Campus CrossWalk Magazine: 2004 Summer Issue -- Trends: News You Can Use

Ronald Reagan has a “Restoration Movement” background and was baptized in a Disciples of Christ congregation in Illinois at age eleven after confessing his faith. He also taught Sunday School there. For more information and Reagan’s religious background consult God and Ronald Reagan, by Paul Kengor, published by Regan-Harper Collins Books, 2004.
Former Church of Christ campus minister in Missouri, Dr. John Jones, Pepperdine Communication Division Professor, has written extensively on Ronald Reagan for many years and was interviewed after Reagan’s death by a CBS television affiliate in Los Angeles and other local stations. Jones is also involved in researching the “Restoration Movement” and its influence on 40^th president’s life.
Purdue University finally granted “victory for religious freedom” to a Christian woman’s housing group seeking (for six months) to become a new campus organization. Purdue’s “nondiscrimination” statement required that student groups not discriminate on the basis of a long list of characteristics, including religious belief, when selecting members. The Stewart Housing Christian Cooperative Group got legal help from FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) and eventually got Purdue President, Martin Jischke’s, assurance that “the Stewart Cooperative and other religious groups would be exempted” and allowed organizational status on campus. (http://www.thefire.org", 5/24/04)
Private contributions to colleges and universities were down in the 2003 fiscal year, for the second consecutive year according to the Council for Aid to Education. “Estimated private contributions to higher education totaled $23.9-billion, down from $24.2-billion in June 2001.” (Spectra, 5/04)
Any public criticism of homosexuality in Canada is now a crime. Canadians made free speech a crime as the parliament passed Bill C-250 in April, 2004. Known as the “chill bill,” the law makes it illegal to advocate traditional Christian opposition to homosexual sex. In Sweden, sermons are explicitly covered by an anti-hate speech law passed to protect homosexuals. A Pentecostal minister in Sweden is facing charges for using Scripture references that state homosexuality is a sin. (The Family Research Council, "http://www.frc.org", 4/29/04)
The House of Representatives recently passed the “Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act” which increases fines tenfold—from $27,500 per indecent incident to $275,000 per incident.” (Family Research Council, "http://www.frc.org", 5/04)
Anyone who doubts where Ronald Reagan stood on abortion should read his own words in Presidential Proclamation, 1/14/88: “I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United State, do hereby proclaim and declare the unalienable personhood of every American, from the moment of conception until natural death, and I do proclaim, ordain, and declare that I will take care that the Constitution and laws of the United States are faithfully executed for the protection of America’s unborn children.” Note: Gary Bauer (former Reagan staff member and presidential candidate) reported that Ronald Reagan, while president, wrote a 100 page paper supporting the pro-life issue and opposing abortion. (Fox News, 6/7/04, interview by Bill O’Reilly)
Baylor University’s school paper, the Lariat, backs homosexual marriages. The Baptist school paper’s editorial board by a 5-2 vote approved a major article saying it was “no big deal.” Baylor president, Robert Sloan, Jr., thinks the editorial board may have violated university policy. School spokesman, Larry Brumly says “the paper’s views do not represent the vast majority of the school’s 14,000 students and 100,000 alumni, not to mention its administration, faculty, staff and board of regents.” (crosswalk.com, "http://www.crosswalk.com/news" , 5/4/04). Note: A Los Angeles Times editorial thesis (5/24/04) was titled; “With gay marriage on a roll, it’s time to move on to another battle.” Was the editorial writer (Max Boot) correct? For support in defending marriage between a man and woman, check Dr. James Dobson’s seven page defense ("http://www.family.org"). He stated, “Barring a miracle, the family as it has been known for more than five millennia will crumble, presaging the fall of Western Civilization itself. This is a time for concerted prayer, divine wisdom and greater courage than we have ever been called upon to exercise.”
The more often you attend church, the more likely it is that you vote Republican according to the Voter News Service 2000 survey. In 2000, the “14% of voters who attended religious services more than once a week voted for George W. Bush over Al Gore by 63% to 36%. Meanwhile, the 14% who never went to services supported Gore over Bush by an equally commanding margin, 61% to 32%.” (Los Angeles Times, May 19, 2004)
15% of young adults nationwide are “disconnected” according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation study. These disconnected 18 to 24 year olds “lack the necessary skills to become successful adults.” This percentage is on the rise and “3.8 million young adults nationwide are now described as disconnected and pose future problems for society as they attempt to adjust in times where a good education and job skills can make all the difference between success and failure.” (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/5/04)
Bill Cosby had some controversial challenges for black parents at the 50^th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. A “fifty percent black dropout rate” in schools nation-wide constitutes solid ground for serious concern. Cosby also expressed concern for the high prison rates among black males. When they are in court or jail they ask, “Jesus, please save my son.” Cosby asked, “where were the parents when he was 2 years old, when he was 12 years old, 18 years old?” (Orange County Register, 5/28/04)
“Ivory Towers Too Liberal: Conservatives Decry ‘Tenured Leftists’ at American Universities,” was the five column heading by the New York Times News Service recently. The article discussed a 2003 survey by the Center for the Study of Popular Culture regarding the opinions of professors in the humanities and social sciences at 32 top American universities. It concluded “that Democratic views vastly outnumbered Republican ones” at each university.” Harvey Mansfield, a well-known Harvard professor stated that at Harvard “we have 60 members in the department of government and maybe three are Republicans.” Some student groups (like studentsforacademicfreedom.org) work with people like David Horowitz and are trying to get college administrations to say on record “we embrace intellectual diversity.” (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/2/04)

Rick Rowland D.Min. is the current President of Campus CrossWalk and is a professor in the Communication Division at Pepperdine University. He also directs the public speaking program. Rick is the External Campus Ministry/Young Adult leader for the Murrieta, Church of Christ serving students at Mt. San Jacinto and Palomar Colleges in California.