What do you think would happen to a college professor who mocked a student for being gay and gave him a book to read that ridiculed homosexuality -- all of which led the student to commit suicide?
Can you picture the same scenario with a Muslim student being mocked and given anti-Islamic literature shortly before he took his own life? Would this professor be fired? Would there be outrage in the media? Would the public rise up against this state-supported school and demand accountability? Would there be organized protests against a professor misusing his position of authority?
Well, something like this did happen, but the student was not a homosexual or Muslim. He was a Christian. And barely a peep has been said about this tragic incident.
Jesse Kilgore, a solid Christian and military veteran, was taking a biology class at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, NY. As a result of Jesse speaking up in class, his professor challenged him to read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (yes, the same Richard Dawkins who looked so foolish in Ben Stein's recent movie, Expelled). As a result of reading the book and his science classes, Kilgore lost his faith and began to doubt the existence of God. This led to such depression and hopelessness that he took his life a few weeks ago.
Again, there has been no accountability on the part of the professor. The school has not issued a statement nor begun an investigation. The mainstream media has been silent. You can read more about it here .
This is a dramatic example of how professors are attacking and undermining the faith of Christian students who attend our public colleges. And while most students don't kill themselves, many tens of thousands are losing their faith at the hands of atheistic college professors. A suicide is so visible and tragic. Losing your soul and going to hell is not nearly as visible even though it is far more tragic. And this is happening times without number every single day in our nation's institutes of higher learning.
Students: Beware of what you are learning. Guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. You may be right and have the truth on your side, but you could still be easy fodder for a wiley, old, atheistic professor who has spent years forming his arguments against the Christian faith. Evidently, Jesse Kilgore was a solid Christian who didn't know what to do when confronted with information against Christianity that he couldn't answer. Let's not piously judge him as being weak in faith. Let's understand that anyone can be vulnerable and become deceived by the enemy of our souls. Therefore, be careful what you listen to and who you listen to lest you, too, get devoured by the evil one and his deceitful lies.
Parents: Beware of sending your kids to the university. Equip them. Prepare them. Continue to talk with them. Insist that they be involved in Christian fellowship. Consider whether or not they can handle the warfare of today's public university enviornment and, if not, seek out alternate means of preparing them to make a living. Don't sacrifice your kids eternal destiny on the alter of "a good education."
Everyone: While we don't want to cultivate a "victim mentality," at the same time, we should not be silent when we see our faith wrongly attacked in our universities. Most Christian professors I know are very respectful of other views and are careful not to promote their faith in the classroom. But it seems like a good number of atheistic professors have no hesitation about attacking the Christian faith while teaching in their classroom. This is not right and those of us who see the wrongness of this should speak up whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Note on The Good Delusion: I was given a copy of this book (I wouldn't want topurchase it myself and give Dawkins my money) and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in it. I expected better from a man of his stature and education, but found his arguments to be no better than what I am confronted with each day by the undergraduate students on campus. However, I will say that The God Delusion is a vicious book extemely hateful toward Christians. It misses no opportunity to exagerate or misrepresent our position. It highlights the most extreme examples of rare and bizarre Christian behavior. It ridicules us without mercy. Evidently, it has inspired some people to commit hate crimes against Christians and churches. I felt most of his arguments were disinguinuous and showed no interest in searching for the truth or providing honest criticisms of our faith. On a scale of one to five, I give it one star.
