This will be my last post on this topic. They win.
I am taking the dog out of the fight, even though a fair amount of fight remains in the dog. It's just that I have come to the conclusion that there would be no value in furthering the conflict, other than some narcissistic fulfillment of a primal skirmish-urge. I ain't skeered, just tired. And lonely. And wondering how one remains loving and faithful in a struggle for justice. As our president (of the US, not the University) says, "It's hard...it's hard work." I don't want to become some angry, twisted activist; especially if the battle is futile.
The University has been circulating a message that goes something like this:
1) Dr. H is not being "fired;" he is loved and valued by the university.
2) He and other senior faculty were approached last year with a retirement offer; Dr. H refused.
3) He was approached again this year, and he accepted.
4) We can't talk about the details of a personnel issue.
5) No one is being told what to teach in class.
That's a very different version of the story than the one I heard. But Dr. H has decided to remain publicly silent on the matter. I respect that. There is something elegant, even monk-like about exiting the stage free from the need to answer all the questions. Just like the Dylan he so enjoys.
You always said "People don't do what they believe in,
they just do what's most convenient, then repent."
I always said,
"Just hold on to me, baby, and hope the roof stays on."
("Brownsville Girl")
For the record, I have not been threatened or intimidated. And, I haven't reread everything, but I don't think I retract anything I have said on the matter either.
Who knows, maybe it's not all over; but for now, I'm going on to talk about other things and tilt at other windmills.
For instance, some of you have been asking about this: There will be major album release news within the week! We deliver the goods to the printer tomorrow. Sample mp3s and online ordering info coming soon.
Is that Freedom Rock? Well, turn it up.
15 comments:
That little green girl looks like she's reaching for something.
Forgive the length of this. I wrote it as a comment on the first post, and decided not to publish it both because it was so long and because I didn't want to say it was a pointless fight before it turned out to be one. Here goes:
There's no talking to the people in that hierarchy, Reacher. There's nobody home. Whitewashed tombs. Sons of hell.
These are people who, thinking Genesis is science, ruin science and Genesis. These people worship the Bible, read it constantly, and there appears to be a direct relationship between how much they esteem it and how badly they misread it in small and don't get it in large. The problem with them is much less what they're doing to science and academic freedom, and much more how they mangle the gospel.
The denomination you're dealing with, which sounds very like my former denomination, has a hierarchy which tends to worship and advance a Jesus of power, propriety, prosperity, and prudity, which is to say they haven't the foggiest idea who Jesus is. They therefore confuse, divide, and compromise even their most Christly followers.
Your problem, Reacher, isn't academic freedom; your problem is that this denomination, as represented by its present hierarchy, and that University, are no places for a Christian, unless that Christian is to be an outspoken reformer, or a sublimely transcendent this-too-will-pass kind of guy like certain people we know. I peg you for not having the temperament to be the latter (I don't. Didn't. Won't.) and I'm guessing they don't want one of the former on the faculty.
In their surpassing certainty, they obviously have no idea how lost they are, how badly they're in need of redemption, and this is interesting--how dishonest they are. Precisely because they desire power so much, they have all of it, and they'll soon have more. They thus aren't inclined to listen to reform ideas; and you have many, many better things to do with your time and your gifts. Their ultimate demise, which is certain, won't be by confrontation, but by attrition. Single alignment? Align this.
As you're planning your rhetorical strategy, recall the one group that the Lord himself unloaded on was the Pharisees. But you'll have to balance that prerogative with the fact that, then as now, laying it down won't do one bit of good, and it will certainly get you crucified.
Amen.
I was baptized into this very same denomination when I was in high school. Dating the preacher's daughter, was I. I remain somewhat forgiving of it (the denomination, not the relationship) today because of that preacher, who became my mentor for a few wonderful years. He fought tirelessly within the church to see a return to sense and moderation, and he still fights that fight.
He just had a major heart attack this year, I've heard through the grapevine, and I have no doubt that when his circulatory system is sufficiently knitted back together, he'll raise his standard again and return to that fight. It's what he knows.
You remind me of him in that way, your willingness to challenge and fight and question. Your desire to see sense and common ground. The pain and frustration and outrage engraved in your love and zeal. There's a lot of Christ in that, you know.
Were I you, I'd have fled the school for a more moderate one long ago — hell, were I you I probably never would have applied there in the first place — but I admire you for sticking around and voicing dissent. Takes guts, but I think more than that it takes stamina, having to work at it day after day while others are buoyed up by consensus.
My own walk as a Christian has rattled every last foundation of my faith. Some of it has cracked and needed patching, some utterly fell away and needed replacing. What I am left with is only one strong, unshakable conviction about the nature of God: I don't know one damn thing about Him. Tomorrow will only confirm that conviction, which is sometimes so strong that I've considered leaving organized religion behind completely, as I've written before. Communion with others is really the only thing that makes me show up on Sunday.
As the man said, the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.
But I believe that I see Him in you and your family, and I think I see in you the kernel worth fighting for, and for that, I am in your debt. I know we've only spent a couple of evenings together face-to-face, but even so I consider you a dear friend and an inspiration. Thank you for that. I look forward to a visit this Christmas.
You're allowed to get tired. You're allowed to pick your battles. But don't let 'em drag you down.
Reacher, I don't recall ever spending so much time staring at an album cover. I love it. I think it reflects your message wonderfully... there is a ray of sunshine in the madness, but it's not as bright as many of us had hoped.
Jody... I really connect with your frustration. I feel like you have a lot to teach us as well. My name is Ryan, and I left a message on your answering machine. If you have a moment, please return my call so I can talk to you about what God is doing in our city. I think you might find it rather intriguing.
It is sad about how love has been lost in church (or Christian universities) and how people are so unwilling to stand up for love.
Very sad.
I often have trouble knowing when to give up the fight. Or when it's even a battle worth fighting in the first place. The wisest, truest definition of a Christian woman I've ever known (Grandma to you, Reacher) had a litany of wise sayings and poems for every occasion. Her quiet admonition to us kids when we were embroiled in a battle of wills or opinions was: "Right is might."
Sometimes nobody agrees with us. Sometimes we're completely alone in what we believe is right. Sometimes we do all we are supposed to do, all that is asked of us, all that must be done and we do it right. Sometimes we get no validation, no accolades, no following. Then we must rely on the peaceful surety of our soul.
(But, damn. I like to win. And I want everyone to know I won and that they better not mess with me anymore).
And what I most want to win this week is first place in line to buy that cool CD. Can't wait to get my grubby little hands on it. Did you ever get any feedback from Levon?
I still prefer the name Brother Wylie. Or was it Brother Wiley?
Either way. I think the first time I heard you guys, the first day I rolled into town, ya'll informed me that this wasn't California.
It's like Eddie Murphy said in Coming to America, "His momma named him Cassius, I'm a call him Clay."
Dr. H is one of those rare people at this so called "Christian" university that I would call a true scholar. I took two of his classes back in the day, and experienced the academic rigor absent in the vast majority of other classrooms(excluding Dr. M, of course!) I'm sad to see him ousted, but I can't say I'm surprised. An exclusionist, judgemental attitude is nothing new for that place.
Yeah, circling the wagons into a tighter circle is a good way to put this kind of close-mindedness. I remember calling it "the bubble" when I was there.
As a work study in the president's (of the university) office for a couple of years, I was privy to the frantic efforts by that office to counter a local television station's mention of the university as "more focused on Bible studies than academics." The suits faxed out their rebuttals trying to emphasize the school's well-rounded liberal art's curriculum. Those press releases weren't picked up, of course, except by the local weekly and the university's sad little biased paper.
They really deserve the reputation they're getting now. If they really want to turn away the quality profs and cater to the backwoods bubble boys, then so be it. Only, I wish I could leave their name off my resume...
In my usual fashion, may i provide a voice of balance?
While i certainly understand the frustration created by this whole forced retirement thing, i don't think fighting fire with fire is the particular approach that is going to bear fruit in these kinds of circumstances. If we want to be agents of change within institutions--even ones with which we adamantly disagree--we have to take a different approach than we would from the outside. It's easy to point and blame and curse on a safe, convenient, online forum, when a certain degree of anonymity is maintained. But what takes real character is facing the people with whom you disagree in person and working out differences within a context of empathy. Very rarely am i able to curse someone to his or her face. When i dialogue with persons of dissimilar ideology face-to-face, i have a very difficult time bashing them and the organizations to which they belong. That's not to say i don't challenge those ideologies and values. I do. I often confess to Southern Baptist pastors and leaders, in conversations, my certain skepticism of many characteristics of the SBC and the MBC. And you know what? Most of them are completely understanding of my concerns. Most of them are doing their best to "seek His kingdom and His righteousness" within the context of an institution that they may not necessarily support 100% in doctrine or practice.
Smugly stereotyping and criticizing all or even a majority of the members of a particular affiliation is unfair and dangerous to the Kingdom. Yes, we must keep the edge to our message. But we must do so in a way that reflects love and unity amongst the Body of Christ even despite our disuniformity.
Another quick observation: I strongly disagree that faith is the opposite of certainty. On the contraty, faith is being "certain of what we hope for and...what we cannot see." Faith sure isn't certainty in ourselves or in our methods or in our epistomological framework. Faith transcends all that. Faith extends far beyond the rational... beyond the reasonable... beyond the possible. Faith is certainty in what you "know" to be true, not necessarily because you can prove it on paper, but because you have experienced it in real life. And that means that we can't use our "faith" as a means to persuade others. Our love for one another and for the lost, in concordance with a lifestyle of prayer and seeking the face of God, is that means.
Grace to all of you.
Also, i want to commend you, Reacher, for tackling these issues head-on, face-to-face, in a noble manner.
This [website] is a place where you can vent your frustrations in a way you might not otherwise. May we all be aware of what kind of water we are swimming in here. May i remind myself.
"Contraty"? I'm sorry... contrary.
Seriously... i am so sorry for posting four comments in a row. I am not intending to dominate the conversation. I merely want to share perceptions as they are revealed to me. May i?
Could it be that our reactionism is the result of the pain of our own faith walk? Are we combatant with those "on the other side" because at some point in our lives we have been in their shoes, but been found wanting? Could it be that they have encountered cognitive dissonance that has caused them to choose one ideology or another--by faith? We all do our best to shore up whatever makes us feel the best. And that's not always healthy. But i know that personally, if i am going to test out uncharted waters in my faith journey, i need to have the support of others. If closed-minded "conservatives" are going to critically test the waters of their faith, shouldn't we be there to help and not harm? Could it be that people are scared to explore unfamiliar territory, because they are afraid that the inhabitants dwelling there are hostile?
Maybe?
You may have given up, Reacher, but others haven't: Federal judge strikes down 'intelligent design' curriculum. Let's hope that this will make a few others reconsider their position, too ...
Yes, in a public school decision. However, private Christian schools can still do what they like on the matter, with no law to hinder them.
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