Friday, January 17, 2014

Alma Maters: Support or Bail

Probably no one will ever read this post, but that's o.k. I received my quarterly journal from my college alma mater yesterday. I read it through, and although the articles were interesting, the eclecticism created some heartburn for me. My college, a liberal arts college in the northeast, and a well-reputed school with many sterling graduates and so forth, has been trying to inculcate a new level of diversity within its student and faculty ranks. This is not merely racial diversity, but social, moral and sexual diversity, recognizing the LGBTG community fully. The articles in these quarterly journals seek to portray that diversity, as if that is a good and necessary quality of a fine liberal arts college.

My problem is that I am conflicted in the calls for support for my alma mater. I do not at all support the moral code of the LGBTG community, believe that it is a violation of morality taught in the Bible, and cannot give to an institution that not merely puts up with but welcomes such points of view with open arms, almost panting at the opportunity to lend support and credence to the lifestyles. To support something like this would be a violation of my conscience and belief system.

On the other hand, this college was very good to me--a very poor over-achiever from an area high school who had no hope of such a fine education at such a reputed private school. This school welcomed me with open arms, literally paid for my education through grants, scholarships and on campus work study programs. They allowed my InterVarsity evangelical group to meet in the campus buildings and allowed the student union to host a blatantly evangelical program during the time I was there. No one made fun of us or ostracized us from the college community. I am sure this school would point to this as supporting "diversity" and would not understand my reluctance to give back so that other less fortunate students can attend now.

The problem is that a thoroughly Christian viewpoint on campus is recognized as "one of many." It is therefore tolerated along with Buddhism, Jewish gatherings, covens and gay pride meetings. The problem is that there is no ONE truth system that is believed or practiced or acted upon. The college fathers would say this is the genius of a liberal arts college, and they would point out how they had supported my "narrow" point of view along with others. But Christianity is NOT just one of many systems of belief and practice. It is not just an option along with a multitude of other options for faith and life. It stands AGAINST these other systems as false and detracting from the supreme truth for the universe.

In a post-modern world, my alma mater is right there in the middle of the stream of options, opinions and systems, swimming merrily along with the current, and wanting to stay right in the middle of that current. This creates inner pain for me since I have had a number of professors and staff who have helped me immensely in my life journey. Perhaps others feel the same way I do, maybe for different reasons and convictions.

How does one support their alma mater with the above conflicting diversity?