Give me that old-time religion,
Give me that old-time religion,
Give me that old-time religion,
It’s good enough for me.
Over the last few weeks, a scathing and wide-ranging indictment of the American Academy has been issued. These familiar lyrics resound truer and truer. Dartmouth’s president offered a harsh chiding to his own university for the rampant sexual and psychological abuse festering on his school’s campus. New York Times columnist, David Brooks, wrote on new research that American college students are more consumed by money and with themselves and less concerned about finding meaning in their lives. President Obama named 55 universities under watch for their mishandling of sexual abuses on their campuses. The unfolding story looks increasingly grim.
Harvard University (photo source: Wikipedia)
Over at Onfaith, I wrote an op-ed on these issues, lauding the silent hero in this whole ordeal—evangelical universities—and encouraged secular and public universities to consider a more welcoming posture toward religious groups on their campuses. And, I’d argue our government should spend less of its time forcing Christian colleges to violate their religious consciences. An epidemic plagues our most prestigious universities and I hope our leaders would explore every potential solution. If you haven’t followed the news, it ain’t pretty.
It reads like a horror film script: 24 violent sexual attacks in 12 months. Teen boys forced to swim in fecal matter and to eat omelets stuffed with vomit. Powerbrokers turning a blind eye. Sadly, these atrocities aren’t acted out on a silver screen. This is today’s normal at Dartmouth and many of our country’s most esteemed universities… Sexual violence is not a Dartmouth problem. This is an American university problem. (Full essay)
These stories are not to be read on empty stomachs. In short, there is perhaps no more dangerous place for a American female teenager than on campus at some of our country’s most-esteemed universities. The surge in sexual abuse, specifically, has been ushered in by the seemingly harmless “hookup culture” trumpeted nearly everywhere students look. Films from Animal House to Old School celebrate debauchery among students. The soundtrack to ethical agnosticism would most-certainly be headlined by Robin Thicke. Cycling through college parties last year was his “Blurred Lines,” the second-most popular song of 2013. Women’s rights and sexual assault advocacy groups have labeled Thicke’s hit single “rapey,” but, hey, it’s got a great beat! The real story—one that showcased the systematic abuse and heartache birthed from a boundary-less sexual culture—probably wouldn’t be fodder for box office or Billboard success.
I know I’m at the risk of reading like the quintessential fuddy-duddy. And, that’s perhaps warranted. But, desperate times call for old-time solutions. I know many of the remarkable leaders at the helm of evangelical universities, such as my alma mater. They lead in truly countercultural ways. And their silent heroism should be outed. With 20-25% of women leaving college with the wounds of violent sexual crimes, I’ll harken my inner prude without apology.