Do You Need College?

Charlie Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA, and he has a new book out: The College Scam. 

The promo for the book says:

“We all know that colleges are filled with far-left professors, but the truth is much worse. Anti-American ideals are thriving, progressives repress speech, and brainwashing is the norm. In The College Scam, Charlie Kirk puts the college industry on trial with a ten-count indictment of why academia has lost all credibility.” 

Moreover, Charlie Kirk is not the first to level these charges. An internet search for “College Scam” does not turn up his book as the first result. Rather, there are several articles equally critical of the college system, and people have been saying the same thing for decades.

There are two great evils in the world, yea, three make God’s people groan:

That millions of innocent human beings are killed while still in their mothers’ wombs, and the assassins get obscenely rich charging their mothers for the service.

That a man intent on destroying our nation sits in the White House, and we the taxpayers are paying him and his staff to do it.

That millions of our best and brightest youth are being brainwashed for four years in leftist / communist indoctrination camps called colleges and universities, but their unsuspecting parents are expected to pay for it and many will put themselves in debt up to their necks for a couple of decades.

~The Book of Margie, Chapter 2:1-4

Okay, I know, that’s not in the Bible. But honestly, we need to use the money with which God has entrusted us wisely. So, we must properly evaluate where it’s going.

My Experience

In the early 1980s, I studied for a while at Purdue University on the G.I. Bill. Purdue was just across the river from where we lived in Lafayette. In fact, during the summer, to avoid having to drive the family car on campus, I enjoyed early morning bike rides, crossing the bridge to reach my classes and returning home before my family missed me.

Naively, I believed I would learn how to be a better writer. It turns out that Purdue really wanted me to appreciate paintings of naked bodies and learn to view feminism and humanism in a positive light. I was supposed to learn to accept that what I thought was evil could actually be good. We read books presenting examples of such “situational ethics” so that any semblance of absolute truth resident in our souls could be erased.

Such was probably the lot of most of my classmates. But as for me, Purdue failed. 

I’m not a pushover. Neither is Eric. One time a Pentecostal-style evangelist lady tried to get people “slain in the spirit” by pushing them over. He caught onto the scheme and put his foot back to stabilize himself so he wouldn’t fall and land on his guitar. 

I also didn’t “fall” for the professor’s scheme. I told him, when he asked, why I thought the books we had been reading were evil. He decided to use me in his classes as an example, and spent at least 5 or 6 class periods arguing / debating with me in front of the stupefied students.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

    ~Isaiah 5:20

That one very definitely IS in the Bible. 

This experience, however, was 42 years ago, and if you thought for a moment that it got any better at Purdue after that, you would be greatly mistaken. In the end, my credits expired and I didn’t get the degree.

Lisa’s Experience

Our eldest daughter Lisa has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Indiana University and I am very proud of her because she completed her studies online (mostly from Illinois) while working full time and also homeschooling much of that time. 

I asked her about her college experience recently. Would she recommend distance learning for others, maybe even others trying to avoid communist indoctrination?

I imagine the woke factor is the same whether it’s online or not. Gender in Communications class taught that sex and gender are not the same thing. I got a B in Ethics class when I wrote a paper about abortion being wrong, even though I got A’s in every other class and I know that topic inside and out. Biology, of course, had an evolution chapter. That one was strictly a multiple choice test so it wasn’t like I even had a chance to debate it.

Lisa has college-age kids now, too:

 

I’ve even heard that some of the professors at Evangel University have some woke tendencies. It’s like cancer. Even if students don’t hear it from their professors they hear it everywhere else. Trying to avoid wokeness is like trying to keep from getting wet in a hurricane.

But it’s also one of those things where people, even if they agree, are afraid to talk about it because they don’t want to be controversial. 

Illinois is a lot more liberal. I know my kids shy away from controversy. Probably having parents on the opposite side of the political spectrum doesn’t help, either.

There was a meme I saw recently about cartoon kids in a class hearing blah blah blah about white male oppressors, with one kid asking the other, "Hey, I must be in the wrong class. Where's Calculus?" 

"This IS Calculus."

So what do you do? All the teachers are coming from the same teacher colleges. And, when college accreditation evaluation comes from woke organizations, compliance with politically correct ideology is demanded from everybody.

Here’s a story about Professor Joseph Branson, a tenured college anthropology professor at UCLA who complains of “Woke Capture” at colleges and universities, and why he decided to retire early.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/ucla-professor-retires-woke

He writes on his blog:

"[M]ainstream U.S. higher education is morally and intellectually corrupt, beyond the possibility of self-repair, and therefore no longer a worthwhile setting in which to spend my time and effort."

A.J.’s Experience

A.J. Carlson is a young friend of mine who has just spent two years of his life at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. 

A.J. first spent a long time evaluating various schools to find out which one would most closely align with his Biblical values. It was tough. You cannot rely strictly on a college’s website to learn about what you’ll get in exchange for your tuition. Additionally, A.J. is taking courses in elementary education. He aspires to be a teacher.

A.J. writes:

As an elementary school teacher in training, I have recognized many of the red flags that are being promoted within the school system, and the sad truth is that they have been taught in schools well before 2020. Furthermore, many teachers are being trained to teach such propaganda, including inclusivity (LGBTQ+ and SEL (socio-emotional learning), diversity (Black Adam, CRT, and revisionist history), and Keynesian economics. 

Education is not neutral ground, even in the arts and sciences. Not only do the two largest teachers unions overwhelmingly support the Left and are its largest donors, but individual teachers donate to the Left more than any occupation. Do not think that a teacher’s money and their teaching are somehow different. Furthermore, many individual “Christian” teachers also support Leftist agendas, including Red For Ed, equity, etc… 

Valerie’s Experience

Like me, our daughter Valerie didn’t finish getting the diploma, but instead quit going to college after her second year, even with an impressive four-year scholarship. She found the atmosphere spiritually oppressive. Unlike me, she went to a private Catholic college, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, which happened to be a very good one for a specific vocational pursuit—Music Therapy.

SMWC Madrigals in Ireland. Valerie is on the front row on the Right

Valerie writes:

I would still recommend SMWC and their music therapy program to anyone who's interested in studying that, but with a few stipulations: If you are a conservative Christian, you will likely get pressured with a lot of woke crap. 

If you can handle that and not give into the pressure to be brainwashed while also not making a lot of your classmates and teachers dislike you, you'll last longer than I did. I think it's possible, but it will be really hard and you’d better know you really want that degree. It really tests you in a lot of ways and if you can get through it without giving in, you'll probably come out a lot stronger in your convictions, while also gaining a more accurate perspective on how the world thinks. Just know what you're getting yourself into.

The nuns at Valerie’s college all went to D.C. for—not the March for Life, but for the Women’s March, if that says anything. There was no such thing as a pro-life club on campus.

Aren’t Christian schools the answer though? 

Lisa’s daughters are going to an Assembly of God college, A.J. is attending a general Christian college, and Valerie tried a Catholic college. These are all liberal arts colleges.

A.J. says:

While I will state that Christian schools are better than public schools, do not place them on a lofty pedestal. Just because the teachers adhere to Christianity, that does not always relate to their understanding of Fundamentalism or give any evidence of the influence that teacher’s unions have had on their ideology. Sadly, many of the same problems found in public schools are also in Christian schools, it is just that the guise of Christianity shields many of these teachings from being criticized. 

This brings up an important point: a friend of mine that works in campus ministry stated that it is easier to identify the Christians on a secular campus than on a Christian campus (and this applies to primary, secondary, and higher education institutions also). 

But aren’t all students at a Christian school Christians, A.J.? 

No. In fact, especially at private Christian higher education institutions, an alarming percentage of students are there because their grandparents agreed to pay the bill, for athletics, to find a spouse, or because they were not accepted at a state institution. Students on a Christian campus are expected to act the same, say the same things, and do the same activities. Christians on a secular campus stand out, but sadly, many reject their faith because of the pressure of their friend groups and professors.

A.J. and Valerie also related how many of the students coming into the college had been educated in public high schools and were already affected. So they were already affecting their peers just by being roommates.

What Can You Do?

First, let me reiterate something I talked about a few weeks ago. 

→ Homeschool! ←

If it’s even a remote possibility, you are your son or daughter’s best teacher, so get in there and do it. Here’s my short summary of our 30-some years of homeschooling.

A.J. writes:

The topic of public elementary schools has been hotly contested within the past two years since many of the social / emotional learning programs (S of the Left have been exposed since the emergence of online learning. This goes without saying, but many of these dangerous teachings entered the school system when the Bible and prayer were removed from the classroom (1962 – 1963).

Recently, a SECOND GRADE teacher recorded a TikTok video, in which she revealed that her entire class had “come out” as gender fluid. She was emotional about this moving experience. If that had been my child’s teacher, I would have been emotional too, but the emoji for it looks rather like a fire-breathing dragon.

Back to A.J.:

Even though I am training to be a teacher, I would not vouch for the public elementary school system. Granted, there are many great teachers and several great school districts. For example, 70% of teachers in the Warsaw Community School District attend church. However, that being said, I already plan to homeschool my children. 

The biggest objection against homeschooling is whether the student will be as prepared as a public school student or will they be socially awkward? As a self-taught homeschool student, yes, I realize that I may lack in some subjects but I realize that I excel in many areas of life where many others have no clue where to start. 

Furthermore, yes, I can be socially awkward at times, especially not knowing the latest movies, celebrities, music, video games, and any other trend of society, yet, not only have I learned to deal with this barrier, but I have remained nearly a straight-A student in college when many others have not. That is partly because I grew up with a strong work ethic, both in my academics when studying and in working part-time. 

There are skills that students will learn through homeschool that have not been and cannot be taught in the school system. I stand behind homeschooling as the best way to teach your children godly values and many life skills, with Christian schools as a distant second. 

Me too, A.J.! Don’t leave your child’s future to chance and destructive brainwashing. You can teach your child to read and write and do elementary school math. Or, if you can’t do that, you can at least choose your own tutors.

But Do You Actually Need College?

When I started homeschooling, it wasn’t long before I met a really sweet nurse who volunteered to be our “school nurse” at our co-op. Once when talking to me, she challenged my thinking with “Now that you know you can teach your children at home, you should also think about having your babies at home!” I resisted that one for a while and then finally gave in, finding it fit in well with what I was doing.

Thus, I found that there were many institutions I could do without or with less of. Is it possible we can do without college in 2022 and still make a good living?

The Lord brought together many factors in our lives to finally lead the Haley family into a full-time business rebinding books and Bibles as a cottage industry. Gradually, that became a prosperous business because it is the Lord’s business. Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the backbone of this country.

And like generations of young men who inherited the family farm and continued in their father’s footsteps, learning as an apprentice in a family business is a college-less way to earn your keep. 

An apprenticeship in a different trade, such as electrical engineering, will also do well for you. And if you can stand the current military “wokeness” and the shot requirements, much of the experience is also O.J.T.—on the job training. That doesn’t require a degree, but many jobs in the military are useful in civilian life.

My Texas brother also reminds me that the nation needs tradesmen such as welders, carpenters, plumbers, and truck drivers. Absolutely! And I love this link he showed me: mikeroweWORKS Foundation When you have a flat tire, you won’t be calling someone with a degree in Gender Studies. Trade schools will help you get a real job and keep you off food stamps.

When You Have No Choice

Lisa works for the Illinois State Police. She writes:

The hard part is that many jobs still require it. Mine didn’t require a degree, but it did require four years of college or equivalency. I’m not sure what all counts as equivalency but I know military experience counts.

And of course we know that they're indoctrinating the military as well, firing the best generals and promoting the ones who care more about pronouns than readiness. We’re hoping that that is a temporary state. Train your students well before sending them off into the world, even to the military. It’s not your grandfather’s military.

But she’s right—many jobs still require that diploma. Our son David is very busy taking online classes as Lisa did, so that someday when he retires from the military, he can be an architect. That’s a job that needs a degree. In fact, he’s already got a few architecture clients.

What about a Catholic college if you’re not even Catholic?

Valerie says:

As far as Catholic goes, that didn't really come into my actual classes all that much except for singing some Catholic songs in choir and having to attend some masses. That stuff didn't bother me. 

For any kind of technical degree at any college, I wouldn't worry about it. Mostly they have to focus on the technical stuff, and the woke stuff isn't relevant to that most of the time. They might still try to slip it into the Gen Ed classes, but every student knows you can pretty much fake your way through most of those classes. 

And where it really matters, you can be honest about what you believe, and even if you get lower grades for it, those classes don't count nearly as much. You just have to pass them.

 

A.J. recommends a private Christian college over a state-run school:

As a current student at a private liberal arts institution studying Elementary Education, I will be the first to point out the flaws in the system, both in the Department of Education and the higher education system, yet I believe there are still several strong reasons for why one should invest in a private higher education institution. 

The biggest reason for me is that you are surrounding yourself with other believers, including many professors, that can help challenge you in your faith, in a good way. Plus, the learning in the classroom will be integrated with the Bible, which you will not experience at a public institution. 

Also, while I strongly recommend a private institution over a state school for higher education (some of this depends upon your desired major), do not attend a private institution to “escape” Leftist teaching. Do your research and find an institution that still stands on Biblical truths, which is more and more difficult to do. 

When I went through the college selection process, I received many great offers, including a few free rides, but I chose the best school that offered my desired academic programs in the state of Indiana. 

Even at the best school in the state, it is always important to “be Bereans” and test everything taught against Scripture. I have found several instances where equity, diversity, and SEL have been taught in the classroom, which is why as a student I will continue to not only challenge the accepted norms, but also educate fellow students to identify Leftist teaching.

Again I say, be very careful where you send your children. If you were their primary teacher during their elementary and high school years, they may feel “liberated” to learn something other than their parents’ “brainwashing.” In turn, they will open their minds to Leftist brainwashing instead. 

If you weren’t their primary teacher as they grew up, but their minds have already been open to that leftist ideology, then even a community college or trade school is dangerous, as it will be infested with teachers who will cement that ideology into their psyche. 

At a minimum, let them sit out a few years until they have matured in their faith before they enter one of these institutions. It would do them good to work a real job and save money, too, while they think about what they really want to do with their lives. And several of our kids graduated from Bible college, where they found a good, solid anchor for the future.

One more word from A.J.:

Whether you are a parent of young children or are considering attending college yourself, it is important to know and understand the nuances of what you are being taught. This means that everything should be held under a magnifying glass to compare it to God’s Word, since this is the foundation of all Christian belief and doctrine.