The Cedarville Situation - A Different Viewpoint
Cedarville U is just a little over an hour down the road. I've been watching and listening to the bombast of some of the participants, and to the Administration trying to respond and calm things down. It seems to be an issue that is dying a very slow death, and is hurting some good people, on both sides, I think.
I myself originally posted a rather bombastic position. After further reflection, I withdrew my post and I'm glad I did. It was not helpful and did not speak to the core of the situation anyway. I do have some observations to make about the situation, and I believe that they are helpful and can contribute to a proper perspective.
First, let's get to truth-in-advertising, as they say. I do have a pony in this race. Two of my kids have completed four years at Cedarville. My youngest daughter has completed her freshman year there. She probably won't return, but that decision has nothing to do with the Truth and Certainty debate (it's a financial decision - CU is priced for people who live in a different zip-code than I do - she can no longer afford it so we are looking to the competition).
I do believe that Cedarville has some problems in their position. I do not believe that they are heretical. I would not, at this point, withdraw my kids for doctrinal reasons although I would keep a close eye on the situation.
The problems that I do perceive seem to be a result of allowing the Philosophy department rather than the Bible department define the nature of Truth (more on that in my next post), and how Truth is acquired. This is a huge failure for a school that desires to be biblical. It opens the door for all sorts of mischief. The school can coast by virtue of inertia for some years and remain largely within orthodoxy, but unless the situation is straightened out the trajectory is not good.
The Bible department should have been all over this. And by the way, the main problem is not Certainty, but CU's definition of Truth. It has a fundamental flaw. The Certainty issue is a much more minor corollary that arises from staking out a philosophical, rather than a biblical, position.
More on that in my next post (which will occur hopefully sometime before 2013 - stay tuned, but don't hold your breath). . .
