professor—a man who esteems himself as an enlightened
Unfortunately, my experience has taught me that the
intellectual—encouraged students to mock creationism.
ways schools manipulate students to meet their financial
However, when I revealed to both him and my classmates
goals and the ideological biases of many professors are
that I was, in fact, a creationist and presented a list of 400
probably the least worrisome aspects of America’s collegiate
respected scientists who espouse Intelligent Design Theory,
system. Author J. Budziszewski points out, “Modern institu-
he ignored me and refused to engage in discussion. A more
tions of higher learning have changed dramatically in the
aggressive expression of ideological bias occurred when my
last half-century, and from the moment students set foot
Native American Literature professor incessantly mocked
on the contemporary campus, their Christian convictions
Christianity for every maltreatment suffered by the Native
and disciplines are assaulted.” 2 Sadly, this quote perfectly
American communities. When I asked him to explain
describes my time in graduate school. Although I’m fairly
himself, he first refused to answer my question and then
well-read in Christian apologetics and cultural criticism,
yelled at me, accusing me of wanting special treatment. The
my firsthand experiences revealed the surprising extent
saga continued during the
of higher education’s moral
following semester when my
degradation about which I had
Appalachian Literature profes-
been pathetically disengaged.
sor exclusively assigned radical
After all, it is one thing to read
feminist novels that portrayed
about something in a book,
“We need to diligently train young
men as abusive, uninformed
but it’s completely different to
people so they can detect error and
jerks. In general, although
actually experience it.
courageously
impact
culture.”
my cohort contains other
When I see groups touring
professing Christians, I’m the
my campus, I want them to
only one who challenges my
know that many of the profes-
professors’ ideological biases.
sors I’ve met encourage much
However, in this last case, even
of the behavior that parents
the less conservative students
fear. For example, I can point
started to catch on to her pattern; one student realized that
to the drag show that the school hosts each year to celebrate
the professor wanted to “redefine the canon.” His astute
diversity month, how nearly all my professors use profane
observation is one that can be applied not only to one
language in class, the rampant promotion of LGBTQ sexual-
professor but also to college faculty in general.
ity, and the numerous faculty members who promote drug
Rather than promoting the long-held tradition of free
legalization. Last year, for instance, when a graphic pro-life
intellectual inquiry or exposing their students to the best
demonstration came to campus and exhibited photographs
academia offers, leftist professors actually want to persuade
of mutilated aborted babies, a large contingent of professors
students to embrace their pet beliefs. The linguistics profes-
protested by handing out flyers that mocked the exhibition.
sor whom I mentioned earlier actually said that he had “a
As usual, though, no faculty could be found to represent the
missionary purpose” to persuade students to his opinion!
issue’s conservative side. When a professor led an in-class
During my time in graduate school, I have yet to meet a
discussion questioning the pro-life position, I pointed
professor who championed a conservative cause, but I have
out that, as a person born to an alcoholic and a homeless
met many who think Hillary Clinton is Christ incarnate,
prostitute in 1975 (two years after Roe v. Wade), Planned
that guns are inherently evil, and that abortion on demand
Parenthood would have most certainly advised my mother
is a righteous cause. When I see groups of hopeful parents
to abort me. Did my narrative receive any credence from the
touring my college campus, I want them to know that these
faculty? Of course not. They are too devoted to ideology to
are the people who will inform their child’s opinions for the
consider the opposing opinion.
next four years. These young people will repeatedly hear
Given the reality that the college’s authority figures offer
liberal ideologies promoted by the most educated people
little in the way of moral authority, is it any wonder that
they know, and I doubt that many of these students are
students feel little compunction to uphold any ethical stan-
prepared for such a challenge.
dards? The sad truth is that the school is overrun with nearly
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