**Student Government Calls for Cureton's Removal**

Link to statement from Student Senate:

http://friendsofnwc.com/studentresponse.html

The students who are now calling for Cureton's removal have done careful, careful research--they have talked to the Board of Trustees, faculty, ex-trustees, and Dr. Cureton multiple times. It is very telling that an amazing majority of senators approved such a strongly-worded letter!

Perpetual Dying of the Spiritually Dead

While leading me to salvation at the age of four, my wonderful mama provided me with a good understanding of such doctrines as man's innate sin nature and the requisite result of eternal seperation from God. Even as a little girl, I understood that if my unsaved family and friends died in unbelief, God's judgment of their sin would condemn them to this ultimate torment...I can remember moments of desperation when I pleaded (in tears even) for the salvation of family or friends. In my dad's case, this was especially harrowing--the concept of his eternal seperation from God even permeated my sleep in the terrible, reoccuring nightmares.

About four years ago, however, I realized anew the concepts of the "eternal soul" and "eternal condemnation". Instead of understanding eternal death/seperation from God as something that happened after physical death, I came to comprehend it as something that was happening every millisecond of an unbeliever's life...and that perspective has altered the way I view life...

Walking home from the library, I was watching people go about their city lives when these terrible images and realization swept over me. I saw these strangers dying. I could see this strange, frightening, unstoppable death, happening second by agonizing second before my eyes! It was almost unbearable to witness this massive, horrible, slow decay of human souls! The images and realization were so vivid...

It shook me. I literally felt physically ill. I couldn't dismiss (and I can't forget) the images of this state of perpetual dying--in a sense, I could almost smell its "stench". And that broke my heart.

I still have moments when I'm watching people riding the bus with me, children at the playground, the teller at the bank, the couple laughing together over dinner at my favourite coffee shop...And I see those images. I see them playing, teasing, laughing, or crying in complete ignorance of their own souls' horrific, continuing decay. When I see that, my heart just screams and I want nothing more than to reveal that eternal state to them and offer them Hope...

All this to say, (I remind myself too, just by posting this) remember that every unbelieving person you see is dying, dead, decaying...their souls are eternal and so is their punishment if they don't accept Christ. Images like that are a call to active witness!

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."--2 Timothy 4:5

NWC Truth Website--CHECK IT OUT!

Hello, all--

Following Board's non-response (and failure to even reference his letter/my Statement), Dallas Jenkins has made his new Memo and various other pertintent documents available online!

Please check out the website. The username is "northwestern" and the password is "truth"!

http://nwctruth.com/

PLEASE READ!

Today the Board of Trustees emailed a memo to the student body of Northwestern College. This memo is deemed a "response" to the memo written by Dallas Jenkins and the Statement (with its 275+ student signatures!).


Quite frankly, the Board's memo constitutes a farcical slander of the word "response".


I realize this is strong language--which I hate to use and strive to avoid--but in this case, I believe those words are justified. If you have read the documents and/or spoken with concerned professors, alumni, or students, it becomes apparent that this memo displays blatant and offensive disregard for all the concern, commitment, prayer, and carefully considered actions of numerous faculty, alumni, and students.

There is not even a basic, courteous acknowledgement of Dallas' memo, the petition Statement, or anything else faculty/alumni/students have done. The Board's memo is an insufficent and redundant reiteration of blanket 'Christianese' statements and unfounded presidential support. Extraordinarily serious concerns have been raised by the college's most influential, respected, long-standing, committed faculty and alumni (and recently students and the Christian community at large)--why do these concerns continue to be blatantly disregarded? I once again plead with you--read the latest memo from Dallas Jenkins and then read the Board "response". Ponder the weight of the issues and in light of that, consider the Board memo...

I am so heartbroken as I watch this unfold before my eyes. It is inexpressibly sad for the future of Northwestern, (the college I love!), and for the good of students now and in the future. My prayers will only grow more fervent.

It breaks my heart.

Dallas' memo: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhr789gs_11dcfrnwhn
Board memo: http://nwc.nwc.edu/display/6988

I URGE you to Read the Following!!!

I know most of you are aware that I have been very closely following---and recently very closely involved---with the administrative situation at Northwestern College. Over the past month or so, I've been waiting for permission to release to you an important and informative document. The moment has arrived...

Dallas Jenkins (alumnus of the 90s and movie producer...he's a great guy!) sent a new memo to the Board of Trustees--on the same day that my Statement and signatures were delivered to the Board. The memo explains as concisely as possible the questions/issues on the minds of concerned faculty, ex-administrators, alumni, and students.

I would strongly, strongly encourage you to read the memo (talk to me, look to my "Truth Wars" post below, or read my Statement to find out why I believe the issues are so significant)!!! Feel more than free to post any questions too!!!

In prayer,
PRO VERITAS CONTRA MUNDUM

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhr789gs_11dcfrnwhn

Entertainment Choices...

Please read the following with a truly open mind, really contemplating it.

I don't and never have watched the "bad parts" in movies, or movies that I know to be "bad", but my mind has been prodded by few nagging questions about even my conservative/mild entertainment that I cannot brush aside...

Why do I make each individual entertainment choice (whether a movie, song, play, book, tv show, etc)?
If my entertainment choice contains language, violence, or sexuality (and obviously the inevitable elements of nonBiblical worldview)...how do I justify that material, and is that justification aligned to Scripture and a heart that glorifies God? How should I treat such an entertainment choice?

...as I've searched for answers, my thought process went something like this...
Why do we choose the entertainment we do (for example, movies like the Bourne Trilogy or How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days)? Because they have great high speed chases, physical combat scenes, "snazzy" music and filming, cute/funny romance, and "good-looking" stars. What negative elements do these movies contain? Language (including expletive use of "Jesus" and/or "Christ"), sexuality, alcohol abuse, and violence.

So how do people justify that material? I think if people are honest with themselves (and I've actually heard this stated), they enjoy watching the "cool" action moves and interesting ways of incapacitating and killing the bad guys--especially when they're watching a talented, handsome actor and the quality of the film is good. Besides, the violence and constant killings are part of the magnificent fight for Good and Freedom and Justice! Maybe people fast-forward through the sexuality (though "ooo-ing" at the kiss!) and laugh at the humour of innuendos or slightly inappropriate jokes. And it's always wonderful to see two adorable people treating each other adorably and having adorable romantic moments. When people hear swearing or Christ's name abused, they remind themselves that it's wrong and overlook it because they know this. But are these justifications Scriptural and to God's glory? Here's where I ran into some problems. I just can't reconcile these little justifications with verses like:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report...meditate on these things." (Phillipians 4:8)

So then the question is whether our entertainment choices are:
--"True" (ultimately Truth is God, but it also what is revealed through His Word)...I think it is fairly obvious that God through His Word abhors adultery, abusing Christ's name, alcohol abuse, and the enjoyment of or excessiveness of violence! But I think we should also question whether our attitude toward these things is conducive to upholding Truth and directing our minds toward it...Is it beneficial to subsist on a diet of overlooking things that God HATES? Shouldn't we feed off these kinds of entertainment at a MINIMUM, not "as much as we can without being affected"? Shouldn't we be striving to focus our minds and lives more on God and His Truth, rather than allowing ourselves to be exposed to falsity (no matter how much we remind ourselves of its falseness)???
--"Noble" (Greek word meaning "worthy of respect and awe" in a spiritual sense)--This overlaps with some of the other words, including True. When you realize that we have been commanded to meditate on what is worthy of spiritual respect and awe, I don't see how anything that goes against God's Word can qualify. Would you tell someone (especially an unbeliever you're witnessing to) that you think licensciousness, profanity, and entertaining/excessive killing are noble, respectable, and awesome? I think not. Then why do we tell our friends that we love movies like the Bourne Trilogy or The Devil Wears Prada?
--"Just" (means what is rightly in harmony with God's standards)--Walking rightly in harmony with God's standards, upholding and promoting His standards, does not seem synonymous with overlooking constant sin, promotion of antiBiblical worldviews, etc.
--"Pure" (morally undefiled)--Well. I think we've covered this one. I'll just take this chance to challenge you with what challenged me! Scripture fairly clearly calls us to glorify God, follow His commands, be a witness to the World, and strive to be more like Him ("Whoever says he abides in Him ought also to walk as He walked." 1 John 2:6). Even if you aren't affected by the a- or im- morality in entertainment (an excuse I would dispute!), when you partake of this entertainment are you truly doing your utmost to glorify God and purify your mind? What do "undefiled" and "pure" truly mean, whether we are comfortable/happy with that definition or not?
--"Lovely" (Greek means "amiable", but the implication is graciousness/kindness)--Again, it would seem fairly obvious that marvelling over/enjoying/respecting/etc killing or immorality isn't lovely, gracious, or kind! But it shouldn't be just the "big stuff" like murders or sex scenes that we view as unlovely...it's crucial that we realize the little things are more impactful, more pervasive, and often harder recognize or keep from affecting us. Are the ways a movie romance unfolds (and the reasons for the romance) REALLY glorifying and pleasing to God? Is a violent and destructive action sequence REALLY glorifying and pleasing to God? In the vast and overwhelming majority, no.
--"Of good report" (highly regarded)--I think we'd all agree that it is God's regard that is really of utmost import to Christians. I ask you to challenge yourself the way I have been challenging myself. Really think through every aspect of an entertainment choice you have made and ask the question, "Does God highly regard this?" (The answer, like medicine, is hard to take but it's been very good for me already!) But even on a human level, can you say without exception that you "highly regard" the entertainment choice? Would you say that to an unbeliever?

I'm sure you are, by this time, thinking I'm an overzealous girl who has gone off the radically conservative deep end. I need to relax, be realistic, not be so judgmental, lighten up--and I understand, I've thought the same about others (those Amish! Bill Gothard!). But remember this: The questions I've been pondering and Bible passages I've read left me unsettled, convicted me, and confirmed my convictions--even though I do NOT exactly ''like" those convictions and I have tried my best to brush some of them aside. But in the end (provided you aren't going to judge others based on your own convictions or get "all legalistic"!), isn't it better to push yourself "unnecessarily far" toward the side of purity and righteousness?

Any thoughts, agreements, refutations?

Why I Chose the Title "Pro Veritas, Contra Mundum"

Since my first post a couple days ago, the (few) people who have read my (terrible) blog have inevitably asked, "What does that crazy long title mean, anyways?" What follows is a brief attempt to explain...although it has been a many-years process...

A mere six years after the Roman emperor Constantine declared (in 313 AD) Christianity to be an official religion of the Roman Empire, a terrible heresy attacked the Church. A man named Arius of Alexandria began teaching that Christ was not an eternal deity or the Son of God. A just-ordained deacon named Athanasius responded to this attack with statements of the Truth--Christ's equality, eternity, sonship, and oneness with God.

As Arius wrote letters explaining his beliefs to bishops around the world, however, the debate over Arianism continued to grow. Finally, in 325 AD, Emperor Constantine called for a council at Nicea to address and resolve the issues. At this Nicean Council, Athanasius became the voice of Truth, the leader of Arius' opposition. After lengthy discussion the Council created and officially agreed upon the Nicean Creed, which centered around the Greek word "homo-ousios" (of the same substance, nature, or essence) and declared Christ's co-equality, co-eternity, and sonship.
Yet as time progressed, the Arian heresy infiltrated and permeated the Church. Seeking unity and unwilling to stand for Truth, bishops and leaders compromised the Nicean Creed in acceptance of Arianism.

However, Athanasius refused to participate in these allowances--yet as Arianism became almost wholly accepted, he continued fighting for the black-and-white Truth he believed. He fought desperately against magistrates and emperors (five emperors even banished him!) and faced incredible opposition from fellow Christians, including bishops and theologians. At one point, an aquaintance asked Athanasius if he realized that he was fighting against the ideology of an entire world. Athanasius responded in Latin:

"Athanasius contra mundum"..."Then it is Athanasius against the World".

And that is where I draw some inspiration for my blog title. Like Athanasius and countless Christian brothers and sisters throughout history (think William Wilberforce, Martin Luther, etc), I desire to seek, stand, and fight!

"For Truth, even against the World".