I had a CBC student complain to me not long ago that there were too many non-Christians at CBC. As he heard himself speak those words, it seemed as if he felt they were too strong. So he went on to explain that many non-Christians at CBC just feel too comfortable here. He was pretty clear in his conviction that if CBC were really doing its job as a “Christian school” then the non-Christians should feel really uncomfortable. Non-Christians should feel out of place. I doubt this student's opinion represents the majority of students, but he brings up a topic worth discussing.
I rediscovered an article on Christian higher education the other day and found myself both challenged and inspired. In this article, a college professor discusses what it means for a college to be a “Christian college.” I would encourage you to read the whole article, but you might find the following excerpt especially interesting…
Christian higher education does not start with Christian students. That may surprise you. But I would hope Christian institutions do not have a Christian litmus test for students.
If students want to be a part of Christian higher education, they should be welcome. The Christian faith is defensible; the Christian faith is compelling; the Christian faith is true. So let unbelievers live and learn in the environment of Christian higher education and test the faith.
Jesus did not throw out Doubting Thomas. Christian higher education should be a place that welcomes Doubting Thomases, as students.
I don’t believe that CBC has a Christian litmus test for admission. I don’t believe that students have to check a box on their applications identifying themselves as Christians and are rejected if they do not. For that I am glad.
But I wonder about other kinds of Christian litmus tests on campus. How welcoming are we to non-believers, really? Do they feel accepted? Do they feel encouraged in their spiritual journeys? Do they fit in? Do they get leadership positions of any kind? Do they feel loved? Do we go out of our way to make them feel a part of the CBC family?
Or do they feel like outsiders?
This post is not about criticizing CBC. It is about discussing our identity and our approach to non-Christians. Two sets of questions are worth asking:
(1) What SHOULD our attitudes be toward non-Christians at CBC? How should we treat them? How should they feel about their time at CBC?
(2) What ARE our attitudes? How do we actually treat them? How do they actually feel at CBC?
2 comments:
Great questions. As a person who's responsibility is to bring new students to CBC, I know first hand that we do not have a litmus test for students. When talking to students and parents one of the questions asked to me is "Is this really a Christian college" I tell them it is but hopefully you will see it yourself. After I say that, I think to myself, is that really true. I do think that they will see that Christ is represented on our campus, but can CBC or any other college be a "Christian" college? The answer I have come to is NO. The reason for this is that a college campus cannot be saved. I know that I am focusing on symantics here, but I think once we realize that CBC cannot be "saved" then maybe we as Christians will focus on the two questions you have asked. I know of one student who is not a Christian and they have from all that I see been accepted, befriended, honored with awards, and has had Christ shared with them. Hopefully this is not the only person who has experienced this.
As I was typing the above statement I suddenly realized this, I am the only one that knows my heart and if I am saved or not. We, I, need to stop assuming that our students are saved. This is a great tragedy, not only at CBC but for the Church as a whole. Let us make it our missions to share Christ to all people at all times.
"Christian is a great noun and a terrible adjective" - Rob Bell
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