Last week my Alma Mater caused a stir. Officially, the administration has responded gracefully and by the book. But behind the specter of homosexuality lies a deeper set of problems that have led to this most recent explosion.
A Harding professor once told our class a story about the school’s strict “NO DANCING” policy. A couple decided to get married over a break. With a deep desire to honor their commitment to the school, they asked the administration’s permission to dance at their reception. The request was denied.
So apparently, once you’re married, it’s okay to have sex, as long as you don’t dance.
I believe there is a mixed up sexual culture at Harding University. In making these statements, I am only sharing my own reflections based on four years of participation. Harding is where I met my dearest friends and learned much of what I practice today as a Christ-follower. It is because of my gratitude for the good things that I write this, hoping the school can continue to contribute to the mission of God.
The HU Queer Press is a result of a dysfunctional system which fails to address the reality of mankind’s broken sinful nature, and Jesus’s command to make disciples. The following is a short list of elements which contribute to the problem.
1. Southern Hospitality. When I moved from Denver, Colorado to Searcy, Arkansas I learned that the phrase “Bless Your Heart” actually means something much more sinister. Buried deep within the Bible Belt, Harding has bought into a culture where no one truly speaks their mind and everyone pretends to be okay.
2. Endless Pressure Toward Marriage. For many people, you go to Harding to get married. This is normal. You’ve got a bunch of teenagers in a rural town with nothing to do. It’s a green house. But there’s also the constant stories from staff about how they met at Harding and special couples Bible Classes. There’s the the campus swings (three swings and a ring!) and the ring ceremonies (ring by spring!), club functions (fifty minor dates!), etc. It’s an obsession.
3. An Underground Sexual Culture. Now the air has been cleared about the underground homosexual culture. But there is also an underground heterosexually dysfunctional culture. The combination of the pressure to get married with the guilt associated with premarital sex creates an entire culture whose purpose was to push virginity to it’s limits. Everybody participated in a little NCL, but who knows how many jumped into marriage out of sexual guilt? Would it be going to far ask how many abortions took place to maintain the air of chastity?
4. “Church of Christ” Style Exclusivism and Legalism. Some Churches of Christ are notorious for their lack of grace on certain “key issues” and an unofficial belief that everyone who disagrees is going to hell. The problem is, this means that if someone ever has any doubts or feelings of guilt, they have nowhere to address those realities.
These combined ingredients create a ticking time bomb. The pressure toward marriage inadvertently creates a sinful backlash. The legalism leaves no room for discussion. The southern hospitality makes you pretend that everything’s okay.
The end result is a bunch of kids who end up living more sinful lives, feeling guilty about it and not knowing where to discuss it. Harding has chosen to block the website, and Dr. Burks made a good case for why. But the question remains, how can Harding deal with the real problems?
Tomorrow, I’ll share my thoughts on how Harding could address these dysfunctions and focus on the mission of God.
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