The fact is that I sat for hours challenging the administration in person and in letter (BJIII) on the printed statement that was the driving force behind dating policy. What you may not know is that a few of us, very few, for the decade leading up to the 2000 Larry King announcement had challenged this policy on the false theological premises upon which it was built.

However, what threads like this do is actually lob grenades toward the university from beyond its gates. As you know, culture is changed from the inside out. BJU the institution is made up of many good-hearted individuals, which in turn, make up, at its heart, a good, sound institution of higher learning. It is important to look at BJU in parts, not the whole.

From what I gather, they could actually use a few Camille Lewis' on campus to stand their ground until change occurs. They played the game of brinksmanship with you which they are well-practiced at. I know, I have been in those admin. offices far too often as a student. I went to BJU, in part, to try to make a difference, and I think 14 years later, the work that I participated in is beginning to show.

As a father of five, I also recognize your newfound felicity of being able to stay home with your children, and that, I would never discourage.

As for your dissertation, BJU is very open about their having first right of refusal to publish their own profs works. Perhaps, you had already given them this right to refuse prior to contracting out w/Baylor.

I believe I had you as a prof myself in the mid-90's (I was a rhet/pub address minor). It all seems like a haze now, but I appreciated every one of my profs as the parts that made up my whole. I am sorry if you are insulted - I am not one to pull any punches - when people call for fire, I send them fire. I perceived the sharp tone that you first aimed at me - my first post was not aimed at you, it just happened to follow yours in the thread. Perhaps it is unfair to do this in writing. I am always happy to meet in person and air out thoughts.

dé⋅tente

Insults make a thread ignorant. You asked if anyone had ever BEEN to BJU. I had. And I spoke out against injustice while there.

Why the animosity toward me?

I was one that personally lobbied for the dating policy to be banned since it wasn't being enforced anyway.

And as threads go, this one is not informed - like usual. But it looks as though Prof. Lewis sure knows alot about alot. But really? Stupid is what stupid does - and you were the one that worked there 20 years, thus supporting BJU by contracting w/them year-in and year-out for two decades. Come on, Camille, ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

As threads go, this one's pretty informed and tame.

Have any of you all stepped foot on the BJU campus? No? So you are guilty of exactly what you are accusing BJU for being - ignorant and intolerant of a remnant of society not comporting with your personal views.

As a fellow political scientist, I think Mr. Lawrence should write on topics of which he possesses a much keener intellectual insight and understanding of.

Texas A&M International University? Talk about a purported institution of higher learning.

I do agree that BJU is not the norm for American fundamentalism today. I do agree that American Evangelicalism led the abolitionist movement (no such term as "fundamentalist" existed before the 1910 Fundamentals.

BJU was, however, pretty representative of American Evangelicalism/Fundamentalism prior to the 1950s. Bob Jones Sr. was a member of the NEA and such. Old-timers -- BJU alumni from the 1950s -- joke with me that they went to BJU when it was more "liberal" than Wheaton.

So I know it's fun to use these fundamentalists as a punching bag. But it's not necessary, nor does it bolster your case. They do have a very, very peculiar and separatist reality that does not comport with the rest of the world's. Believe you me -- I know that way better than you all do. Is their statement insulting and stupid? I can see stupid. The way to fix stupidity is education. . . .

The entirety of American Christianity hasn't behaved the way Bob Jones University has and to claim it has is, frankly, insulting and stupid.

However, I've found that's a common problem among American fundamentalist Christians. They don't realize that their version of Christianity represents only a minority opinion even in American Christianity let alone world Christianity.

Dave, it's equally unfair to link all of "American fundamentalist Christians" with BJU. Quite frankly, it was "American fundamentalist Christians" who led to the abolishment of slavery, and led the civil rights movement.

BJU has never been representative of Evangelical Christianity, and you are right to point out that their recent statement is "insulting and stupid," but wrong to link them with the rest of us.

Not exactly since I don't think that Bob Jones University and the Klan are synonymous.

However, whatever Bob Jones University is apologizing for excusing themselves by suggesting that all of Christianity in the United States behaved exactly the same way during the same time frame is absurd.

I wonder about that. I mean, what exactly is it they're apologizing for, anyway? At the off, the comparisons to the klan and so on start flying.
You seem to agree that kind of comarison absurd. Certainly the impression is left that someone thinks them the epitome of evil. So what is it they're being accused of, then?

they don't know what the Bible says now?

Well. . . . that's another story. Another long, long story. ;)

This is better than nothing (which is what the signers of the petition assumed we'd get), but I wished it looked more repentant.

Ahhh, but what did we expect? A Christain university admitting they had been "unchristain"? That would be tantamount to admitting that, if they didn't know what the Bible said then, than maybe they don't know what the Bible says now?

It is the same book now, as it has been for the last 10 centuries plus... What changed?

There seems some disagreement, here; James Chris suggesting that they're not guilty of what they're being charged with, and Dave suggesting they ARE.

Not exactly since I don't think that Bob Jones University and the Klan are synonymous.

However, whatever Bob Jones University is apologizing for excusing themselves by suggesting that all of Christianity in the United States behaved exactly the same way during the same time frame is absurd.

As Levy is perhaps too polite to point out, not only is the plea of “passive conformity” cowardly, it’s also factually inaccurate, unless the trustees, faculty, and administration of Bob Jones University were conforming to the norms supported by the Ku Klux Klan and few others.

... and ....

The entirety of American Christianity hasn't behaved the way Bob Jones University has and to claim it has is, frankly, insulting and stupid.

There seems some disagreement, here; James suggesting that they're not guilty of what they're being charged with, and Dave suggesting they ARE.