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The Student Voice Issue 5, Number 3 2.28.1997
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375+ Readers - some agree, some disagree, others don't care
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The Student Voice Billboard
This past week, The Voice was made public by placing an advertisment on a
billboard right accross the street from PCC's main entrance on Brent Lane.
Since the editor was in the Bahamas all week, any reaction to the billboard
is still unknown. If you are in the Pensacola area, please drive by and take
a look at the billboard. For those who are scattered across the grand ol' US
of A, the board says:
Open Mind, Start Chewing
The Student Voice
studentv@aol.com
For those who are wondering why "PCC" is not a part of the message, it is
because of reasons that were out of our control - it was not simply an
oversight.
If you would like a JPG of what the billboard looks like, please check out
our web page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7706
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Who We Are:
The Student Voice is a bi-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."
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QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle."
- George Orwell, vol. IV, IN FRONT OF YOUR NOSE
"After you've done a thing the same way for two years, look it over
carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten
years, throw it away and start all over."
- Alfred Edward Perlman
"Drastic measures is Latin for a whopping."
- F. Anstey, VICE VERSA
"We're all adults here, and I'm not afraid to say that."
- Jim Schettler, Pastor of the Campus Church, PCC Chapel message: "How
Do I Decide What Music to Listen to?"
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 1
I. Voice Announcements
II. Academic Freedom, by Arthur Holmes
III. Essays
A. "The Second Wave" by Paul S. Perdue
Page 2
B. "A Counter-Response To The Voice" by Anonymous
IV. Your Comments
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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 check out our web
page at
The Student Voice
or
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7706
If you have trouble accessing this page, please let us know, and we will send
you any information you need.
>>> 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.
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II. ACADEMIC FREEDOM
>From THE IDEA OF A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, by Arthur F. Holmes, ch. 6
On the surface at least, the Christian liberal arts college faces a dilemma.
On the one hand, liberal education requires that we think critically about
our heritage of faith and culture and wrestle honestly with the problems
humankind in general and Christians in particular face in today’s world.
This requires freedom of inquiry for both teacher and student. On the other
hand, Christian education implies commitment to the Word of God and the
responsibility to the church constituency a college serves. Liberty with
loyalty is not Christian, but loyalty without the liberty to think for
oneself is not education.
Academic freedom is essential to the academic task. Liberal education means
the stretching of minds and imaginations, the unceasing stimulus to honest
inquiry, the appropriation of a cultural heritage, the transmission of ideas
and values, an exposure to the frontiers of learning. Further, academic
freedom is essential for theological reasons. A person is not an automaton
but a free agent created in God’s image. If we produce stereotypes cut from
the same pattern, if we repress individuality, we sin against both God and
society.
But freedom is essential to faith. Freedom of thought is the freedom to
think for oneself with the faith one has and the beliefs and values to which
one is committed. In this sense neither faith nor intellect can be forced
but must be free, full, and wholehearted, or else one does not really believe
and does not think. Academic freedom is the recognition that faith and
intellect, like love, cannot be forced and must not be, if each is to play
its part in relation to the other. I suspect that a considerable amount of
student cynicism and skepticism can be traced to attempt to impose faith
dogmatically rather than presenting it graciously and reasonably, and
to the practice of pontificating “answers” rather than assisting students in
grappling with issues for themselves in the light of their heritage of
Christian faith and thought. We can get so busy taking motes of immaturity
out of the students’ eyes that we forget the beams of finiteness,
fallibility, and inflexibility in our own eyes. The fact is that faith
liberates rather than enslaves the mind. It helps me understand myself and
my world, it creates a positive attitude towards learning. Christian liberty
is neither irresponsible license nor repressive bondage, and academic freedom
in the Christian college must rest on this realization.
Finally, academic freedom is essential to the self-scrutiny and improvement
of any society. The point is that liberal education and freedom it requires
can provide the basis for an informed and responsible criticism and society.
If colleges are to provide leadership, then embryonic leaders must try their
wings even if first attempts fail. What better way is there to criticize and
improve on the past and present than to examine it in the light of the best
learning available? How else can we who are historical beings hope to
transcend the past more creatively in the future? It is not by accident that
the freedom of conscience is part of the Reformation heritage. The early
leaders of the Reformation -Wycliffe, Huss and Luther- were university men
and their opposition to Rome developed because they refused to think in ruts
worn by tradition, superstition, and ignorance. Wycliffe was stoutly defended
by Oxford University against pope and bishop, and it took the combined force
of church and crown to suppress his voice. Not only reformers were repressed.
Aristotle and Aquinas had been banned at Paris; later, elsewhere, Descartes,
Newton, and Locke shared the same fate. And remember Galileo. But truth will
win out. It cannot be suppressed; for in the final analysis all truth is
God’s.
We sadly err if we repeat the errors of the past, whether in excising
twentieth-century Aristotles from the curriculum, or in seeking to silence
our Galileos or Wycliffes. This is no way to face problems; it is dishonest.
There is no effective alternative to academic freedom. The Christian
college must provide the opportunity and the atmosphere for an open
discussion of new ideas and significant issues. Hackneyed clichés and
parroted answers smack more of indoctrination than education. Liberty
flourishes under neither totalitarianism nor anarchy, neither legalism nor
license. It thrives under law, but is smothered in an atmosphere of fear and
suspicion. Adolescents need frank discussion and patient guidance rather
than restrictions whose unexplained or inconsistent inflexibility incites
reactions and builds negative temperaments. To repress student freedom of
thought and expression is like brainwashing; they should rather be inspired
to channel their freedom into constructive Christian thought and action.
Students are often raised on credulity, sometimes told it is dangerous to
think and to question what they are taught. Their view of Christianity is
oversimplified, their faith in response to the stimuli of parents and
pastors; it is a sword they have yet to try and count on when they stand
alone, embattled by new ideas and conflicting values. Pedagogical care and
curriculum revision alone cannot keep them from this, nor can restrictions on
their freedom to read widely and to think for themselves, for now they
are growing up and being invited to join the human race in their own right.
Yet college is a place to think, to raise questions and doubts and discuss
them openly, and the Christian college must encourage students to do so in
dialog with more mature minds, and to confront the be information and
arguments available.
Trustees may come from similar backgrounds, successful professionals and
businessmen, properly respected for what they have accomplished in their own
field of endeavor. They may be equipped to handle financial investments,
well able to project institutional expansion, but in educational matters many
of them remain novices. In some cases they earned no more than a
baccalaureate degree; some less. Yet they are called upon to make strategic
decisions affecting the education work of the college. Their understanding
of educational philosophy, the value they place on academic freedom, and
their theological insight and balance are frequently impoverished. Unless a
trustee chooses to withhold judgment, or takes the time and effort to think
through educational philosophy and related issues, he will by default be
prone to blunder, and not least in actions affecting academic freedom, its
existence and its implementation.
Academic freedom, in other words, is a necessity, not a luxury. It is of the
essence both of Christianity and of learning and must be so defined and
practiced. It is of the essence of Christainity because true freedom, the
liberty we have in Christ, mediates between the extremes of license and
legalism. It is of the essence of learning because the true learner is a
humble, teachable person, free from the dictatorship of all but the truth..
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III. ESSAYS
"The Second Wave"
By Paul S. Perdue
Without getting into a debate over evolution and the theory of natural
selection and social growth, it can be said that to a significant degree of
certainty, many aspects of human life are subject to some sort of
metamorphosis. We change, and we do so both willingly and unwillingly. Our
environments change, and so we adjust accordingly. Our minds grow, and
therefore we act differently.
Throughout the history of civilization, we can observe numerous
instances where people, things and ideas are subject to some form of
metamorphosis or another. Sometimes it will be huge, other times it will be
small. For instance, the last 200 years have seen a tremendous metamorphosis
in technology. From the horse and buggy to the space shuttle, we have seen a
world-wide change in the way we deal with and use nature for our benefit. On
a smaller scale, many of us can look back at the last 20 years or so of our
family history and testify to witnessing a change in "family thinking."
Those who are the oldest child with several younger siblings can often look
back at the way they were brought up, and when comparing that with the way
the youngest child was brought up, we can see that there is a marked
difference. Both of these instances are examples of how we as humans are all
subject to metamorphosize, whether we want to or not.
Many people are outwardly opposed to change, yet they allow themselves
to change with the times without ever realizing it. Many people will overtly
express their dissatisfaction with changes in policy, ideas or institutional
action, yet they will allow themselves to change when clothing styles change,
when technology changes for the better, and when science discovers something
new and better, they will applaud this "new" discovery with hearty approval.
Change is not bad, but change often has serious ramifications.
Sometimes, though, the ramifications of change are merely interesting rather
than important. We will leave this distinction alone and focus on a
metamorphosis that is relevant to what is discussed in The Student Voice.
For the first several months that The Voice was put out, the
disagreements and counter-"ideas" were not substantive, but rather
peripheral. They centered primarily on two things: anonymity and rebellion.
That is what we were constantly bombarded with time and time again. Once we
took the time to explain these concerns and discuss them openly and with all
sides having a free say, the truth came out. Anonymity, while perhaps not
the most desirable characteristic, was not at all "wrong" and it certainly
did not change the substance of what was said. Rebellion could not be
applicable because in order for the people against whom rebellion was charged
to, in fact, be rebellious, those same people would have to be subject to the
authority of those against whom the alleged rebellion was directed. We were
not. Therefore, after some time, most people seemed to come to understand
the nature of these ideas, and although many people claimed that The Voice
was wrong simply because of one or both of these ideas, we think it has been
fairly convincingly settled that those people were mistaken, although no
doubt well intentioned.
But now there are two new ideas that are the primary disagreements with T
he Voice. They are not substantive by any stretch of the imagination, but
rather they are again peripheral notions of "theology" or perhaps "morality."
The disagreement with the things The Voice says is in a state of
metamorphosis. Those same people who DO NOT wish to see change at PCC are
nevertheless changing in the way they frame their disagreement with The
Student Voice. We find this very interesting, for all of us will change when
we feel change is important enough. We will all undergo a metamorphosis when
it clears our conscience and is to our benefit. In other words, PCC should
not change, but we can.
The two ideas that are the new focus of debate are simply these: (1)
what happens at PCC is none of our business, and (2) Dr. Horton will answer
to God for PCC, not us. Therefore, The Voice should never again open its
proverbial mouth. These are really two very similarly related concepts, but
we would like to deal with them separately.
1. What Happens At PCC Is None of Our Business.
This seems to be based on the general proposition that because we no
longer attend PCC, what happens there should not be our concern. Apparently,
only those directly involved have the responsibility to say what needs to be
said. Assuming that this is all the farther this idea would go, and assuming
that this general proposition is correct on its face, it is still not
accurate. As alumni, we ARE still involved. We are all part of an alumni
association, albeit a weak one, and we are all therefore part of an
organization that is directly involved with PCC. No, we no longer attend
classes. No, we no longer pay tuition. No, we no longer subject ourselves
to the myriad of rules and regulations, but we are still a part of PCC by
being members of the alumni association.
Now, I must confess that I have no idea what the purpose is for this
"association." To my knowledge, I have never been asked for money. I have
been asked to vote for officers several times, although I am not sure WHY I
am voting for them. Obviously, though, they want us to, in some way, to be a
part of PCC. Fine. Then let us be a part.
Now, back to the general proposition that since we no longer attend PCC,
what happens there is no longer our business because it is the business of
those who attend. Well, the fallacy of this notion should be clear on its
face. Those who are there can say or do nothing that is in opposition to the
generally established "spirit." So, even assuming it IS their
responsibility, they are prohibited from exercising that responsibility.
The primary reasons, we believe, that what happens at PCC IS, in fact,
partly our responsibility is twofold. First, as Christians, we are called to
be the salt and the light in this world (Matt. 5:13-16). Being the salt
means that we are to preserve all that is right and good in this world.
Obviously, this will often entail getting involved in things that we are not
directly involved in, for if we are living as we should, we will not in and
of ourselves be that which needs the salt. Therefore, for us to be the salt
means we must supplant ourselves in "the business of others."
Abuse of authority at student's expense, commercialized Christianity,
and repression of one's ability to think are not things that are right or
good. Neo-legalism is not merely "not good," but it is flat out wrong. If
we are to fulfill our calling as salt, we must preserve wherever preservation
is needed.
Being the light in a dark world does not only mean showing forth the
light ourselves. It also means ensuring that those institutions which have a
greater ability to show forth the light of the gospel continue at their
maximum potential. While PCC does currently show forth the gospel to some
degree, the potential it has is greatly diminished by its heavy focus on
trivial internal matters. How one looks is more important than how one is
spreading the gospel. A student can go a whole semester without ever telling
one person about the gift of salvation, and the "spirit" will be strong and
healthy and no one will say a word; but if that student lets his hair grow
too long, the spirit is hampered and he will have the official rules police
on his case in no time. What does this tell you about PCC's focus and
whether or not they are reaching maximum potential in reaching the lost and
educating young people?
The second reason why we think it is partly our responsibility to get
involved is because every institution must have some system of checks and
balances. PCC has none, and I challenge anyone reading this to justify how a
human institution can legitimately set itself up without any accountability.
This flies in the face of the very basic nature of human construction. We
are sinful, and so we must be accountable. Without getting into the second
idea of Dr. Horton being accountable to God for PCC, let it be noted that God
uses humans to provide systems of checks and balances. Why else, then, would
we need a government?
PCC must be accountable for its actions. It cannot do whatever it
wishes and then not expect anyone to ever say anything negative. It cannot
act with total disregard of the fact that its actions carry with it some
measure of responsibility. Assuming that PCC does do something wrong -
remember, even Dr. Horton admitted that it is not perfect - who has the
burden of pointing these things out? Those who have a direct interest in
maintaining what is wrong? This would be absurd! How about those who are
directly involved by current attendance? We think this is where the
accountability should lie, but it is prohibited by the administration. What
about the general Christian community? To some extent, yes, but the general
Christian community by itself is not well-enough informed. How about, then,
the alumni? This is where the most effective system of accountability could
be conducted. (1) We know the system; (2) we no longer have a direct
interest, although we certainly do have at least an indirect interest in the
fact that our name and reputation still contain the fact that we have a
degree from PCC; (3) we can be much more objective than those within the
system; and (4) we have a wealth of diverse experience and knowledge that we
can bring to the table. You see, the alumni is the perfect group of people,
with the help of the numbers within the Christian community, to point out the
things that need to be changed at PCC and to help influence this change.
2. Dr. Horton Will Answer to God For PCC, Not Us.
As a technical matter, yes, this is true. Dr. Horton will answer for
his actions just as all of us will answer for ours. Since Dr. Horton is the
head of PCC, he will answer for PCC, not us. However, this ignores history,
reality and theology.
Let us look at history. What if all of the great leaders had used this
same line of reasoning? What if Martin Luther had not challenged the
Catholic church because, after all, the Pope would answer for how he ran the
church, not Martin Luther? Or what if George Washington had decided not to
challenge George III because, after all, King George would answer to God for
how England was run, not George Washington? Or what if Billy Graham had
decided not to worry about the lost of this world because, after all, they
will answer to God for their own actions, not Billy Graham.
History indicates that while people will answer for their own actions,
this does not preclude us from doing our best to effect change where change
needs to take place. While we are not responsible for the actions of others,
we DO have a responsibility to do our best to see that others do not abuse
their responsibility. Can we sit back and say nothing to those who peddle in
pornography because they will answer for their own actions, not us? Can we
remain silent to the horror of abortion because, after all, those who engage
in it will answer to God, not us? Of course not!
While the issues we deal with regarding PCC are not in magnitude similar
to those of abortion or pornography, they are still important. To try to
silence someone on the basis that they are not responsible to God for
another's actions is to ignore the very clear lessons of history.
Reality also indicates that this is not good reasoning. Part of being
in a civilized society is the fact that we must consider and be subject to
certain societal laws. We cannot do whatever we want and then say that
because we are the only one who will answer to God for our action, everyone
else is precluded from saying anything and criticizing that which deserves to
be criticized. When we do things that affect society, society has a
reasonable expectation to be able to comment on what is done. When PCC
advertises itself to the community as something, how can anyone say that that
same community may not look into what PCC is advertising? If PCC claims to
be a Christian organization, why is the Christian community unable to
determine for themselves whether or not PCC is, in fact, a Christian
organization? Yes, Dr. Horton will answer for how he runs the college, but
this has nothing to do with the fact that we may examine what he does in
order to determine whether or not the product he is selling is a good
product.
Some would say that we should let the free market take care of it
(actually, no one has said it, so let me say it first). If this is a
business, as we claim it is, then let the forces of the market determine the
outcome of PCC. Let the consumers decide whether or not they want the
product, and if it is as "bad" as The Voice maintains, then let the consumers
stop buying the product.
There is only one problem with this - most consumers do not know what
the product is that they are buying. PCC is an example of marketing genius,
but when the student arrives on campus, he or she quickly realizes that what
was marketed is not quite what he or she is getting. Some don't mind, others
do, and most people try to take PCC's word for the proposition that PCC is a
good, wholesome, Christian college.
To say that we should not say anything because Dr. Horton is solely
responsible for his actions is to ignore reality.
This proposition also ignores theology. As Christians, particularly
those who are students, we have a responsibility to examine and study the
Scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Prov. 15:28; II Timothy
2:15; Acts 17:11) We here at The Voice find it amazing that there is such a
negative attitude towards critical thinking and the examination of Scriptural
principle at an institution which classifies itself as one of "higher
learning." Where else is one supposed to learn to think than at a college?
And where else is one supposed to learn to examine the Scriptures critically
than at a Christian college?
Truth is something that we should not be afraid of, yet those who oppose
The Voice continually ignore the truth. At first, it was anonymity and
rebellion, not the truth of what The Voice said. It is now not our business
and Dr. Horton's responsibility, not the truth of what The Voice says. Why
is this? Why is it that Christians will let PCC do whatever it wants without
any accountability at all? If it is not a perfect institution, then why do
so many of you act like it is?
The second wave of Voice criticism is simply a sign of a continual
metamorphosis, and as long as those stalwarts of PCC can change in their
thinking of what The Voice says, we are confident that in time the PCC
administration will do the same. Metamorphosis is not the Big Bang, it
cannot happen overnight, but this change is encouraging to us, as it
indicates that the unchangeable can, in fact, be changed.
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"A Counter-Response To The Voice"
By Anonymous
I have heard about your newsletter for awhile now and I have read all of
them. I am really disappointed at your views. It is sad to think that a
Christian is going around tearing down God's work. I am ashamed to think
that a Christian wants to hurt PCC and those who are involved in its
ministry.
It is obvious that youe entire intent on using the internet and America
Online is for the purpose of trashing PCC. The name alone 'StudentV'
suggests that. Your latest adventure, getting you own web page, is the
saddest. You have spent a good portion of your life the last few months
hurting those you don't know. Do you really have a cause? Or do you do this
for kicks? Or are you trying to fight your brother's battle for you. Phil
did get kicked out didn't he? So is this BIG BROTHER to the rescue?
I do feel sorry for you. You couldn't possibly get any sleep. Do you
stay awake at night trying to interpret just one more thing you found in the
handbook, or maybe an administrative announcement at chapel, or maybe
something in the view book, or even another one of your stories who you heard
from a friend who didn't quite have all the info? Maturity is one very
important aspect I learned during my days at PCC. Maybe you should
re-enroll?
I assume you probably did not enjoy your time at school. Maybe you did
but it doesn't seem like it. Whatever the case may be you have not
understood anything. You are bitter against PCC because you probably got
alot of demerits, you probably were socialed or even campused several times -
you still didn't get it. You missed so much during your time at PCC.
Can I ask you a personal question? Christian to Christian, how much of
all this work have you taken to prayer? How many times have you gotten on
your KNEES since October and asked God for His guidance? When you are faced
with something you are not certain or someone questions of you what is your
response? Do you say to yourself, "Well too bad because I think I am right
and I am smart", or do you ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" Sure it
sounds too easy, but suppose God was next to you as you sit down to write
your next newsletter? Would you have the same views? Would you tear down an
institution that He hase blessed for 23 years? Would you continue to destroy
one of the VERY few Bible believing colleges in the world? Hopefully you
would bow before him and ask Him to guide your hands and write what He would
write. Is this what He would write?
I have an idea. Since your letters are going to bi-monthly instead of
weekly, why don't you spend your fisrt week praying during all the time you
normally work on your news letter. I imagine it is to make up all of that
lost sleep as I mentioned. Why don't you also Try it.
God directed me to PCC a few years ago. Even though I didn't like the
rules and the strictness, I pursued. You know one thing I accomplished in my
life as a sophmore was submitting. Now I didn't pray to God and ask Him to
help me submit to the rules of PCC, I asked God to help me submit to Him. He
showed me so many things that year. Life was so much easier, and learning to
conform to PCC rules became easier. You mentioned before that criticism is
always a sign of rebellion and attributed to Satan. You were right it is
not. Being critical does not mean you are rebellious or Satanic. However,
not learning to obey God and the authority He has directed your life under is
rebellion. God has placed authority over us in every area of our lives.
Whether it is our parents, our boss, or PCC. What is a Christian supposed
to do when his parent asks him to take out the garbage. Is he supposed to
get his Bible and tell his parent that since taking out the garbage is not
mentioned in the Bible that he does not have to do it? And further, does he
then have to tell everyone he knows that his parents are wrong and unbiblical
and trying to force their rules on to him? Sounds a little extreme. How
about your boss? What if he says you need to stay after normal hours and
work overtime? Do you tell him that his authority is wrong and explain to
Him that there is no commandment stating that Thou shalt work overtime? Do
you then go to the other employees and tell them that your boss is abusing
his authority and he can't tell you what to do? Now apply that to PCC. How
is that different? So what, there are rules that everybody hates. I hate
doing the speed limit, but I do. I wouldn't tell an officer that pulled me
over that he has no right to tell me what to do. He would throw me in jail.
It doesn't take a CJ major at PCC, or a law student know that would happen.
And guess what, that is what I would deserve. Now you nit-pick about every
rule you come across. You will make trouble out of everything that PCC says.
No matter what. Maybe you should be in charge. Maybe you need to make the
rules, and maybe you should be your own god. Just keep in mind the last guy
who tried to be like the Most High God, he's gonna have a miserable time in
the years to come.
Now you see my position about your newsletter. I think that you have
totally misunderstood. You have portryed PCC as a bad college. Every year,
hundreds of parents for the first time have to say goodbye to their kids.
Parents letting go to their kids for four years is scary. Do you think your
letter encourages them to keep sending them away? Do you really think after
reading your biased newsletter that a parent would think about sending their
kids to the lions you have made out of PCC? I am really sad to see that
someone who once attended PCC, saw everything the college had to offer,
experience dorm life and meeting so many sincere Christians, is the same
person turning any new students and their families away. Can you imagine if
you might be wrong in your views? Suppose you are being extremely liberal
concerning PCC and you are turning many people away from a school that God
had intended for some students in His perfect plan. Are you willing to take
the chance?
I thank the Lord for the life He has given me. I thank Him for the
blessings He has bestowed upon my life. I thank him for the college He
directed me to. I also thank the Lord for His forgiveness. I think that
these are the same things you should fill your newsletter with. PCC is over
for you. You have finished. Why don't you let it go? Why don't you use
your energy and your knowledge and help the unsaved. Go out on a Bible club.
Or go door-to-door witnessing to people and sharing the Gospel with them.
There are so many non-controversial things you could spend your time on
rather than upsetting many families and many people involved with PCC. There
is so much more to invest in those who are lost than the time you invest
writing your newsletters.
As I said before, get on your knees and pray for the students. Pray
especially for the administration. Ask to God to use them in the way He
deems fit not the way you deem fit. Ask Him to guide the students and
conform them to His will, for His will is what counts. Ask him to guide your
life and to direct you daily. Ask God to forgive you for those you have hurt
and move on. Our Lord never held grudges, imagine if He did. We wouldn't
stand a chance. Just like those at PCC, they don't have a chance. You don't
give them one. You want them to hate it because you hate it. Allow God to
prick and soften your heart.
I hope that even though you have missed so much in life and during your
time at PCC that you don't miss what I am trying to explain to you.
Whether or not you print this letter is your discretion. It was not
necessarily intended for every reader although some may benefit from it. The
primary reason for writing this was you, Paul and Lupos (the anonymous).
Sincerely,
S-
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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.
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Voice... a cry in the wilderness... the light at the end of my dark
tunnel...of two hellish years that I wish to forget. Much like the pain and
suffering that causes some children who were abused to grow up and emulate
the very people who hurt them so bad. One thing for sure...if PCC were to
ever be emulated in me, I would call the middle-aged white haired commune,
cult like gentlemen who imposed such a life-style and scared me so and
demand for an interpretation of their Christianity. I have heard much good
from other past students and wished to become involved in any way.
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Thank you for your response to my letter. I obviously need to let someone
with your talents for "digging in deep" pursue this effort. God has not laid
this particular burden on my heart so I will continue to follow where He is
leading me and pray for you and your efforts that God will bring those people
to you who can and are willing to join you in your crusade and expose and
battle this particular evil.
In my life Satan has used the battle against legalism and compromised
Christianity to distract me from his leading in my life. It just happens to
be a place where I lose perspective and find I do not have the tools or
skills to combat it effectively. I sometimes do more damage than good.
My prayers are with you and I hope you can make a difference....I know you
do, I just pray the edification of Christ will always be evident in the
fruits of your labors.
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I have received several of your newsletters and have skimmed their
contents. Being a PCC graduate, I understand your views and can
personally relate to some of the injustices. It would be easy for me to
become bitter about some of the things that happened where I feel I was
unjustly accused, but the fact remains that my bitterness would only
cause me harm. I try to forgive, even if PCC does not regard their own
errors, and forget the past.
Although I can apperciate your point, it is obvious that God's blessing
is on the college. No other christian college campus can boast of the
facilities that PCC enjoys, and this is the direct blessing of God.
When I begin to think that the faculty and staff go beyond their roles
as leaders and become dictators, I remind myself of Gamaliel's warning
to the Jews about the apostles in Acts 5:38-39. The verses read,
"Refrain from these men and let them alone: for if this counsel or this
work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot
overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God."
PCC may be guilty of much wrong, but the leaders of the college will be
responsible for their actions when we all stand before the Lord. I, on
the other hand, am responsible for my actions. Their wrongs do not
justify my wrongs. It would benefit everyone who has a grudge against
PCC to remember this.
I am requesting that you remove my address from your mailing list, not
because I don't agree with what your articles say; but because when I
read them I find myself building up resentment and not forgiving the
wrongs that were done.
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Thank goodness Jesus didn't silence his critics, but rather won the debate
with irrefutable facts and arguments.
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I attended another Christian College that had the same type of standards PCC
does and I have had my fill of students like you. If you want a pitty party
then keep doing what your doing, but leave your self-centered ideas off my
computer email. If I receive any more email from you then I will consider it
harassment and I will follow up with a visit from my attorney.
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Thanks again for the Voice. Just as God sent Caesar to the apes to help free
them of their human oppressors in the Planet of the Apes, you have been sent
from above to liberate us from those who would have us learn only one
word--"No."
Also, do you realize that during WW2, there were thousands of people living
in Nazi Germany who were acting as the Resistance, stimying the Nazis and
aiding Downed Allied pilots and escaped prisoners of war? Just like these
brave men and women, we use our resources to act as saboteurs, making the
small-minded and heavy -handed policies of the modern-day SS of Brent Lane of
little or no effect. Like this silent minority of over 50 years ago, we hope
to see the "fatherland" returned to a place of openness and dignity.
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If you have a problem with those in authority, either at PCC or the US Gov.,
or anywhere for that matter, please read the following Scripture verses found
in the book of Romans(NIV).
RO 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there
is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God. [2] Consequently, he who rebels against
the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do
so will bring judgment on themselves. [3] For rulers hold no terror for those
who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of
the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
I disagree with you completely when you say that PCC is as to a cult. That is
a bunch of BS. And I do agree with 1 Samual about rebellion. 1SA 15:23 For
rebellion is like the sin of divination [or witchcraft] , and arrogance like
the evil of idolatry.(NIV)
Please remove my name from your list. I hope that you can, by the Holy
Spirit, learn to get along with God ordained authority.
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The Student Voice is:
Paul S. Perdue, Editor
lupos, Assitant Editor
Web Page
Please feel free to voice your thoughts, stories, and opinions.
Thank you for reading The Voice!
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THE STUDENT VOICE, PCC's alternative newsletter