Christian University with ROTC program

[Medved]

I attended a Christian university called Simspon University (simpsonuniversity.edu), which is located in Redding, CA. The school was orginally established to train missionaries to reach the most unreached, but recently it adopted an ROTC program. I wrote the following letter to the administration in response to this clear contridiction of the school's mission:

"As a graduate of Simpson University, I am writing to express my sincere grief and disappointment about the adoption of the ROTC U.S. military program by Simpson University. The motto “Gateway to world service,” now seems to be contaminated and confusingly intermixed with an additional motto: “Gateway to world domination and murder.” Simpson University is built upon a tradition of Christian service and missionary work throughout the world, and now it has stooped to the level of supporting nationalistic murder. The United States military kills thousands of the lost that Simpson supposedly hopes to reach through missionary efforts and world service. Jesus clearly taught his disciples to “not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.” Whether to gain additional funds, to increase enrollment, or to gain support from the community, as an institution the purports to represent the teachings of Jesus, there is no justification for the adoption of this program by Simpson University, and I know without a doubt that God is against it. I was once proud to say that I earned my degree from Simpson University, but now I am embarrassed to even show it to people. If not representing the love and service of Jesus in the world, what does the name “Simpson University” even represent? How is Simpson University different from any other college or university in the world? Maybe it would have been more valuable for me to go to a secular college, which would have provided more sufficient libraries, laboratories, and other facilities. I planned on someday giving back to Simpson University, but now that is highly unlikely. I do believe that Simpson University has many great qualities, such as excellent educators, summer mission programs, and an atmosphere for spiritual development; however, I am concerned about the direction the school is headed. I hope that this letter is taken into consideration, and I pray that your hearts will be moved to purely pursue Simpson’s motto, which matches the teachings of Jesus, the early church, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others, namely to overcome evil with good."

We'll see if I get a response. I will keep you posted.

[glasshaus]

I know that Public Universities have to allow a ROTC program and Military recruiters in order to continue receiving government funding. That's the way my mother in law explained it to me (she is the vice provost at the University of Kansas.) She is not of a mainstream political stripe, and does not approve of their presence there, either, but says that the University, being a government entity, does not have the option of booting them.
Simpson, being a Christian college, sounds like it would probably have more options. The government doesn't tend to fund Christian schools, so my assumption is that there is some kind of huge financial benefit to them (private donor likes the ROTC program?)
-Claven

[nabsy]

Originally Posted by Medved

I attended a Christian university called Simspon University (simpsonuniversity.edu), which is located in Redding, CA. The school was orginally established to train missionaries to reach the most unreached, but recently it adopted an ROTC program. I wrote the following letter to the administration in response to this clear contridiction of the school's mission:

"As a graduate of Simpson University, I am writing to express my sincere grief and disappointment about the adoption of the ROTC U.S. military program by Simpson University. The motto “Gateway to world service,” now seems to be contaminated and confusingly intermixed with an additional motto: “Gateway to world domination and murder.” Simpson University is built upon a tradition of Christian service and missionary work throughout the world, and now it has stooped to the level of supporting nationalistic murder. The United States military kills thousands of the lost that Simpson supposedly hopes to reach through missionary efforts and world service. Jesus clearly taught his disciples to “not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.” Whether to gain additional funds, to increase enrollment, or to gain support from the community, as an institution the purports to represent the teachings of Jesus, there is no justification for the adoption of this program by Simpson University, and I know without a doubt that God is against it. I was once proud to say that I earned my degree from Simpson University, but now I am embarrassed to even show it to people. If not representing the love and service of Jesus in the world, what does the name “Simpson University” even represent? How is Simpson University different from any other college or university in the world? Maybe it would have been more valuable for me to go to a secular college, which would have provided more sufficient libraries, laboratories, and other facilities. I planned on someday giving back to Simpson University, but now that is highly unlikely. I do believe that Simpson University has many great qualities, such as excellent educators, summer mission programs, and an atmosphere for spiritual development; however, I am concerned about the direction the school is headed. I hope that this letter is taken into consideration, and I pray that your hearts will be moved to purely pursue Simpson’s motto, which matches the teachings of Jesus, the early church, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others, namely to overcome evil with good."

We'll see if I get a response. I will keep you posted.

Great letter!! You are in a good position because it's much easier to get something removed from your campus before it becomes entrenched and develops a strong culture around it. Are there others who are writing as well? You might want to get others to send letters of disapproval in--students, faculty--particularly donors since money talks, even on a Christian campus. Do keep us posted...I'd like to know what is happening.

[Hip Hip America]

Why hate on the ROTC at Simpson? I think its a good thing. The armed forces have the worst party environment that can be. We need fine young leaders that can show the love of Christ to these men. ROTC trains the leaders of this so called murderous military. They are the ones who the troops look up to. with their influence they can bring many soldiers to Christ! Yes war is not a pretty thing, it never has and it never will be. Look at the past, the number of deaths we see are staggering. now war is pinpoint. yes innocent people die but not in the numbers of wars past. Saying that the military is evil is misguided at least. Our military provides the most humanitarian aid to the world than all the countries combined. I don't know where I'm going with this but "evil" is not the military, evil comes from the devil. Hate comes from the devil and distracts us from doing Gods will. If we focus on hate we cannot focus on Gods will for us.

Food for thought.
_the Bird

[Porter Doran]

Myself, I wouldn't call that so much food for thought as poisoned pablum for thought. Presumably the Mafia too could use "fine young [Christian] leaders". But any truly fine young Christian leaders were bought by Jesus to be slaves only to him.