By David Ettinger
In a Rage!
Students and alumni of Taylor University – a small evangelical Christian school in Upland, Indiana – are raging. Their ire has been kindled because the college has invited Vice President Mike Pence to be their 2019 commencement speaker.
An online petition to rescind the invitation has garnered more than 4,000 signatures. In fact, one Taylor alum claims to be “physically shaking” and feeling “personally attacked” by the invitation.[1]
In America as we know it today, such dramatics are expected from secular colleges, but Taylor University is, as stated above, an “evangelical Christian school.” Therefore, their outrage is both galling to evangelical sensitivities, and a frightening foreshadowing of where Western Christianity is heading.
Contrary Ethic?
The focus of the Taylor University protest lies in the phrasing accompanying the petition that the “Trump-Pence Administrations policies” are “not consistent with the Christian ethic of love we hold dear.”[2]
What are the policies the Taylor protesters refer to? The petition doesn’t say,[3] but you can bet the house that the two prominent ones are LGBTQ rights and immigration. According to the Taylor “evangelicals,” Mr. Pence’s policies don’t measure up to their “Christian” ideals.
Jesus’ Teaching
The scary thing here, and again I state it, is this is supposedly an evangelical Christian school. What separates “evangelical” Christians from “merely proclaiming” Christians is that evangelicals believe in the absolute authority of the Bible and uphold it.
We agree that Jesus teaches His followers to display love, compassion, tenderness, and generosity to all people, and we should strive to do so. But Jesus also taught that sinful behavior needs to be repented of, that disobedience to God’s ordained Word is sin, and that those who die in their sinful states – that is – never having confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior – will be sentenced to an eternity in Hell.
And yes, Jesus spoke of Hell – often! Jesus also spoke of judgment – often! Read the Beatitudes of Matthew Chapters 5-7. Read Matthew Chapter 24. Even in the beloved John 3:16, Jesus speaks about those who will perish – that is, those whose souls will be forever condemned.
But this is not what the Taylor “evangelicals” want to hear, and what they will not accept.
The Next “Christian” Generation
I have seen it more and more as a Bible teacher of 20-something-year-olds; as a 30-plus-year evangelical Christian who has watched people in my age range (I’m 61) crumble under societal pressure to be more accepting of unbiblical behavior; and from those claiming to be “Christians” who clearly aren’t. (Read my blog: “Lady Gaga: A Christian Woman.”)
Those falling into these categories are charter members (at least in thought) of what’s known as the “Christian Left” – a branch of “Christianity” which exalts the more loving and compassionate parts of Jesus’ teaching, but totally, recklessly, and heinously ignores the numerous instructions regarding sin, judgment, and punishment.
To this growing branch of the faith, true Christianity is to cherry-pick the Bible, reducing it to but a shell of its entirety, and spreading the Gospel of accepting everyone and every philosophy in the name of “Christian love” no matter how contrary to God’s Word they are.
This is all reflected in the “Christian” outrage against Vice President Pence, and is the direction modern-day Western Christianity is heading. It is a Christianity which embraces the culture just as it is, refusing to “judge” or call out sin.
The apostle Paul wrote: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). The “Christianity” of 2019 replies: “Stuff it, Paul. We’ll conform as much as we please, and will do so until no one will be able to tell the difference between we ‘Christians’ and everyone else!”
This is where we’re
heading, but our Lord is still sovereign, and His will, will indeed be done!
[1] https://www.foxnews.com/us/pence-taylor-university-commencement
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.change.org/p/taylor-university-president-paul-lowell-haines-protest-vice-president-mike-pence-at-taylor-university-commencement-ceremony
EttingerWriting.com 
Author Ryan Callahan
April 17, 2019
Amen sir! The Lord is 100% grace and 100% truth. Believers should never make Him less than who He truly is. God bless!
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Well said, Ryan. I totally agree!
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vicklea
April 17, 2019
The Lord is sovereign indeed and His Word stands forever, regardless or what we think or feel or believe. Jesus is Lord! And the ignorant people who consider themselves too educated to accept Godly men like VP Pence as a speaker at their university will not be convinced, no matter how eloquently he speaks or what truth he tells them.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
I absolutely agree with you, Vickie. My hope is that if some of these young people are truly saved, that the maturity which comes with the passing of years will turn them more to God’s Word and that they will stand by it.
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vicklea
April 17, 2019
That is also my hope for my very leftist sons who were raised in a Christian household and now spout socialism and all of its positives.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Same here with my son, Vickie. He’s not a believer, but does believe in God, and, fortunately, he’s conservative. Will certainly include your sons in my prayers.
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Robert Chamberlain
April 17, 2019
Clearly Christianity and homosexuality are incompatible. But I don’t see incompatibility between Christianity and migration. From the church’s inception, we have been forced to flee Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Persecution and ensuing refugee movements are two of the means that Christ is fulfilling His great commission. We aren’t just to love our neighbours, but even our enemies, and as Christians we should see migration as an opportunity to share the good news with people who might otherwise never hear it.
In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, American or Arab, African or Asian, but all His people are one in Him.
To get off my tangent and on to your point, it is sad that “evangelical” students have a problem with Pence.
Thanks for the article.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Thanks so much, Robert. You clearly have a passion for the immigration issue and state it well. I for the most part agree with you, but there are rules and legalities which must exist in order to prevent chaos. On the other hand, where I agree with you, I have had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with several Muslims who have immigrated to the U.S., and these opportunities went well. Their migration here provided them a wonderful opportunity to hear the Gospel (and I hope several more times than their conversations with me!).
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Robert Chamberlain
April 17, 2019
I must clarify that I’m not an open borders advocate. But as the Roman and British Empires provided opportunities for the spread of the gospel, so too does America!
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Good points, Robert. Thanks for the clarification. I agree with you.
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YariGarciaWrites
April 17, 2019
The issue of illegal immigration (which is different from legal immigration) is not that Christians don’t want people here. Plenty of people point out that the solution to the world’s problems is not to try to shove as many people into the United States as possible.
So, while many Christians are fine with legal immigration, they find that illegal immigration breaks the law and doesn’t ultimately solve the problems the people are trying to escape from.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Well said, Yari, thanks for sharing!
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Robert Chamberlain
April 17, 2019
Who’s shoving people into the United States? Ironically, some people have fled there from wars of America’s making. No one is illegal. Of course if I wanted to move to America (although why I would want to move to an increasingly inhospitable place I don’t know) I would have to go through legal avenues. But if I was fleeing for my life or seeking religious freedom, I might not be able to safely get permission before I arrive at the border, any more than the Pilgrim Fathers got permission from the first nations of the Americas.
I hasten to add that when I did visit America, it was only the officials I found inhospitable. The people, especially Christians, tend to be hospitable, despite the rhetoric from on high in politics and the media against outsiders.
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YariGarciaWrites
April 17, 2019
There’s plenty of people attempting to cross illegally into the US via Mexico, daily. That’s widely known/reported, and any Google search will give you info on this.
And you say “no one is illegal,” but the law would say otherwise.
I hope you are now in a more “hospitable” place. The issue of illegal immigration is complex, but I wanted to point out that Christians who only support legal means are not doing so out of malice.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Interesting reply to Robert’s comments, Yari. At first, I thought most opinions were divided by we older folks and you younger ones. But I believe you and Robert are around the same age, so this should be interesting. I very much appreciate both of your insights into this very thorny and touchy issue!
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YariGarciaWrites
April 17, 2019
Thanks, I’m happy to share my point of view. I don’t think it will change Robert’s mind, but hopefully it will allow him to consider that those of us for legal immigration are not evil.
We simply value the legal system of entering the country, which is also a much safer alternative than trying to cross with coyotes or risking human trafficking. It’s a complex issue, really.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
It really is complex. For me, though I now live in Orlando, Florida, I previously lived in New Mexico and worked in El Paso, Texas … just 4 blocks from the border with Juarez, Mexico. Being so close, I could see both sides of the issue. On my many visits to Juarez, the poverty was all around, and I remember saying to myself, “If I lived here, I would sure try my best to enter the U.S. any way I could get there.” On the other hand, if we allowed everyone in without any limitations, the more than 1 million residents of Juarez would flood into our country and we would have a major crisis on our hands. There must be balance, and there must be laws. Yes, there must also be compassion, but there must be order.
I also must note that Heaven itself has borders and laws, and that not everyone can enter. Is God wrong to have rules and laws? Hmm?
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Robert, just curious, what parts of the U.S. did you visit when you were here?
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Robert Chamberlain
April 17, 2019
Tbh, probably not a very representative part: California! 😀 Still felt to have more of a Christian influence than the UK though!
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seekingdivineperspective
April 17, 2019
I don’t know if it was on this blog that I read it, but someone recently pointed out some helpful scriptures about immigration. In the Old Testament God told the Israelite nation that they were to be kind to strangers and welcome the foreigner and sojourner into their communities. But then when He gave the Law, He said that these laws also apply to “the foreigner among you.” In other words, yes, welcome them! But if they are going to live with you, they will have to abide by the same laws as everyone else. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Yes, that was my blog: https://ettingerwriting.wordpress.com/2018/10/19/what-the-bible-says-about-immigrants/
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Robert Chamberlain
April 17, 2019
Absolutely. Sharia (Islamic) law for example is fundamentally opposed to our Judeo-Christian/Greco-Roman Western legal systems.
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John Eli
April 17, 2019
As a Christian who is excited about an upcoming graduation, I must confess that if Pence were to be the designated speaker of my graduation, I’d probably opt out of attending. While I most certainly believe that we, as followers of Christ, ought to embrace truth found in the bible, I believe that we must not be selective in what we embrace. To be uncomfortable with the LGBTQ agenda and comfortable with the prideful and hateful rhetoric of the current POTUS is not a behavior that I feel comfortable supporting. There’s not a hatred towards either of them. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable supporting either of them. Honestly, I find it very difficult to support most politicians.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Thanks John. I agree with you comments about President Trump, but I have no issues whatsoever with Mr. Pence. I think he’s an upright godly man. Not advocating the LGBTQ lifestyle is not the same thing as hating it. We should be sharing the Gospel with all people equally. Thanks for your insights!
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seekingdivineperspective
April 17, 2019
People have a warped definition of “love” these days. If I wake up in the middle of the night and realized that the hotel is on fire, which is more loving – letting everyone else continue to sleep peacefully while I slip out, or disrupt their sleep, maybe get them angry with me, and then get them out of the burning building?
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
Yep, I absolutely agree.
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Raina Nightingale
April 17, 2019
Whatever the reason of the students for protesting Mike Pence is, even if their reason IS wrong, it is definitely wrong for the Church to associate itself with politicians, political parties, political agendas, and so forth. The government is not the Christian’s friend. Whichever political party’s policies may be “better,” it IS true that no Administration’s policies have truly been consistent with Christian Charity and Love, and they should not be called such.
When American Christians associate themselves with the United States government, they make other people in other countries (notably, but not exclusively, Middle Eastern countries) hate Christians, not for their witness to the Crucified God, but for their association with crimes (whether real or perceived) of the United States.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
You make some good points, but others are rather generalized. I appreciate the input.
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Dee@Sealed in Christ
April 17, 2019
The church (including many ‘Christian’ institutions) at large today is a disgrace. It has become an asset focused enterprise, much like the money changers of Jesus’ day, so it comes as no surprise that most have acquiesced to the world’s values.
“I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some” has become: ‘I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means please everyone, grow my church, and be admired by all’. Except Jesus, of course.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
I agree! Amen!
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mrsmariposa2014
April 17, 2019
We read of this in the news and felt a similar dismay at yet another instance of the outright dismissal of God’s Word. What began insidiously is becoming more and more the common place, sadly. The itchy ears syndrome we read of in 2nd Timothy is very evident today! But, as my Elijah(who has become quite the Biblical scholar in the last couple of years) would say, it’s just further proof of prophecies coming to be and a reminder we are coming closer to Christ’s return. May we find strength to stand firm in Him all the while. Thanks for continuing to share His truth with us.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
As usual, you are spot-on, Marisa. All I can say is “Amen!”
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Lisa Beth
April 17, 2019
Very depressing forecast of upcoming ‘Christians’. This serves as a bold barometer of where we are on prophecy. Things will spiral downward and fast.
One of my fav pastors would raise his Bible and plead, “Get into this book and get this book into you!”
In these end times, we must know & stand on His word. God bless you brother.
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dettinger47
April 17, 2019
So true, Lisa Beth. Amen@
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lynnabbott
April 18, 2019
It is a scary trend indeed! Praying so for our nation and for Christ’s body!! Excellent yet sobering post, David!
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dettinger47
April 18, 2019
Thank you, Lynn.
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Bill Sweeney
April 19, 2019
Excellent post, David. It took me so long to get to leave a comment because I read all the other comments. Excellent feedback, too.
I’ve heard similar stories about other “Christian” colleges. So sad. I pray for another Great Awakening. I know that one of the deceptions of these last days is going to be over the issue of homosexuality – it is sin, anyone that says otherwise is deceived. As followers of Christ, we are in the business of convincing people to turn away from hell, not loving them into hell.
One of the comments suggested that Christian colleges not invite politicians to speak. I agree with this because they will be choosing one side or the other by doing so. That said, I like Mike Pence and think he’s a good man.
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dettinger47
April 19, 2019
Great insights, Bill. I agree top to bottom!
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My Way Home Life
April 19, 2019
Wow, I had not heard about this story. My goal with my kids has always been to teach them to compare philosophies and world views with Scripture, no matter what may be the current or trendy way of thinking. Such a shame that those college students are so deceived!
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dettinger47
April 20, 2019
So true!
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