I know Bob Jones University (BJU) has come up before here.
My wife and I are looking at my daughter's education past high school.
Based on things I have personally read, and opinions and experiences related on Baptist Board, I personally don't want to consider BJU. However, my wife has not read the same things I have, and has not seen the opinions and experiences on this board.
So, if y'all have recommendations or non-recommendations, please let fly. Any and all opinions will be read and considered, and weighed against other sources and opinions.
THANKS!
Bob Jones U?
Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by Don, Dec 3, 2001.
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What "things" have you heard that concern you?
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Squire Robertsson AdministratorAdministrator
As Protestant universities go, BJU is the finest in existence. I would not recommend BJU to a Baptist preacher boy for his inital training. However, I am slightly biased on the matter being a Maranatha grad. However, our churches would be impoverished for pastoral leadership if BJ did not exist. Bob Jones has trained many of our pastors trained there or taught the teachers in other schools who had trained trained our pastors.
That being said, I fully recommend the school for anyother of their degree programs. Like many of its ilk, BJU is a leadership training school, be it in the pulpit, the pew, the classroom, the office, the factory floor, ect. So, it has rules just like VMI, the Citadel, West Point, Anapolis, or the Air Force and Coat Guard Academies. As I wrote above, I graduated from West Point-on-the-Rock River.
Hoping to shed more light than heat,
Keith -
We have had a number of youth go to BJU over the years and they have gotten an excellent education in a less-than-christian-liberty type of environment!
BJU has policies and rules that have made them the laughing stock of America. Dr. Bob Jones III had to go on Larry King Live a year ago and recant the racist policies on national TV (diffusing criticism of George W) and I commend him for that action -- but deplore its necessity.
They are not accredited, but their graduates are well accepted in grad schools and in public education. They offer programs in medicine, the arts, and much of the sciences that NONE of our "fundamental Baptist" school offer, so again get thumbs up.
Their Bible department amazed me with a good conservative stand on MOST issues. But some of the BB members would be happy to know they teach a "smorgasbord" of views on the church, baptism, eschatology, denominations, etc. If you went to BJU a post-trib, you would NOT be offended or pressured to change (unlike going to Maranatha, Cedarville, etc)
As long as a student and family KNOW what they are getting, BJU can be a great place of blessing.
The "real" Dr. Bob Jr. in Casper -
Dr. Bob,
Actually, it has come to my knowledge that in recent years there have been some BJU grads who were unable to get into the grad schools of their choice because of BJU's lack of accreditation. A few of these students attended Maranatha, which is accredited, for a year to re-graduate from an accredited college and thereby be accepted into grad school.
Best wishes,
Chick ;) -
Furthermore, regarding BJU, I agree with the above statments about the quality of education. One misgiving that I would have is the requirement that all students attend a campus "church" for Sunday A.M. services, and then they attend local churches for all other services. This seems un-natural to me.
Chick -
Bob,
In spite of whatever racist views he may have recanted, he still keeps company with Ian Paisley and the school still invites Paisley to speak there.
Mike
http://www.keylife.org
[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ] -
Squire Robertsson AdministratorAdministrator
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Smoke_Eater:
Bob,...he still keeps company with Ian Paisley and the school still invites Paisley to speak there.
Mike<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Remember what I wrote above about BJ being a Protestant school, Dr. Paisley's presence on the BJ campus should be no surprise. The man is after all a leader amoung the Fundemental Presbyterians. As for his politics, I would remind you that there is no First Amendment in the UK. Hence, there is no separtation of church and state. Further, Paisley and his fellow Ulstermen are having to fight a continuation of the 30 Years War. I now return you to your regular programming.
Keith -
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
BJU has policies and rules that have made them the laughing stock of America.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
This is certainly true but I would offer a couple of perspectives.
1) Many of those rules are necessited by the institutional standards rather than personal standards. In a smaller organization, other standards would be appropriate, as many of those at BJU would tell you. And many of those rules have changed over the years.
2) Those rules do keep a lot "exploring kids" out of trouble. College age kids are notorious for "finding themselves" and all too often they are looking in the wrong places, if you know what I mean. I know for a fact that kids who have gone to other schools get involved in things that are much less likely than at BJU. Some rules protect those who would otherwise make dumb mistakes.
It has its ups and downs to be sure. But if I were sending a teenager to college BJU would be near the top of the list for most of them. -
Hi Keith,
I'm aware that BJU is a protestant "university" but this is not a protestant vs. Catholic issue. It is a human rights issue and, more importantly, an issue that affects the entire Christian community, Catholic or protestant.
My problem with the BJU/Paisley alliance is this: is it appropriate for an institution which claims to be Christian to align itself with someone who encourages his followers to murder Catholics?
Whether or not you approve of his fascist political views or not isn't the point. Does somone who advocates violence, is documented as having an atrocious record on human rights and has been bent on destroying the peace process have a place on the Campus of a "Christian" school?
I don't think so but if BJU does, then I support their right to their beliefs, distasteful though they may be.
I do, however, think it's downright bizzare for someone such as BJIII to claim to be such a great American flag waver and claim to love the American ideal of liberty, yet, he would support someone who would deny the same rights to his countrymen based on their religion and their desire to be free.
Mike
http://www.keylife.org
[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ] -
if I may. I attended BJ-junior high, Academy and University. It was a part of my daily life for over 12 years. My parents worked there and died there. Yes, there are things there which can be found disagreeable, but like Bob III always said, if you look hard enough you can find thorns on any rose.
I highly recommend it as a well rounded university and as a place to learn that excellence is a desirable thing in the life of a Christian.
paul -
Chick said,
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> One misgiving that I would have is the requirement that all students attend a campus "church" for Sunday A.M. services, and then they attend local churches for all other services. This seems un-natural to me.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Part right, part wrong. They do have a campus "worship service" on Sunday morning which all students, faculty and staff must attend. Exceptions are for students who are on extension and faculty/staff who are PAID staff members at local churches. (Some F/S get paid $1 a year for their ministry.)
However, the students do not all attend local churches in the evenings. They are NOT required to go to church on Sunday or Wednesday nights. Most do on Sunday, while others eat pizza in the dorms. Only a minority attend midweek prayer meetings. -
OK, Siegfried, so I was partially wrong, but it was worse than I thought! BJU is training leaders, and these leaders are trained and are modelled to attend a quasi-church once a week, a real church is mostly attended Sunday P.M., and then most of these future leaders eat pizza instead of gathering for corporate prayer Wednesday night. If this is what the leaders and future leaders are modelling, then its no wonder churches struggle with attendance of its members these days. I want to go to church. I am disappointed when circumstances are such that I cannot attend. I also find it humorous that if you want to get out of the quasi-church, the ransom is $1 from the real church to get into the category of "paid"! Again, I hold no animus toward BJU, rather I find their policy relative to church attendance strange.
Chick -
I believe it is incorrect to say that only PAID faculty/staff members do not have to attend church on campus. Anyone involved in an indispensable ministry of the church whether paid or not can attend off campus.
As for reasoning, with 5000+ students, to send them to local churches is an extreme impracticality. If only students attended the churches in town, there would not be enough room for the town people. Town churches cannot simply build church buildings to accomodate students. It is one of the "necessary evils." As for the Wed nights, there are on campus prayer meetings.
Some of these issues are simply issues of practicality.
[ December 07, 2001: Message edited by: Pastor Larry ] -
Hi,
As far as BJU with their rules and policies I don't agree with alot of it. But as far as education goes your child will get a wonderful education.
I have used their curriculum in the past for teaching and still use their Bible curriculum and if you are a person who likes history you could not get a better education in history than BJU.
I would highly recommend the curriculum but you might need to look into the other areas surrounding the school I am not that familar with them but I do know they have really strict rules.
Jane. -
To Chick:
you are speaking of that which you know not of.
Before you paint BJ students as pizza bloated non church attendees please try to master a few simple facts.
1)chapel is held several days a week, prayer and bible studies nightly.
2)the local churches have a calling to the peoples of the surrounding towns, not to a transient population which swells their pews for 9 months a year then vanishes during summer. Many churches don't mind the students not attending there at night
3) busing hundreds of dorm students around is nearly impossible
4)when not busy belching pepperoni, many students are active in outreach programs throughout the state.
5) this one may sound a bit heretical but.....the students are actually attending BJ to study (gasp!)not to attend church. (and before misreading this and exploding please note points 1 and 4)
while I am used to my alma mommy being bashed I do weary of those who would rather complain then investigate the truth.
paul -
I just wanted to echo something Pastor Larry said. I attend BJU. On Sunday evening, I have to show up at my local church about an hour early just to get a seat in the auditorium -- make that an hour and a half if I want decent seats. That's on Sunday evening. If we were allowed to attend our local churches on Sunday morning . . . well I don't see how we could. Most of the students would rather attend their local church than the "campus service," but it would be a logistics nightmare. There simply aren't enough seats in Greenville churches. I understand your concern Chick, but honestly, every church in Greenville would have to undergo a massive building program in order to accomodate BJU students on Sunday morning. That is the reason for BJU's policy. The school is doing the best it can to encourage their students to get involved in local churches without being an unbearable burden to these churches by the massive infusion of "4-year members" into them.
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So whats wrong with Ian Paisley?
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ps104_33:
So whats wrong with Ian Paisley?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Paisley encourages his followers to murder Catholics. I understand that you guys hate Catholics, but I'm not sure I agree that killing them is something that Christ would endorse.
Somehow I can't imagine Jesus saying "Kill a taig for the queen".
Paisley has also worked tirelessly to wreck the peace process and to ensure that the Unionists don't keep the promises that they made in the Good Friday Agreement.
There have been only two incidences of violence from the republican side, both by an organization which is considered a rogue organization and has been soundly condemned by mainstream Republicans, while there have been dozens of violent acts by loyalist para's, including the UDF an the UVF.
http://www.inac.org
(Not sure why the INAC site is acting up)
http://www.safrc.com
http://www.spiritof16.net
[ December 09, 2001: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ] -
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Smoke_Eater:
Paisley encourages his followers to murder Catholics. I understand that you guys hate Catholics, but I'm not sure I agree that killing them is something that Christ would endorse.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You need to support this claim. You have made it twice and offered not support for it whatever. Until you provide support from a credible source, it should be regarded as foolishness.
The Irish situation is a bit more complex than you have made it out to be. It is not as simple as saying "Keep the Good Friday peace accords." There are a number of more complex situations.
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