Gordon College and the New McCarthyism

You may be aware that Gordon College is making national news. This small, liberal arts college in New England is located in sleepy Wenham, MA. It is not an indoctrinating place at all. In fact, its byline for years past was “freedom within a framework of faith” – emphasis on freedom. For many years, it has been a stronghold for theistic evolution. Hardly the home base of fundies. (Full disclosure: my wife is an alumna and I have a child as a student.)

But now it has crossed the PC bullies and finds itself in their crosshairs. Why? Because it has the audacity to keep living by the Judeo-Christian convictions it was founded on.

The heretical conviction is this: if you want to be a part of the Gordon community, sexual activity needs to be limited to a married man and woman. A conviction, incidentally, that the Judeo-Christian community has had for many millennia.

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Wow! How narrow-minded can these people be?

Are they out beating up others who disagree with them? No. Are they calling others names? No. So what has changed? Has Gordon changed something?

So what has changed?
No, Gordon College had the audacity to request a religious exemption from Obama’s new unilateral executive order that requires those who receive federal funds include sexual orientation (read LGBT) in their non-discrimination clause.

And the Boston Globe breathlessly reports this as discrimination. But in their effort to boost sales and take down Gordon, they conveniently bury the fact that the letter was written by Obama’s own Michael Wear.

I would encourage you to read the letter to see how mean and hateful it is. Not.

Wear, who served in the White House faith-based initiative during Obama’s first term and directed faith outreach for Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, said the letter’s intent is to find a way to protect LGBT rights but also assures religious organizations that hire “according to their religious identity” that they will not be automatically disqualified from competing for federal contracts. In other words, let’s find a way for all in our country to continue working for the greater good.

But that is not enough for those pursuing a scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners approach.

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Other Christians who signed are also seeking the common good of our nation but (gasp!) want to continue to live by the orthodox teaching of Christianity include the head of the Catholic Charities. Wow! Finally, we are finding the names of all those small-minded, backwards people in our country.

The Reaction to Christians Desiring to be Christians?
And what is the reaction to Christians being who they have always been? The Boston Globe trumpets discrimination. In today’s Op-Ed, Gordon is supposed to be insulting our intelligence. A key line:

People have the right to exercise their religion, to believe whatever they want to believe, but that can’t possibly mean the right to grab tax money while flipping off the very government, i.e. the vast majority of taxpayers, that gives you the money.

How’s that for articulate argumentation? Somehow, I don’t think that following the teaching of Jesus is flipping off the government. What an artful metaphor. No wonder his paper his declining in circulation. Who needs editors like that when I can get this language from a teenager? And you thought New Englanders were so educated and articulate!

The town of Salem, until now enjoying Gordon’s arts in their town, suddenly realizes how evil those people have been all along. And they looked so nice!

Next up, the accreditation board needs to reexamine Gordon College. They are suddenly shocked to learn that all these people with earned Ph.Ds, who care about higher education, who care about students, actually believe the historic Christian faith. Who knew? How did it ever get by the accreditation board in the first place?

What hypocrisy! What witch-hunting – in Salem of all places!

Students
Saddest in all this has been the reaction of a small group of former students. Unfortunately, in their naiveté they do not see what is at stake. They do not see how they are being used.

When they argue that Gordon has not been receptive to their homosexuality, they knowingly misrepresent the university. Eyewitnesses have seen the grace and care that college leadership has given to those who said they were gay. While refusing to yield to their demands to overturn clear Scriptural teaching and two millennia of church teaching, the current administration has treated individuals with care and dignity. Thoughtful public and private discussions have taken place. Thoughtful letters have been written here and here. But you would never know it from the hit pieces.

Nor has that been enough for the former students. What those former students mean is that the university and the Christian faith would not “orient” around their orientation. They gladly accepted an education at one of the United States premier institutions but now call it a dark time because…Gordon is following the teachings of Christianity.

The New McCarthyism
Which brings us back to the dangerous wind blowing in our country. We dare not forget our country was founded on religious liberty and separation of powers. These principles have led to a flourishing of the greatest nation on earth.

But now, certain well-meaning, tolerance-bullies seek to undermine those principles. Religious liberty for everyone but Christians. Separation of powers is good unless you are a high-minded President.

Civic discussions that should be taking place are thwarted. Instead, the new left strong arms those who speak with grace and truth. And this exercise in intolerance is justified by any means, including monarchial executive orders. It includes punishing those mean, narrow-minded, foaming-at-the-mouth PhDs at Gordon College.

We see now that “tolerance” was a Trojan horse. The rest of us will walk in step or pay the price. This is the new dogma and you will like it.

Can our country survive this new McCarthyism by the left? I don’t know. After all, the leaders of the French Revolution did not know when to stop.

But I do know that the church of Jesus Christ will not be cowered. Like her Savior, we will face opposition filled with both grace and truth. God’s grace is for all. And God’s truth is for all.

Stand strong, Dr. Lindsay. We stand with you in prayer as you continue to lead with grace and truth.

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