Why I Quit Attending Bible College

It's been a while since I last wrote on this blog. In the time I've taken a hiatus from writing, so much has happened. I've transferred schools and my former University announced that it would be closing its doors. 

In the past month or so, I've had time to think over all that has happened, before and after this announcement. I've had to navigate through hurt, anger, and sadness. I've felt lost and alone. I've had moments in which I've just wanted to shout out to the world how upset I was, in a not-so-Christian way. Through it all, I always held fast to my faith in Jesus. Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose".

It may sound cliched, but I've found that Christ works through all things. No matter how terrible a situation is, there are always reasons for why He puts you in a place. I don't regret being at any place that God has placed me. That being said, these are the reasons why I quit attending bible college.

Sin Isn't Sin; It's Just Your Interpretation

When I first began studying at my former University, I was fresh out of high school. I was more than ready to learn all I could at college, especially about the Bible. So naturally, when one of my professors started teaching about Scripture in relation to gender, equality, feminism, and justice, I was completely sold. I started believing that many "progressive" secular beliefs aligned with Scripture.

My interpretation of the Bible became one that wasn't molded around what God wanted me to hear from His Word- it became me yearning to search for information in the Bible that would confirm my beliefs. I looked for verses for the sole purpose to prove that homosexuality wasn't a sin. To me, the Bible was another book to be read from a feminist lens. I dug into convoluted interpretations of Scripture. I adopted an "open and affirming" theology.

I was pleasantly surprised at all the positive feedback I received from those around me. I was prideful to be labeled as such a "good Christian". I was making people feel loved, accepted, and proud of who they were.

Diverging Theologies

As I advanced in my degree, I stayed happy as ever. I was sitting in another class (with the same professor I spoke about before), one that focused on the Old Testament. While this was a class that was meant to explore perspectives and review the teachings of the OT, I began noticing a troubling pattern. 

My professor only taught one view of Scripture and pushed back against any perspective that was contrary to their beliefs. The book of Ruth was a Hebrew folk tale; Mahlon and Chilion's names were too perfectly fitting to not be a result of a literary work. The Exodus was a metaphor for escaping and resisting oppressive regimes. It went on and on. 

At first, it started with assignments to rewrite stories in the Bible to fit our "current cultural context". I didn't think much of it since I loved to have another excuse to write (I know, I'm basically a textbook Education major). However, after hearing more of these teachings, something inside of me switched. 

This isn't right. I thought to myself. This isn't what the Bible is about at all. 

I struggled through this cognitive dissonance for a decent amount of time. What would happen if my friends found out I wasn't completely affirming anymore? How on Earth could I balance the truth of God's Word with love? Is it even possible to maintain a balance between the two? I re-examined my beliefs against Scripture. After a long amount of deliberation, I ended up dropping the class in question.

Saying Goodbye

That was just one of many encounters I had confronting progressive Christianity on my former campus. There were many more experiences that increased my desire to transfer to another school. I found that attending a small college wasn't my style. I realized that the University I thought I was attending barely associated with the ideologies it was founded upon. I wanted an education that would enable me to thrive as an educator. I left. 

At the time, I knew there was the possibility of trouble on the horizon at my old University. I'd be lying if I said that didn't contribute to my desire to leave. I had known about the spiritual trouble at my school far before I heard about the academic/monetary trouble. While it may sound antiquated for me to say, I do think that it is natural for confusion over spiritual values and beliefs to bleed into other (more secular) areas, if not confronted.

There Needs To Be a Balance

The balance between truth and love is one of the biggest issues I see on the horizon for Christians. Our generation of Christ-followers will need to confront it- head-on. We cannot become engulfed by hatred for sinners, yet we cannot conform to the world and its standards for sin.

While I was preparing to lead a devotional group for my church's youth group today, I came across a verse that really struck me. 

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ." - Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

We cannot stand silent when we hear the Word of God being twisted to fit our own selfish wants. Are we to continue encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ to support theologies that go against what the Scripture itself says? Are we to let the Word of God fall to the wayside? 

As for me, the answer to both of those questions are "NO!". 

Love,

Jennifer xo

Being a "Traditional" Girl in a World Flooded by Progressive Christianity

Often times, when Christians speak about pressing issues that upset them, they're speaking about evolution, politics, or even the latest crazy social media trend. Many haven't noticed, but there's an issue that permeating our churches, schools, and minds. What is this issue, you may ask?

It's called Progressive Christianity, or "Theological Liberalism".

Who are Progressive Christians/Theological Liberals and what do they believe? According to David Platt, a favorite pastor of mine (you can follow him on Twitter here), 

"They are people who call themselves Christian, yet they deny Scripture and orthodox teachings on the primary doctrines of Christianity, often in an attempt to either adapt to a changing culture or appeal to an increasingly non-Christian culture. Both those are important when it comes to the motives. Many theological liberals claim to be making Christianity more respectable or believable for the culture at large. They’ll say things like “Christianity must change or it will die.” Or, “We want people to actually consider and believe the gospel, but if we don’t modify our message, then the culture will see us as completely irrelevant.” The attempt is often to adapt to a changing culture or appeal to an increasingly non-Christian culture, often using language that appears to be biblical, yet their teachings undercut Scripture. You might hear the line, “Well, that’s just your interpretation,” or, “That’s an old interpretation. We have new wine for new wineskins.” But just because somebody quotes a verse doesn’t mean their claim is biblical."

To summarize, theological liberalism seeks to discreetly change the doctrines associated with the Christian faith, while making it "more attractive" to non-Christians. They seek to make the Scripture more "relevant" by modernizing portions of the text. 

In my experiences with being surrounded by liberal theology, I've noticed multiple signs of theological liberalism:

1. The love of God/Jesus Christ is extensively spoken about, but His truth and justice are conveniently left out.
2. The rules that God set aside for us in Scripture are seen as being "for a certain time and a certain place". By and large, they are also seen as non-applicable to modern Christianity.
3. Scripture is viewed as being outdated. Some even view sections of Scripture as fabricated or full of error.
4. Evangelism is placed on the backburner. The focus is placed on ONLY understanding other cultures and religions and not on sharing the Gospel.
5. Unity is viewed as being more important than truth.
6. Most importantly, it is implied that there is no absolute truth.

So what does this have to do with being a woman?

On the surface, Progressive Christianity is extremely attractive. Truth is spoken about the love and grace of Jesus Christ but is then distorted by taking it to an extreme. For example, Progressive Christianity pushes the idea that Scripture is inherently flawed or simply, fiction. They view the verses in Paul's writings as outdated and bearing no relevance to us in present times.

I've noticed that Progressive Christianity/Theological Liberalism majorly appeals to young women. Women who have had negative experiences in the church are especially vulnerable to buying into progressive teachings. Since women experience some of the worst injustices in the world, we reach out for anything that makes us feel known or important.

Before we know it, the teachings we listened to religiously (since they said were about acceptance and love) turn into complete distortions of Scripture. As women, we love to hear things that make us feel empowered and independent. However, it is imperative that we must use discernment when listening to teachings about Scripture.

I'll be completely transparent here, it is incredibly hard to be a girl with more traditional beliefs, especially in a college environment. A lot of times, I feel isolated from the rest of my girl friends and shocked at the outlandish claims I hear people make during discussions about faith.

Here are some tips for coping with Progressive Christianity as a woman:

1. Know what you believe and why you believe it.
2. Don't shy away from conversations with people who may disagree with your viewpoints. 
3. Find a group of like-minded ladies who believe things about Scripture similar to you.
4. When you hear teachings that don't sound Biblical, go into the Scripture and read/examine it for yourself.
5. Find counsel in your ministers and Christians who have spent many years in the faith.
6. Most importantly, if you are a young woman remember the words of 1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV), "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 

No matter what we encounter in our daily lives, we can make a difference. Don't be afraid to make your voice heard.

Love,

Jennifer xo

Who Am I? / Welcome!

Welcome to Writing on the Wall, a collection of all my personal musings.

My name is Jennifer and I'm a 19-year-old college student attending Cincinnati Christian University (formerly Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary). As all who make blogs would (most likely) claim, I am a lover of both reading and writing. Hence, I am majoring in Integrated AYA Language Arts Education. I know, it's an obscenely large degree title, even when abbreviated! Simply put, I aim to become a middle school English/Language Arts teacher upon graduation. So exciting, right?

Now, onto some information about my personal life and how it will impact the posts I make on this blog. I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was 12 years old. My struggles with the two disorders have unfortunately had negative effects on my life, but I am thankful that I have both. Through my experiences with them, I have found myself better able to relate to teens who have the same diagnosis. One of the most fulfilling experiences I've had is helping teens who are struggling with depression and anxiety and bringing them to Christ.

When I struggled with depression, I found that even though I didn't want anything to do with God, He was the only one who could give me the feeling of complete peace and from my disorders. Over time, I've viewed my disorders as less of a curse and more of a blessing from God. They're a way that God has me minister to other young girls.

Here are some more positive things about me. Thanks to God's blessings, I am engaged to my high school sweetheart (picture of us below), who is majoring in Youth Ministry. We've been together for nearly four years (our anniversary will be this April)! I'd love to talk more about us, but that will likely come in a later blog post. One of the most important impacts he's had on me and my faith is through the inspiration I get from witnessing his walk with God. Right now, he interns at my home church and it's so amazing to watch him grow in his ministry. His future ministry has impacted me so much and inspired me to desire to pursue middle/high school girl's ministry.

As for my interests/activities outside of school, I enjoy being a camp counselor at a local Christian camp during the summer, working at the campus library, playing video games, scrapbooking, and 

So...why blogging?

There are many reasons I've chosen to begin this blog. Here are a few of them:

• I want this blog to be a resource for young girls (middle school, high school, and even college-aged girls) who wish to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.
• To use my experiences in the issues of sexuality, purity, and relationships to influence other young women.
• To use my experiences with depression and anxiety to reach out to other struggling teenagers.
• To document my personal growth in my walk with Christ and as a future teacher.
• To write about pressing issues concerning theology. There is so much misinformation about the Gospel that permeates our society and I hope to add my voice to the issue.

So buckle up, darlings! I'm so excited to be starting this journey with you all. I hope this blog will help strengthen your walk in Christ, or, at the very least, give you a different point of view to consider!

Love,

Jennifer xo