SATIRIQUES "In the Country of the Blind the One-eyed Man is King." - H.G. Wells, THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND ########################################################## TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 I. Voice Announcements II. "Myths About Christianity: Christianity Stifles Personal Freedom" by, Anonymous III. Essays "A Call To Unity" by, Paul S. Perdue "A Common Misconception: Constitutional Rights" by, Paul S. Perdue Page 2 IV. Your Comments V. Have You Heard The One About. . . ? ########################################################## I. VOICE ANNOUNCEMENTS >>> We want to extend an invitation to anyone who wants to write an essay in opposition to anything The Voice has written, and if anyone is interested in a "point/counterpoint" type of debate with The Voice, contact us for more information. >>> If you would like any copies of back issues, please let us know. However, we would ask that you limit your request to 2 issues per request in order for us to be more efficient. Once you have received the two issues, then please feel free to request 2 more. Here is a list of Voice issues and other information: The Student Voice Introductory Letter Transcript of Dr. Horton's comments made about The Student Voice Issue 1 (1-4) Issue 2 (1-5) Issue 3 (1-3) Issue 4 (1-5) >>> We are in the process of putting together an "official" web page where back issues, the Rules Compilation and other interesting information will be displayed. Please stay tuned. >>> If you do not wish to receive The Student Voice, please drop us an e-mail and let us know. If you know of someone who would be interested in receiving The Student Voice, let us know. ########################################################## II. Myths About Christianity: Christianity Stifles Personal Freedom By: Anonymous Many people today accept a number of myths about Christianity, with the result that they never respond to Jesus as He really is. This is one of ten articles that speak to some of these misconceptions. Freedom is the prevailing cry of the world today, the overwhelming preoccupation of individuals and nations. Yet even though Scripture speaks of a liberty that Christ offers (Eph. 5:1-12), some people resist Christianity as itself an obstacle to freedom. Is this view of the faith justified? On the face of it, it seems strange to identify Christianity as an enemy of freedom. After all, Christians have historically stood up for the poor, the oppressed, the captive, and the underprivileged. Likewise, liberation from ignorance, disease, and political oppression have invariably resulted wherever Christian faith and principles have been adopted. Why, then, would some view the faith as repressive? Perhaps part of the answer lies in the problem of legalism. Whenever Christianity is made into a list of do's and don'ts, it becomes intolerant and restrictive. Instead of enjoying an intimate relationship with a loving God, the legalist is obsessed with rules and regulations, as if God were a celestial Policeman just waiting to catch us out of line. To be sure, Christ does make demands on us that sometimes limit our autonomy. But true Christianity sees this as part of a relationship based on love and grace, not unlike a healthy marriage in which both partners sometimes sacrifice their own desires in order to serve the other. But even if there were no legalists, many people would still resist Christianity because they resist any standards that would place absolute claims on them. To them, freedom means pure autonomy--the right to do whatever they want, with no accountability to anyone else. But surely that leads to irresponsibility and license rather than freedom. Nor do people really live that way. Sooner or later they choose one course of action over another, based on some set of values. In other words, they surrender their will to standards, whether good or bad, and act accordingly. So it is not just the values of Christianity that "stifle" personal freedom, but values in general. The real question, of course, is what kind of people are we? What is our character? Christians try to mold their character after the pattern of Jesus. He was the most liberated man who ever lived. His ultimate standard of behavior was, what does My Father want Me to do (John 8:29)? Did that code stifle His freedom? Hardly: He was utterly free of covetousness, hypocrisy, fear of others, and every other vice. At the same time He was free to be Himself, free to love people with warmth and purity, and free to surrender His life for others. True Christian freedom is Christlike freedom. There is no hint of legalism about it. It accepts absolute moral standards that are well known and well proven, and it takes its inspiration from the most liberated human being who ever lived, Jesus of Nazareth. What is stifling about that? ########################################################## III. ESSAYS [The Voice is always interested in Guest essays; please let us know if you would be interested in making a contribution.] "A Call To Unity" By: Paul S. Perdue Ephesians 4:1-6: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Within the realm of Christendom, there have always been and will continue to be factions. This is in some ways unfortunate, and thus it is in these same ways not entirely good. Perhaps this is simply due to the fallibility of human nature and the inevitable consequences of ideological clashes. From the Corinthian church in the first century to the debates between the early church fathers and Turtullian over the place of reason and the "Academy" in the church, to Martin Luther and the Archbishop of Mainz in the sixteenth century, to today's divisions among Protestant denominations, we can usually understand the factions by juxtaposing each group's ideology upon the canvas of general theology. It is important to recognize the relationships between the factions, which can generally be observed at three levels: Broad, general and specific. "Broad" factions are those whose differences go to the most fundamental theological principles, or different "canvases of general theology" - i.e., Christianity versus Hinduism. "General" factions can be characterized as factions within the Broad factions - i.e., within Christianity, Lutheran versus Baptist. "Specific" factions are those within a General faction - i.e., within the Baptist movement, those who adhere strictly to the local church structure versus those who do not. Now, PCC observers and the issues generated generally fall into the Specific level, and occasionally the General. The intricacies of this are not necessarily relevant to this discussion, but understand it to the extent that virtually all of us are on the same canvas; we all have, or at least claim to have a belief in the same fundamental premise - the ultimate Scriptural authority and the importance of being a light in a dark world. Perhaps one of the naive misconceptions of The Student Voice at its inception was that although there would understandably be strong differences of opinion among observers, there would at least be a minimal level of civility and maturity in discussing issues that are, regardless of a few assertions to the contrary, important to a lot of people. Since there was no alternative available, The Voice was created to provide a forum for "alternative" (alternative to PCC's, that is) ideas, ideas that were, and are, quite relevant to PCC's existence. A major problem has developed in that attempts to "sabotage" both "sides" have been undertaken. Attempts have been made to destroy The Voice, not through superior ideas, but through base, destructive blows. However, that does not concern us as much as do recent attempts to sabotage those who oppose the ideas of The Voice. This is absolutely and completely uncalled for, and it demonstrates a real immaturity in a few rogues on each side. It is vital to keep in mind that we are all, or at least we generally profess to be, Christians. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us all to act as such. The clash of ideas is not at all a bad thing - recognizing and discussing a diversity of opinions is healthy and should be encouraged. In other words, the SUBSTANCE of the debate should be mature, intelligent, and enlightening to all of us, regardless of where one falls along the spectrum of ideas. The methods and tactics of formulating and engaging in this debate, however, should not sink beneath the threshold of decency and civility. Now, some will profess that this debate and these ideas deserve no civility, but it is this type of approach that will do more to damage the cause of Christ than simply ignoring the debate all together. We simply ask that all involved observe the only two legitimate avenues for making one's opinion known: leave the discussion or engage in it like an adult. While we may be properly disposed to our each and individual "factions," let us not permit our philosophical quest to revert into a moral vacuum that resembles Golding's island in LORD OF THE FLIES more than it does a search for truth among God's people. There is plenty of room within Christianity for a debate of this sort, but there is no room for un-Christian-like behavior. Let us recognize that we do have differences of opinion, but let us also recognize that we are on the same "canvas." Unity and diversity are not irreconcilable differences. We recognize the difficulties The Student Voice presents, but if The Voice is ever going to see its own demise, let us not see it come about as a result of Christians who are incapable of common civility. ------------------------------------ "A Common Misconception: Constitutional Rights" By: Paul S. Perdue A rather common theme that is often expressed by those who feel that PCC has overstepped its boundaries and by those who feel that PCC's regulatory system is unduly burdensome is that PCC violates the "constitutional rights" of its students (and sometimes staff and faculty as well). For instance, claims are made that PCC's refusal to allow any single comment in support of T he Voice or in opposition to itself (PCC mistakenly merges these two concepts together as one single, indivisible doctrine) is a violation of a student's right to free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ("Congress shall make no law. . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. . . ."). Or a claim will be made that when PCC prohibits its students from worshiping freely (see Dr. Horton's Comments regarding The Student Voice, specifically the policy prohibiting "public devotions") this is a violation of the First Amendment's freedom of association or the freedom of worship ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . or the right of the people peaceably to assemble. . . ."). While I must acknowledge a certain degree of logic to these propositions, I must also point out that these propositions misunderstand the Constitution and are therefore completely incorrect. Please allow me to briefly explain why this is so, so that we can eliminate these false accusations against PCC. 1. The General Structure of the Constitution. Understand the Constitution for what it is. It is simply a blueprint for the American system of democratic government. It sets up the structure for how our government will operate. Article I sets up the legislative function, the mechanism by which laws may be enacted. Article II sets up the executive power, the mechanism by which these laws will be carried out and enforced. Article III sets up a judiciary, the mechanism by which disputes will be resolved. A fourth "part" of the Constitution, though, is generally where "issues" supposedly arise with regard to PCC's restrictions, and that is the Bill of Rights (certainly, a part of the Constitution). Note that both the Bill of Rights and the general text of the Constitution (1) grant certain POWER to the government, (2) grant (or acknowledge) certain RIGHTS to (in) individuals, i.e, they restrict the power of the government, and (3) serve other functions which are not relevant to this discussion. Therefore, since we are not concerned with the power granted to the government, we are instead concerned with rights granted to individuals. 2. Individual Rights. As was discussed in Issue 4, No. 1, a right is a privilege that is capable of being claimed against someone else. The question, then, and THE MOST IMPORTANT factor to understand in addressing whether PCC violates any constitutional rights is to know AGAINST WHOM may those rights be claimed? If they cannot be claimed against PCC through the principles of the Constitution, then PCC does not violate any Constitutional rights. Please note this: except for the Thirteenth Amendment (dealing with slavery), no part of the Constitution/Bill of Rights applies to private individuals in their private capacity or to private groups. They apply ONLY to the state, or the government. Therefore, since PCC is a private group, and NOT the state, the Constitution DOES NOT apply to it. In other words, PCC cannot violate a student's constitutional rights because the Constitution only applies to government and does not apply to, among other things, private colleges. Remember, this whole discussion about PCC should be divided into two parts: (1) what authority does PCC have (see Issue 1, No. 1), and (2) how SHOULD it exercise that authority it does have? It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand the second question if one does not understand the first. The question of constitutional rights as it applies to students and faculty goes to the first question. PCC's authority is neither derived from nor restricted by the U.S. Constitution. I trust this has been enlightening, and I hope this clears up a very common misconception that is prevalent among PCC observers. Of course, I realize that there will still be those of you who will find some way to slam my motives, my life and lack of Scriptural support for this discussion, but so be it. Part of rational understanding requires a desire to understand rationally. ############################################################ IV. YOUR COMMENTS The opinions, ideas, and facts stated in this section do not necessarily represent those of The Student Voice. We make our best efforts to be fair and to verify factual statements. ------------------------------------ [This is from a student, J---, who seems to come to a different conclusion about The Voice after reading it - eds.] Student v, I wrote you the other day. I'm glad to hear you are continuing to distribute the student voice. I just wish I could have been some kind of help when I was there. Unfortunately they give you such a bad name there it caused me to question your ethics and biblical background. Now that I and my father have read your literature I must say I'm impressed with your accuracy. God Bless you, J---- ------------------------------------ [This is from a converstation between alumni in an extended conversation regarding the issues The Voice has raised - eds.] I am glad that one change was implemented for the better. This gives me even more hope for the future. What we want is not so evil--we want the system to be even better, to show more love for others and more Christian caring. Having lived in the Pensacola community for the past five years as alums, my husband and I have become ever more aware of a growing distrust for PCC and its unrealistic ideals. Much of the debate between persons such as you and I seems to be centered on the idea that PCC has the right to make whatever rules it wants to because it is a private institution and because it sells itself as a caring Christian environment. Yet the fashion and moral codes are based on what they think other people will think about them if they do not establish themselves as "Christian" in a visible (nice dress, etc..) Unfortunately, the community views them as less so just because of this. I know of many Catholic people who outgive and outlove the PCC administration, yet as an early PCC grad I was so quick to condemn them for their religion that I could not see the forest for the trees. Have you ever sat down and truly without any preconceived notions read through the New Testament? I must confess that I had never done this before until this summer. Oh, sure, I read my Bible many, many times through, even memorized vast portions of Scripture. But I never truly grasped the message of Paul and the ministry of Christ until I did so. Now this is not an easy thing to do. I was raised in the typical fundamental Bible-believing, KJV preaching Baptist church. I found out that a lot of things that I truly believed were not in the New Testament, which I am sure you would agree with me is the textbook for the believer (not that the Old Testament has no bearing, but our salvation was through Christ and we are freed from the bonds of the law). Paul also challenged my beliefs that disagreements among Christians should stay among Christians. Indeed, in Galatians he challenged Peter for his inconsistencies in a public way, so much so that we, reading his writings a couple of thousand years later, not only know about it, but know all the intimate details. I found myself exhorted to do something. And sure, I could write a letter with all of my "complaints" and disagreements, but tell me truthfully, do you really think PCC will allow women to wear slacks, or allow free use of the telephones at any time of the day or night to anyone, or allow internet access, or allow students to worship at the church of their choice (within some boundaries), or allow freedom of speech to the opposite sex both on and off campus at anytime simply because I request it? As the American Revolution proved, some battles are worth fighting in numbers and there can be strength in the power of the people. Who ever dreamed that a motley regiment of convicts and religious nuts and other various political elements would defeat the King of England (at that time the most powerful nation in the world)? Another example I could use is the Berlin Wall, or how about the end of Communism in Russia? Those battles were started by people like us who support the Student Voice, "one small whisper that grew into a great roar". It is, of course, your prerogative not to participate in these events and even to fight against us; that is, after all, the right of every American citizen. Is it such a great wonder then, that we fight for those same rights for those of our fellow Christian citizens who are currently being denied the right to fight for themselves. As a great man, Booker T. Washington said, "The happiest people are those that do the most for others." And personally, I go to bed happier now than I ever have. ------------------------------------ [We have no idea who this is from, but it is an expression of opposition to Th e Voice - eds.] Dear [Voice], That almost imperceptible noise is the gagging sound you make because the gnat your trying to swallow just won't go down. You've tried liberal (no pun intended) doses of logic and reason, seasoned with sarcasm, bolstered by a small minded embittered cheering section, and for all your efforts, you've only increased the bitterness and turned many away from what may truly be God's will for their lives. Of course PCC could never be God's will for anyone's life because they're not asking you just exactly what it is that a college must be like, look like, act like, smell like, feel like, think like, and operate like. No effort or encouragement on your part to get the other side of the "Have you heard the one about..." section of your "Voice" (anyone with half a brain can see the intro. to a gossip column when they see one). This one column alone is in violation of several biblical principles found in the Word of God. slander (slandőr) n. 1. Law. Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation. 2. A false and malicious statement or report about someone. This is illustrated no better than in your most recent Voice regarding the account of the missionary family. The back pedaling has taken the originator of this gossip almost back to the womb, and his attempt to remove you from the hook of your own folly for publishing it is pitiful. Anyone with any kind of discernment could have seen this coming. Proverbs 13:3 "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." James 1:26 "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." Proverbs 16:23 "The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips." (an admonition you've ignored from day one) vs 28 "A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends." Proverb s 10:18 "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool." Pr 18:13 "He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him." Pr 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] f riends. Your "Voice" is the voice of the Ammonites in 2 Sam. 10:3, it's the voice of Satan in Job 1:11, the voice of the one admonished in Ps 50:19,20, it's the voice of Amaziah in Amos 7:10, this "voice" is embodied in the pharisaical utterances of Luke 7:33 & Matthew 9:34; 11:19; Luke 23:2; Acts 6:12,13, it's the voice of those that gathered on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:13. We can be sure that it will one day be the voice described in Titus 1: 10,11 10 "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 "Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's [gain] sake." Issue 4 No.1 has an admission in it by you that during your four years at PCC you ignored, studied through, slept through, played through, read novels through, day dreamed through, and criticized your way through approxmately 1400 chapel & Church services, Bible Conferences, and prayer groups (this figure doesn't include the hundreds of devotionals etc. at various activities), only to remember one four word phrase "we have no rights", and then to add insult to injury, to confuse "rights" with "obligations". This from a man that claims some sort of spiritual insight into the Christian life and at the same time seeks to impart some sort Biblical truth to his readers. This Biblical truth wasn't, even in part, developed in the four years of chapel & church services at PCC or the campus church, neither was it developed in the Bible classes on PCC's campus. I can only assume that before and after this period of your life is a secular High School education & four or more years at a secular university. One might guess from this what sort of "biblical truth" you are attempting to place in our troughs. (By the way, those that say they haven't read your "Voice" are simply trying to avoid the splatter as you attempt to slop this stuff on the plate of their mind, fully understandable, particularly in the case of a college educated professor).. I can bet you hope your readers pay more attention to your "logic" and "reason" (Job 15:2,3 "Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?) than you did to the Biblical instruction at PCC. Psalm 50:17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. Romans 1:28-32 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (emphasis added) This "Siskel and Ebert" personality that sits in his theatre with his popcorn and cushioned chair knows nothing of the how the script came to be written the way it was (only that he was written out of it's leading role) or how the plot has been developed, or all the work that's gone into the production (ah, the achilles heel, PCC's a production, a show, a sham) - no more than a man at a job interview decides to iron his shirt for the first time in his life so he can have the edge in securing the position for which he is applying is a "show", "production" or a "sham". You are critical of collegian meetings because they lacked the "adult sophistication" you were accustomed to (where you developed it one can only imagine), instead of enjoying a simple, youthful fun that is unencumbered by the world's guile. Romans 16:19 states, "For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. The word "simple" is the greek word akeraiov which means "unmixed, pure, without a mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent". It was this simplicity you found so distasteful, "forced" to partake of it's sweetness if only externally, abhoring it's contrast to the bitterness in your own heart. It's this simplicity you saw on the faces of those students in chapel, not a blind, unthinking stare, swallowing error with eager gulps (this is precisely what is required of the readers of your "Voice"). And it's this simplicity that PCC seeks to preserve in every aspect of it's ministry. The tenor of most of what is written and encouraged in your "Voice" (make no mistake, this is YOUR voice), is an adolescent humanism disguised as "logic" and "reason", propped up on a leg of "compassion" for the "mind numbed" masses on PCC's campus. Your thinking has been influenced to place an undo emphasis on the valuing of people and things in terms of action and relevancy (hence your crusade to rid the campus of it's eeeviiil links to fundamentalism, a stodgy, judgemental movement.) The tone of irreverance in your "voice" questions the cornerstones of convention, a hallmark of many of the movements that were born in the 60's and now reside in halls of our secular colleges and universities, "mature" and "adult" in their developement, accepted by everyone . Institutions are challenged and defied, particularly when those institutions attempt to make helpful decisions for those that find themselves in enrolled in those institutions. Your philosophy is a mixture of pervasive humanism and neoevangelicalism. You emphasize the value of human beings and human life to the extent that it's inherent goodness and rationality are preferred to a "simple faith". You emphasize person hood, minimizing the contribution of adults and authority figures in the lives of PCC's students. Your position is that the administration, faculty, staff (authority) stifles free thought. You ask your readers to make decisions without appealing to any authority other than themselves - i.e. logic and reason. This philosophy produces a person that believes that their opinion is impeccable; hence they [you] are argumentative, questioning any and all authority in their lives. You espouse a subtle rationalism, encouraging a young person to appeal to his mental processes to make decisions and/or determine a lifestyle, even when it comes to matters of Biblical separation etc. the two being 180 degrees opposed to each other. You would prefer that PCC simply lay the tools out and let the student decide which one could be best used to hammer in the nail, critical of a "judgemental" administration that's not content to stand idlely by while a student decides it's best to bang away at the nail with an electric drill or screwdriver. You've made statements concerning your "respect" (thrown into the middle of a tirade on the "unbiblical use of power, wielded by leering, greedy potentates on PCC's campus), for those in the administration. You have little or no respect for anyone in the administration, if you did, you'd go to them persona lly with your concerns instead of airing your disagreements for all to see (Matthew 18:15). You choose the later because it profits you when people read your rag and rather than confess their own bitterness as sin, they find a place to harbor the ships of their discontent, their holds filled with the putrefying stench of unforgiveness and bitter refuse. They cling to the notion, that at least for awhile they can hold on to thier sin, at least until another "friend" comes to help them justify it, and give credence to the bad choices they've made in thier life. Your respect and concerns mirror the respect and concerns of Judas, when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus, preparing him for his death. Judas pretended to be concerned for the poor, but it was his own pockets he sought to fill. This is, I suspect, the well from which you've drawn your water dear friend. The saying goes, "What's in the bucket comes out when it's bumped", and it's my sense that in your years on PCC's campus, you were bumped many times, by rules, life's situations, personalities, authority etc., and what was in the bucket did, and continues to be revealed. It's not a pretty sight my friend. "An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes" - Chinese Proverb PCC'S recommended course of action: Nehemiah 6:7-9 7* And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, [There is] a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8* Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, [O God], strengthen my hands. ------------------------------------ [This is from an alumnus, G--- - eds.] Dear [Voice]: I wanted to write and share a few thoughts with you that have been percolating in my mind for a while regarding PCC and this whole issue about the Voice and such. Please accept them for what they are, the musings of a flawed, sometimes-inconsistent human being like everyone else. I am a graduate of Pensacola Christian College with a four year degree, and have seen more than my share of goof-ups and flub-ups in the college administration with it being handled in an ungodly manner. Since that is only between me and those particular people though I only bring it up here to state that I have no illusions about the college or its administration. I will say that I learned how to think at college and was always encouraged to take the Biblical stand, regardless of what anyone thought. Having stated that I would like to say that you are in a bit of quandrary with your newsletter. In looking at scripture, it clearly states that there is a way for offending (or blatantly sinful) brethren to be dealt with under the auspicies of the local church. Such passages as Matthew 18 clearly point out that problems that occur are to be dealt with before the church. In this case though, you are not dealing with a church by any stretch of the imagination. You are dealing with a para-church ministry that is not accountable to any church or organization save itself and its higher echelon. This issue was brought up several times throughout college in several classes. Reactions to this question varied. Either it was ignored, laughed down, or worse, someone would attempt to redefine or rationalize some scripture to point out why the Campus Church ran under the authority of the college. One particularly interesting explanation was that Dr. Horton was the high 'elder' of the church and made the ultimate decisions regarding the church rather than Pastor Schettler or even the 'congregation.' I will not debate all of the various issues at stake here save for one that applies directly to your situation. Since [PCC] has decided to circumvent the Biblical model of church/organization hierarchy they have, in effect, knocked the stool out from under their own feet. They no longer have a Biblical standard to appeal to when dealing with you and your paper. That forces them to retreat to subjective stances which do not necessarily carry a great deal of authority. I am not saying that I agree with everything your newsletter says or even in the fashion in which you state it. I believe that most disagreements should be kept between people and left there for one thing. I also wonder how this affects the body of Christ as a whole. I will also confess that some topics have brought up bitter feelings that have long been dormant. I will say though quite cleary, that neither you nor the college have a "biblical" leg to stand on. I hope this may someday change. My letter is somewhat ambigous and ambivalent but then so are my feelings on this matter. Yours truly, G--- ------------------------------------ [We have no idea who this is from - eds.] Since you obviously have no idea what you are talking about in regards to PCC, please take my name off of your cute and silly little manifesto. ------------------------------------ [This is from J--- regarding PCC's severe limitations on modern forms of communication - eds.] Books, paper and pencils -WAIT! We are in the electronic age. Encyclopedia's are on CD-ROM; periodicals are on the internet; email is forcing snail mail into a salt quarry. Many colleges are embracing technology - not PCC. Supposedly the goal of a college is to provide its students with a high quality education in order to prepare them for the outside world. At PCC, computers are high power typewriters. The internet is the digital home of pornographers and should be strictly avoided. Phone number for internet providers are blocked and digital telephones installed to prevent the use of modems. Compare to Cedarville College, computers and internet in every dorm room, reports are emailed to the instructor for grading. Novell Inc. was so impressed their setup that they wrote a case study on the college for use in the Novell education program. >>> We should note that the administration has provided internet access in the library - eds. ############################################################ V. HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT. . . ? [This is from an alumnus regarding PCC's "spirit" - eds.] I have read many accounts of PCC's "spirit," and I would like to share with you an experience I had that may shed some light on exactly what that "spirit" sometimes is. I decided to take a few days and visit my alma mater with a friend of mine a few years ago. One evening my brother was playing basketball in the new Sports Center, and so I went over there to ask him what his plans were for the next day. I went into the gymnasium with a pair of regular casual shoes. Of course, only "athletic" shoes are permitted in the gym, and I completely understand this and think that should be the policy. However, when I went to see my brother in the gym, the last thing that would have entered my mind was the fact that I needed to change shoes. Perhaps I should have instinctively known, but the fact was that I didn't. Well, the following conversation ensued between myself and Mr. McDonald: Me: "Hey, Mr. McDonald! How are you?" Mr. M: "Hey, get off the floor with those shoes!!" Me: "Do you remember me?" Mr. M: "Yes. Get off the floor with those shoes." He then proceeded to walk away. No "hi," no "how are you. You know, you need to change those shoes," etc. Now, I don't want to make a big deal out of this, but a correct "spirit" really should contain some common courtesy. In all fairness, not everyone reacted the same way, but one is too many. Thank you. ############################################################ The Student Voice is: Paul S. Perdue lupos Please feel free to voice your thoughts, stories, and opinions. Thank you for reading The Voice! ######################################################## THE STUDENT VOICE, PCC's alternative newsletter