BJU's plea for prayer

This is the email sent out to the parents BJU students.

Dear Parent:

In chapel on Thursday, March 15, I will inform our students that a gay/lesbian/bisexual/ transgender advocacy group called Soulforce Equality Riders intends to visitBob Jones University’s campus April 4. I want to summarize for you what we will be telling the students about the background and goals of this group and about the University’s position and plans for managing the event.

Founded in 1998, Soulforce initially protested religious groups holding policies on the issue of homosexuality. It first targeted educational institutions in 2005, and in 2006 organized a group called Equality Riders which traveled to 19 colleges and universities. Reaction at those schools was mixed; some schools set up forums for dialogue and others refused them access to their campuses. Knowing BJU could be a likely future target, we tracked those visits closely.

This spring, two groups of Equality Riders are targeting 33 colleges. Their stated purposes are to dialogue with administrators, faculty, and students; to make clear that the belief that homosexuality is a sickness and a sin is harmful; and to convince administrators to change policies at their institutions. The group first communicated with BJU last fall and early this year informed us they will visit BJU April 4.

Please be assured that BJU did not invite Soulforce to our campus. The reality is just the opposite. We have repeatedly told them that “given our belief that the teaching of Scripture on this subject is clear and our sense of responsibility to our students and their parents, we could not participate in any discussions or allow any access to our campus or student body.” They have informed us they are coming anyway.

There are a number of reasons we cannot give Soulforce access to our campus and students. First, as Bible-believing Christians, our faith and practice is based on Scripture, which speaks clearly and consistently about God’s boundaries for sexual expression. Second, BJU follows biblical principles for living—not singling out homosexuality in our policies but following the Bible’s teaching on the whole matter of sexuality. Third, granting access would violate a trust between you and the University. We cannot allow a group antithetical to your expectations or to the clear teaching of Scripture to come onto our campus with the expressed purpose of undermining Scripture. Finally, Soulforce’s stated goals make true dialogue impossible. It is clear that their goal is not dialogue, but one-sided arguments aimed at changing our policies.

While our objective is to keep the Equality Riders off campus, we will respond to them in a manner consistent with our stated beliefs. Our approach will be a clear and biblical statement of our position without inflammatory words or tone. As we have opportunity, we will present the Gospel and demonstrate the love of Christ.

Let me assure you that we have adequate plans and resources in place to manage the event and that your young people will be safe and secure. We will provide students logistical instructions the day before the event, and they will know what to do and how to react.

In addition, we will also use this occasion as a teaching opportunity—to make sure our students thoroughly understand what Scripture teaches about homosexuality and a biblical response to it. This generation of students will face this issue for many years to come, and they need to be grounded in the biblical perspective. And we want to help any who may be struggling with the issue in their own personal lives.

Please pray earnestly for the university family as April 4 approaches. We need the Lord’s wisdom and grace.

Sincerely,

Stephen Jones
President

President Bush's kindness

This is the story of President Bush's visit to Enterprise Alabama after a tornado hit a school only a few weeks ago.

Subject: President Bush

This e-mail was written by someone in Enterprise. She is relaying a message told by an ABI officer who attends Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Enterprise. The officer was with President Bush when he visited.

There is a man at Ridgecrest Baptist Church who is an ABI officer. He got up last night and told us about having the honor of being paired with one of the secret service men who were with President Bush Saturday in Enterprise. He said when they started walking through the rubble at the school they came upon four students waiting for the President. They were in an area where on the floor there was a emblem that read EHS Class of 65. When the President approached the students he asked which one of you is the president (I assume president of the student body)? One of the girls kind of raised her hand and said I am then she hung her head and started to cry. President Bush wrapped his arms around her and the other three joined them. Barry, the ABI officer said President Bush started to cry and said "It's tough being the president isn't it." Barry said he talked with them a little longer. He said he was very close to the President but couldn't hear every word that was spoken, but he could tell that the President was quoting scripture. After a while the President started walking again and said he wanted the emblem preserved whatever it took. The Mayor then spoke up and said they would take care of it and President Bush turned to him and said "I was speaking to the President." I bet that the Mayor closed his mouth then!!! and then President Bush said "by the way where are my children"? The four students who were lagging behind came running up to him and walked the rest of the way over to the church with him. The media were sent to a different area Barry said. When President Bush got inside the church to meet with the families of those that had been killed the secret serviceman turned to Barry an d said this is as far as we go. This is his time with them. Barry then asked him if the President was protected and the secret servicemen said yes, he is protected, but not by us. Barry could hardly contain himself as he was telling us this last night. He said he told the secret service man that he wished everyone could witness what he just did then they could see that the most powerful man in the United States was just another human being, a father, a comforter, a friend and had true compassion for these people. However the media does not portrait that, big surprise!

Exitus Acta Probat
"The end proves the deed." ~ Geo. Washington

Arsenic and Old Lace

We watched Arsenic and Old Lace two nights ago. Sorry, Jon, but it just isn't one of my favorites. I slept through most of it this time. I was so exhausted, I couldn't make it. It reminded me of the last time I watched the movie.
I was in the lounge of the ladies dorm on friday night when I got to see it for the first time. Well, at the end, it was ten minutes to lights out and I got up to make the trip across the campus and looked outside. It was dark and still. Yep. Dark, still, and Jonathan had frightened me. And I wasn't going to make that trip all by myself. You remember Jonathan, right? He was Mortimer's spooky brother.
I made quick work of finding alternative accommodations. Rachel Beaton? Can I sleep in your room? So, with a quick call to my trailer leader I was headed to Rachel's spare mattress. Do you remember that, Rae?
I must have been 22 then. Scared. Of a black and white comedy. And I hold my head high.