Central Bible College

[antonyh]

I wrote a letter to the Springfield Newspaper:

"As a gay graduate of Central Bible College, I wanted to respond to the Soulforce protest at Central Bible College on March 12. The protest shed light on the spiritual violence done to gay and lesbian people at Central Bible College, a claim the college denies in a pious online press release.

What I do know is that homophobia flowed so strongly at Central Bible College while I was a student that I did not even know that my best friend was also gay. We'd watched homosexuals "caught in the act," humiliated before a faculty tribunal and thrown off campus, and we knew that we had to hide our humanity to survive.

Years later, my friend wrote to me about the effects of being gay at Central Bible College. I remember that night in the dorms of CBC when I found my friend in his room with a razor blade and tears streaming down his face. This is the spiritual violence Soulforce is protesting."

[scott snedeker]

your courage is astounding! roll on my friend!

[Daniel]

Anthony,

Welcome to SF! I applaud your letter! Thank you for posting it here.

I am a graduate of Evangel College (now University '81), CBC's sister AG school across town. Reading your letter brought much to mind. Like you, I was so closeted that I didn't know that the friend I was doing my student teaching with was gay. We were terrorized when 4 friends were expelled only a few weeks before graduation because they were gay.

It took me a long time to get over those years.

I send you much peace and joy.

[Rick336]

Antonyh,

That is a wonderful letter. You set a great example of the virtue of courage.

Thank you.

Rick

[davidb]

I don't come from an AG background, but having grown up in a conservative Baptist church, your experiences sound familiar. It's very brave of you to write that letter. It's been 24 years since I graduated from college, but I vividly remember the terror I felt that someone would find out my horrible secret. I'm so glad that SF is facing this hatred and ignorance head-on, calling it what it is, and speaking to it with the power of love and forgiveness.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by antonyh

If I am completely honest I would have to say that I am no longer a Christian. I really don't like my beliefs 'labeled' at all. I meditate, study Buddhism and have found much wisdom in Stoic Philosophy (which underlies much of the NT). My favorite books in the Bible are Ecclesiastes, Job and Song of Songs. I also appreciate the spirituality of the Enlightenment and the science that followed. I just humbly stand before the mystery that is the universe (cuz honestly, who really knows?).

Anthony- You are not alone in not calling yourself a Christian. I don't like labels much either, but have been known to call myself a Closet Buddhist. And have meditated for years now (oh ....the endless depths of the mind) and have an interest in the writings that didn't make it into the Gospels and the philosophy of Yoga. And guess what? Like you, I am left-handed and stammered/stuttered as a child- starting in 4th grade actually- the year I 'fell in love' with Mr. Casper, a teacher at my school.

Your essay is very powerful.

I don't think they can yank your degree. You earned it after all. My college has known I'm gay for years now, and the MO is usually to ignore people like us.

But those days are over.

I look forward to talking with you more.

[Diane Vera]

Originally Posted by antonyh

It now appears that a member of the Alumni Association at Central Bible College cannot locate me in the Alumni Association directory. Makes me wonder if I have been deleted from the directory. I applied for online access to the Alumni Association, but I anticipate that the request will be denied. Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.

Does anyone know if there are any legal issues involved with a college excluding alumni from their directory because of a difference of opinion with the college?

I hope you'll be seeing a lawyer about this soon. If they've deleted you and it turns out you can't sue them, perhaps their action should be the subject of a public protest?

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.../1069/OPINIONS

Great letter!

[antonyh]

cbcgrad- I am sorry for how you feel about the way CBC treated you. I was not there in 1990 but I can tell you when I was there gays were not treated any different. What Bradley said at the press conference is and has been the policy, and that is to treat all sin in the same way. If you do not believe that homosexuality is sin then we have no point of reference in which to have a logical dialogue. SO I can't see how a profitable discussion can come form this. DS and I have went back in forth on this for over a year now and we have finally came to the conclusion agree to disagree. W/O a point of reference of which we can begin a discussion there is no point to engage in "useless wranglings" Thank you for finally revealing yourself. Good luck with your future endeavors.

Letter:
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.../1069/OPINIONS

Any ideas about a response?

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by antonyh

cbcgrad- I am sorry for how you feel about the way CBC treated you. I was not there in 1990 but I can tell you when I was there gays were not treated any different. What Bradley said at the press conference is and has been the policy, and that is to treat all sin in the same way. If you do not believe that homosexuality is sin then we have no point of reference in which to have a logical dialogue. SO I can't see how a profitable discussion can come form this. DS and I have went back in forth on this for over a year now and we have finally came to the conclusion agree to disagree. W/O a point of reference of which we can begin a discussion there is no point to engage in "useless wranglings" Thank you for finally revealing yourself. Good luck with your future endeavors.

~

Any ideas about how I should respond. I was thinking about posting one Biblical text a week on spiritual violence.

Go for it! You know what the Zen people say:

"First thought. Best Thought."

And what's with this?

If you do not believe that homosexuality is sin then we have no point of reference in which to have a logical dialogue.

This strikes me (ouch!) as spiritual violence. One must agree to be condemned in order to have 'dialogue'?

To this writer I say:

"Teach only Love".

[antonyh]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Go for it! You know what the Zen people say:
This strikes me (ouch!) as spiritual violence. One must agree to be condemned in order to have 'dialogue'?

Well punned Yeah, pretty amazing really.

[antonyh]

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.../1006/OPINIONS

[antonyh]

Well it was not me that was suicidal, but that does not detract from the ignorance.

"I was the CBC alum whom cbcgrad quoted. And I stand by my statement. They were treated no different then those who fornicated. There were gays at the school. They were even openly gay. But they did not engage in homosexuality while there. When some did they were expelled just as anyone else would if they were caught with the member of the opposite sex. cbcgrad tells a sad story. But maybe it was his sin that drove him to his suicidal thoughts and not, not being able to be gay freely. If you do not like the schools stance then do not go there. I hate MSU's open bias against Christians but I do not protest the school. I sucked it up and did what I did. I was always free to leave.

Vandalism like burglary has a wider meaning then what most people think. So do get semantic over Bro Bradley's choice of words. Like DS said it is their property and can keep off whomever they want.

lucy65- The bible says we are ALL sinners so how can you claim to be a Christian and say that you do not believe homosexuals are sinners. You wonder why I say the things I do about your so-called preacher."

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.../1006/OPINIONS

[Daniel]

Here's some reportage from Springfield about the action at CBC.

I went to Evangel University, CBC's sister school across town. Evangel's security helped CBC 'defend' itself.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...703110398/1007

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...ING01/70312019

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...703130357/1007

http://www.ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=5449

This last link also has footage via KOLR, the 'lead-in' of which is interesting because the announcer notes that CBC is in the 'middle of a civil rights debate'. That's an excellent way of putting matters, rather than characterizing the issue as a religious/theological one. The KOLR piece gives equal air time to Soulforce and a CBC official- who is black btw. There's an irony there- which may be why the announcer framed the issue as a civil rights issue.

[antonyh]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Here's some reportage from Springfield about the action at CBC.

I went to Evangel University, CBC's sister school across town. Evangel's security helped CBC 'defend' itself.

Thank you for adding these links