A BJU grad whose parents were both on BJU's faculty, attends a Southern Baptist mega church. My friend has no interest in sending his children to BJU but he doesn't feel strongly about it and I don't think he holds any grudges against BJU. He does, however, have concerns about the caliber of religious professionals BJU produces and the authoritarian leadership style that seems to pervade the BJU crowd.
My friend recently stated, "It is entirely possible to spend one's entire life centered around Bob Jones University." We discussed this fact and concluded that there are some Jonesians who have been almost exclusively influenced by BJU's theological teaching, immersed in its social and fraternal structure, dependent upon BJU for professional advancement, and oblivious - or, in some cases, unable to entertain - any other view of reality.
I've known people like this. Some are kids who grow up on campus with faculty parents, receive all their training at BJU, marry another BJU graduate, become grad assistants and eventually both become full-time faculty members who raise their children in campus housing and have their kids educated from kindergarten to post-graduate level within the Jonesian system.
What I find most interesting about these people is how that the Joneses and BJU seem to engender such blind, unquestioning personal loyalty for the Jones family and such strong institutional loyalty for BJU and BJU-styled fundamentalism. It is as if their entire faith/belief system is based upon the Joneses and Bob Jones University. Anyone who challenges the integrity of the Joneses and BJU must be dealt with as an evil threat to their religious faith. Something strange happens to those leavened by the Joneses.
I had heard that BJU had changed in recent years. To find out if that was true, I signed up as a member of an internet forum, The Fighting Fundamentals Forums, and chose a likely thread in the Bob Jones University section of the Forum called "Rules". You can find that thread here.
The thread was started by "kristensdaddy," a man who I don't believe to be a "Jonesian" and who questioned how the rules at BJU were managed. KD started the thread challenging, and rightly I believe, how "just and holy" rules mandating expulsion one year are summarily dropped.
KD started the thread with this post: "Reading the "Collegian" on the BJU web page just made me angry. I would like some explanation of how rules that were "just and holy" in years gone by are now just dropped without comment or apology. Back when (way back) I was a student, eating at Red Lobster got you shipped, now they interview students in the school newspaper and they claim Red Lobster as their favorite off campus restaurant...."
Post 66 was dated June 25, 2007. The thread was practically dead with no activity in almost 2 months. I came into the discussion at Post 67 on August 13, 2007. I chose the screen name "Former Fundee". (That really stirred up the pot! The thread on Rules lasted 340 posts and has become one of the most viewed active threads on the Forum..)
Here is my first post wherein a quote a post from kristensdaddy followed by my:
Originally Posted by kristensdaddy:
"Sure, I'll discuss those rules too. They were stupid when they were put in place, they were stupid when they were enforced and they were stupid in the way in which they were dropped.
Seriously, the rule was a holdover from the "way the south was" and being unwilling to change along with society the school left them on the books. Then along comes the IRS and threatens to take away the tax exempt status. The school has two choices, 1) say we were wrong (like that has ever happened...) or 2) stand and fight (and need to make it a scriptural argument). They chose to stand and fight. They lost. To save face they had to keep the rule in place.
For the record, I was there for THE SERMON by B3 so I heard it from the horses mouth. kristensdaddy"
My reply: "I am new to the Forum and just came across this thread.
The Joneses own BJ and have every right to make the rules. It was my understanding from their comments on race that the rule was "the way the Joneses were." They normally march to their own drum.
Are we not taught that there is but "one flesh of men?" The Joneses erred grievously and repeatedly when they invoked God's Word to support their interracial dating policy as "Bible policy."
Here is some additional background:
"...the University was willing to suffer in order to protect its Biblically-based convictions against interracial dating and marriage. In 1975, court rulings in Virginia took from private schools the option of racially discriminatory admission policies, and the University complied with the law, since it had no Biblical conviction for doing otherwise. It did, however, retain its Biblical convictions against interracial dating and marriage by refusing to allow such within the student body." (Dr. Bob Jones III, "A Taste of Victory," February, 1979, Bob Jones University's Voice of the Alumni)
"Religious freedom has been murdered by the Supreme Court today."..."By ruling against Bob Jones University, Jones said, the Supreme Court Justices 'have demonstrated they are enemies of heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ. I fear for America and for the court."..."We believe the policy that has gotten us into difficulty is a Bible policy and we're going to hold onto it..."..."We will pay the [$490,000] taxes." (Bob Jones III, G'vlle News, May, 1983)
"We don't have the rule."..."a rule that we never talk about and that is meaningless to us. The principle upon which it's based is very, very important." (Bob Jones III, Larry King Live, March, 2000)
Withholding the rule book until students arrive - and then requiring students to sign it - is less than ingenuous. Former Fundee"
Post 68 was from one of the clumsiest dissemblers on the Forum, Sacred Singer. I am not picking on SS unduly, here. SS refused, or perhaps couldn't, honestly face any fact or Scriptural principle that didn't line up with her system of Jonesian idolatry. She ignored and dismissed the facts: "Ho-hum....here we go again. Same song, millionth verse. YAWN."
Lesson One when dealing with a Jonesian idolater is that they will never face facts that don't support the Bob Jones University faith/belief system.
In my time on the Forum, I used repeatedly used quotes from the Joneses, their supporters, newspapers, open letters, etc., in an effort to see determine what the current attitudes were within the BJU subculture.
The information was largely ignored. I often asked probing questions. These were largely ignored, also. Yes, there are some fine people in the BJU sector of the Forum who questioned the operation of BJU. The most outspoken Forum members, were just like the BJU leavened people I knew when I ran in the BJU orbit.
I spent several weeks on the Forum and got a good feel for the "Bob Jones University Product". I concluded that the BJU crowd hasn't changed a bit from when I was there in 1981. In my next few posts I would like to cite some examples of how Jonesians respond to facts, Scriptural principles, and outside criticism. I was greatly entertained by graduates of the "finest fundamentalist Christian institution of higher learning in the world."
I will also notify my Forum buddies that I am using their Forum comments as a case study, of sorts. They are all welcome to provide their own input.
Kirstensdaddy posted a comment voicing concern that I was lumping him into the "Jonesian" category. While I have a differing views from him, I do not think he is blindly loyal to the Joneses nor do I think he harbors idolatrous affection for BJU. He brought up valid concerns regarding the "Rules" at BJU and how they are managed. As far as I can tell, Kristensdaddy is an honorable, independent thinking man and I did not intend to characterize him in any other way.
Mark Fitzhenry
