Christian Goodreaders discussion

Higher education is a subject that's close to my heart, since I've felt called by God to minister in Christian higher education since back in the late 1970s, and I've spent much of my working life in academia. But it's a subject which is important for all of us, not only because many of our members are also employed in that milieu, are college students, or have kids or grandkids who are or will be, but also because higher education shapes the men and women who are most responsible for shaping the world we live in.

So, this is a thread where we can discuss both Christian higher education (what it should be and do, what challenges it faces in the contemporary world, and what we can do to impact and support it), and secular higher education --how Christians relate to it, what role Christian faculty, students and student organizations play or should play in it, and what challenges it faces and presents today. (And any other topics related to higher education that you all want to discuss! :-) )

I've changed the name of the folder this thread is in from "Current events" to "Current issues," since there are quite a few very general topics represented here which don't really deal with any specific current event.

Reposting in this new thread from my original response to the Philadelphia Statement thread...
As I try to follow along from Australia, it seems that if a university or college operating in the US would like to retain any autonomy to create and adhere to standards of profession, belief and conduct amongst faculty and students, then they had better not be taking Federal or State funding of any sort. This is particularly critical for those Christian institutions that would seek to uphold a Biblical view of human identity and sexual expression, which is that we were made male and female and sexual expression is only permitted between one man and one woman within their marriage. I'm hearing about the conflict at Seattle Pacific University, where the faculty is at odds with the board who employed them.

Re-posting my response as well.

Nathan wrote: "As I try to follow along from Australia, it seems that if a university or college operating in the US would like to retain any autonomy to create and adhere to standards of profession, belief and c..."

That is very true and unfortunately, not many colleges and universities here in the US function that way. Most take the government funding and than have to compromise their standards to meet government demands. I know of one college that does a great job of resisting this though. They refuse to take government money and rely on donations to help them stay open without having to charge too high of tuition. As a result they have strong moral standards and do not compromise on their beliefs or on teaching truth to their students. They even offer a variety of free courses online to anyone who wants to take them on subjects like the US founding fathers, the US constitution, C. S. Lewis, and more. They want to educate as many adults across the country as well as the students on campus. More colleges and universities should be like Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan! https://www.hillsdale.edu/