A MESSAGE from the editor by: Samuel H. Sutherland re: Is Indoctrination Our Business? Recently in a prominent Christian journal, published in the Middle West, there appeared an article entitled, "Who Cares What You Learn?"* In essence, this was a de fense of the Christian college. However, one section of the article leaves the reader quite puzzled— to say the least— as to the author's meaning, and the significance of some of his statements. For instance, we quote this state ment : "It is not the purpose of the Christian college to in doctrinate . . . indoctrination always leads to frustra tion." Under some circumstances, this sentence might be considered not of sufficient import to merit further dis cussion, but in the light of today's trends in evangelical circles, it has great bearing on what we believe to be an alarming situation in religion and education. To this author's concept of the purpose of a Christian college, we take vigorous exception. Such a declaration as his is right in line with the position of the "new evangelicals" who constantly prate of "academic freedom," but they are afraid to teach or to speak with any degree of authority. The implication is that for one to have convictions of his own, and to state them with persuasiveness intended to convince others, is a non-intellectual attitude. One is completely bewildered as to what is the purpose of a Christian college if it is not to indoctrinate its students in the great, eternal truths of the Word of God, with their accompanying tremendous impact upon the per sonal lives of young men and women. For years Christian parents and Christian pastors have sent their young people to Christian colleges— sometimes at great personal sacri fice— with the devout hope and prayer and firm conviction that they might be indoctrinated and have their feet firm ly planted on true Scriptural foundations upon which to build their further education and service. Every college in the country founded by Christian leaders or Christian denominations was organized with the very objective of teaching and perpetuating the great doctrines of Chris tianity, and establishing the rising generation in resul tant holy living, as opposed to the ideologies of the ir religious and the anti-religious taught in purely secular institutions of higher learning. Indeed, a Christian col lege that no longer indoctrinates its students in our most holy faith, in large measure has ceased to be a Christian college at all, and is no different from a secular institu tion, which actually, to all intents and purposes, it has become. One of the tragic by-products of the rationalism of the last fifty years is this very doctrine of "anti- indoctrination." Today it finds expression in the much- abused term, "academic freedom," and this latest and most weird notion that "indoctrination always leads to frustra tion." Just the*contrary has been proven to be true. It is lack of indoctrination that has led to frustration on the part of young people. Young people want assurance, something upon which they can depend in a shaking world ‘ CHRISTIAN LIFE, January 1961, Lionel A. Rediger, Vice-President and Academic Dean, Taylor University, Upland, Indiana.
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