Whenever Probe staff set foot on a college campus, we are reminded of the battle for the minds of students. A recent column by Suzanne Fields in the Washington Times provides another perspective on this battle.
She wrote the column from Penn State while in the midst of a speaking tour of campuses. She noted that "Conservatives have a hard time on most college campuses. In the spirit of the free inquiry that is the purpose of the university, conservatives are often told to shut up and keep their opinions--their bigotries--to themselves."
She is often asked how a woman can be a conservative and notes that the usual point of departure is abortion. "But the campus contempt for conservatives, or for anyone who questions the feminist dogma, goes beyond abortion. When, for example, I explain that as a cultural conservative I want to preserve the roots of a successful society, which requires we acknowledge the differences between men and women, the fierce defenders of dogma usually draw out the college catalog, with its list of courses in women's studies, and demand to know how on Earth any sane, good and worthy person could object to any of them."
Students don't study Shakespeare, Milton, or even the Federalist Papers. Instead they read obscure authors writing to promote feminism, secularism, and relative values. Suzanne Fields notes that "There's a rising anger from many of the brighter kids on campus. They know they're being cheated, and they're angry because they can't voice dissenting opinions without risking the grades that will determine the jobs they'll get when the golden years are over."
So when you think of the campus, pray for the students and the campus ministries that seek to teach and encourage the Christian students on campus.
I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.