[JoinerLxa]

Wow! Alota internet ink spilled on this one.

But for those with no experience with these things, you should
know that not ALL Christian schools, or even ALL Baptist
schools, are even close to BJU. (Of course, BJU would say
they really aren't Christian schools).

There are alot of "moderate" Baptist colleges out there, many
with fraternities: Baylor, Union (TN), Georgetown (KY),
Samford (AL), Wake Forest, amongst others. Shorter College,
a Baptist college in GA, recently decided to allow national
fraternities....and a few chapters have already been
chartered (Chi Phi for one).

Being an alum of, and a faculty member at, a Baptist college,
as well as large state-run universities, I can say I feel much
more academic freedom at a "moderate" Christian college
than at a state-run school.

At State-U, one would be fired
if not tarred and feathered if they even tried to mention
anything "religious" in a non-religion course. Academic
freedom means you can talk about ANYTHING YOU WANT....
EXCEPT RELIGION. At a moderate Christian school, you
can talk about ANYTHING YOU WANT....now that's freedom.

A good example, from Computer Science....Blaise Pascal,
a 16th century French mathematician, physicist, engineer,
and inventor. A computer language was named for him.
He's considered a "father of statistics". He made great
discoveries in the study of water pressure/hydraulic systems,
and "the Pascal" is an old measure of pressure (or some such).

Yet when teaching at State U, I have to finish the story there.
I can't talk about how he had a deep religious conversion,
dropped science and math, and became a theologian and
philosopher, and how he applied mathematical principles
to faith (look up "Pascal's Wager" or "Pascal's Bet"....in
addition to "Pascal's Triangle") Just an example.

Students at the above-mentioned colleges have "rules"
that may be only slightly more strict than State-U:
no alcohol on campus (though students have it anyway)
(but many State U's are adopting this now),
a religion course or 2 may be required for
all students (definitely not sunday school....sometimes
taught by "heretics" in clerical circles), and chapel attendance
might be required once a week or once a month.

So just to let you know, there is a VAST RANGE of
"campus atomosphere" and "rules" at private religious
colleges...and they are not all the "nightmare" some
would say BJU is.

my 2cc
Kevin
Lambda Chi Alpha
....oh, and also a Catholic who used to be Baptist
(you think they would burnt me at the stake for THAT!)