Check out this degree

At least their honest about what they're selling. I have to give them that...

 

And all of the wrong reasons for obtaining a doctorate...

 

Stupid me thought being called Brother was a huge honor and Reverend... Well, obviously I was wrong...

I always wanted to be a Chef so maybe they can hook me up...

Rev. Chuck, Chef... :thumbs:

 

That is a spoof page making fun of easy degrees...
Click on the link at the bottom, and check it out...

 

Good one! :thumbs:

 

Love it :laugh: :wavey:

 

I was curious and checked that link...too funny!

 

Thats funny. But I disagree with them, a little.

If a pastor has been serving faithfully for 40 years, studying scripture and working in the "school of hard knocks", and a real University (not a mill) wishes to award him a doctorate, who are we to turn our noses up at it? It may well be with the diligent study of scripture that he has been doing his entire life, that he knows more than some 30 year old Doctorate holder.

Anyone looked into how Doctorates were awarded during the time of the Reformation?

I'm not trying to justify people who buy doctorates, however. But a Honorary doctorate for a lifetime of studying and service, is certainly something to be respected.

 

I agree that there needs to be an awareness as regards these degrees, where, too often, we find those who (even if personally and spiritually qualified) are academically un-qualifed.

Compare to this baker's dozen learned individuals, the first 9 of whom were Baptists, and all but one were, first and foremost, pastors.

1. Dr. John Gill - Pastor, Bible Teacher, the first (and maybe still, the only) individual to write commentary on every verse in Scripture. Wrote two different Body of Divinity works, the first 'Baptist' Systematic Theology
2. Dr. John Leadley Dagg - Pastor, Theologian, Educator - first So. Baptist writing theologian, Professor of Theology, and later, President of Mercer. Authored a Baptist Systematic Theology
3. Dr. Patrick Hues Mell - So. Bapt. Pastor for almost 50 years, outstanding Preacher and a good theologian; "The Prince of Parliamentarians" and President of the SBC (18 yr.), GA Bapt Conv. (31 yr.), and Moderator of his local association (33 yr.), and all at the same time, except for times of illness; Educator - including Professor of Ancient Languages at Mercer Univ. (13 yr.) and what would be the Univ. of GA (32 yr.) where he also served as Vice Chancelor (17 yr.), and Chancellor (10 yr.), until his death. He was 6 times elected to the Presidencies of other Colleges and Universities, including Georgetown College, and Wake Forest, as well as called as Pastor of the large First Baptist Church, Savannah, all of which he declined.
4. Dr. John A. Broaddus - Southern Baptist Pastor, Educator, co-founder of Southern Seminary, Professor at different times, of Preaching, New Testament, Bible Exposition and 2nd President of Southern, after the death of Boyce.
5. Dr. Harold B. Sightler - Independent Baptist pastor, Educator, and Evangelist, Radio preacher and teacher, and primary founder and President of Tabernacle Bible College.
6. Dr. Oliver B. Greene - Baptist Pastor, Educator, Evangelist, Bible teacher, writer, Radio Preacher, co-founder and Vice President of Tabernacle Baptist Bible College.
7. Dr. B. H. Carroll - Pastor, Educator, Theologian, Professor of Bible And Theology at Baylor, and Southwestern Seminary, of which he was the Fonder and First President.
8. Dr. George W. Truett - Pastor, three times SBC President; Pastor FBC Dallas for 47 yr. under his ministry became the largest Baptist church in the US; Turned down Presidency of Baylor, to continue to pastor East Waco Church, where he was had been as a student pastor, prior to reluctantly accepting calling from FBC, Dallas. Called the Prince of So. Baptist Preachers
9. Dr. Richard Furman - Pastor, Educator, Evangelist, Patriot - Central Figure in founding Triennial Commission, first National Baptist Organization; Author; Leadership for education led to the founding of George Washington University, Furman, Mercer, and others.
10. Dr. Cyrus I. Scofield - Pastor, Missionary, Educator, Author - Founded Central American Mission, Secretary of Home Mission Society of TX & LA, Headed two Bible Schools, and founded two colleges, including Philadelphia Biblical University, General Editor of Scofield Reference Bible.
11. Dr. Harry A. Ironside - Pastor, Bible Teacher, Conference Speaker, Seminary Lecturer, Evangelist, Author of more than 50 volumes.
12. Dr. Wilbur M. Smith - Pastor, Bible Teacher, Professor of Bible at Moody, Fuller, and Trinity, Author of Smith's Bible Dictionary; Smith's Bible Handbook; Editor Pelobet's SS notes for over 30 years.
13. Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. - "Circiut Riding Preacher", Evangelist who preached to well over 20 million people, Radio broadcast Pioneer, Educator, Founded Bob Jones University, which has arguably educated more Fundamentalist Baptist Preachers and Pastors in the last 75 years, than any other institution.

This is the sort of "Doctors" I want to see, personally. Someone who does not just have some title after their name, awarded which now "looks good" and "sounds good"!

Ed

P.S. Oh yeah! One more minor, little, insignificant point - the 13 above 'earned' a grand total of 3 degrees (Dr. Broaddus earned a Masters but no Bachelors), with one other falling six weeks short of completing the classwork necessary to earn his Bachelor's, but Baylor awarded it anyway, when he joined the Confederate Army, and fought during the Civil War, deciding that his military service was worth as much, academically, as 6 weeks of class time. That's 4 - count 'em - four degrees for these 13 men. (I could name more, but stopped here.) Some did not finish high school; two had no formal education, at all, and one had less than one year of formal schooling. I can't speak for anyone else, but I would consider it priceless to have been able to sit under and hear any of these men!

 

I would of course never seek to get a doctorate in this way, and decry any institute that advertises honorary doctorates in this way. An honorary doctorate should never be sought.

Further, while I agree that honorary doctorates can be deceptive, I don't like the website, joke or no. It is deceptive, while attacking deceptive practices. It says "Click The Link Below T0 Get Your Doctorate, Today!" But then of course you get a lecture instead of your doctorate.

The website then is lying. It is never right to lie, even when joking. The Bible specifically forbids this kind of joke in Proverbs 26:18-19--"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"

Furthermore, the website has the facts wrong about Dr. Martin, thus giving false witness. According to the Amazon blurb about his book, "Dr. Walter Martin held four earned degrees, having received his doctorate from California Coast University in the field of Comparative Religions." (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764228218/?tag=baptis04-20) So the website had the wrong university and the wrong degree. Here is the CCU (accredited, distance learning) website for further info: http://www.calcoast.edu/

 

Being honored is fundamentally different from presenting oneself as a "doctor." I have no problem with someone accepting an honorary doctorate. However, IMO, people should not claim the title "doctor" without having an earned doctorate.

A doctorate is not about knowledge, per se. It's a recognition that one has completed a formal course of study at a high level and is capable of scholarly research that contributes to the field (for research doctorates). For praxis or professional doctorates, it's that you have completed a formal course of study and have demonstrated capability in applying theoretical concepts to the real world. The key--- you have completed a formal course of study. I'm not saying that a person with a doctorate is more spiritual or more qualified to be a pastor. I'm saying that he's more qualified for academia.

By academic study.

 

There are some interesting posts in this thread. I can see the point of listing those who received honorary doctorates in the past, but I believe they prove the rule. Gill was kicked out of formal schools because he was a Baptist, so he couldn't pursue formal education if he tried in his youth. That didn't stop him from learning Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Arabic, as well as a few continental languages; studying the church fathers; keeping abreast of continental theology, etc., etc. Anyone who has read Gill quickly realizes that he taught himself enough things to be worthy of the honor of doctor. Other Baptists, who were not as renowned or scholarly as Gill like Samuel Stennett (Stennett still knew the biblical languages, Latin, and was up to speed on contemporary theology), also received honorary degrees during or shortly after the time when Baptists in England were barred from formal schools.

As for the others in the list above, they showed by their careers their love for knowledge and truth, so schools decided to give them an honor. Some were qualified to be professors and presidents of institutions, and my guess is that they had a wider knowledge of theology and Scripture than many honorary doctorates today in fundamentalist circles. I could be wrong here, admittedly.

The website in the OP is lampooning the practice where money given to a school and a seasoned pastorate alone are worthy of the honor of the degree, which makes virtually any lifelong pastor material for an honorary doctorate. I have nothing against faithful, godly pastors, and I have nothing against schools that wish to honor them in this way. It is the prerogative of the school to do this. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to receive an honorary doctorate. The wrong way includes insisting on the title Dr. on the church sign on the street, the bulletin, one's signature, phone book listing, etc., etc.

The website is just using satire to draw attention to the wrong ways of receiving it. It may be deceptive and inaccurate, but as satire I found it to be hauntingly true of fundamentalists from my upbringing (and I also found it funny).