George Bush - Bob Jones and the Real Missed Opportunity

Inter=Action

Recently the Dallas Morning News printed an article centering upon George W Bush and his visit to Bob Jones University. This is old news by now. Most Americans know the story. Mr. Bush was invited to speak at Bob Jones University (BJU). Bob Jones University is an independent evangelical university with a diverse student population. Bob Jones University is known in Christian circles as conservative and fundamentalist/separtistic. Mr. Bush took a lot of heat for speaking at Bob Jones. As it turned out, Mr. Bush learned that BJU had a policy [now rescinded] against interracial dating. BJU also had some strong wording against the Roman Catholic religion. Mr. Bush was publicly criticized by his political opponents for his failure to "speak out" against the perceived racism and bigotry of BJU.

In hopes of mending his fences and escaping the charge of bigotry and racism, Mr. Bush wrote a letter to Cardinal John O'Connor [now deceased) apologizing for missing an opportunity to speak out against racism and bigotry. In Mr. Bush's words:

"On reflection, I should have been more clear in disas sociating myself from anti Catholic sentiment and racial prejudice." Dallas Morning News

We wish to interact with Mr. Bush on his public apology and some other things he has said with regard to the Roman Catholic religion. However, we need to have a word about Bob Jones University.

It seems to us that every Christian leader in America needs to sit down and take stock of what is happening around us and begin to challenge one another on the issue of biblical accountability. We do not know why BJU had in place for many years a policy strictly forbidding inter-racial dating. What possible biblical justification could there be for that? Where does the Bible forbid inter-racial dating? Where does the Bible forbid inter-racial marriage? Some would argue that this is a matter of individual freedom and is an issue of conscience. This may be true. It may be that some cannot see their way clear to foster an open environment of inter-racial intimacy. It may be that BJU has the right to set rules for its students and appropriate dress codes and living conditions on campus. Such things may be the prerogative of private enterprise. But let's face it. The world is watching Christians with the same interest as a lion watches zebras. One false move and there is one less zebra! So, BJU got caught by the world. There is no justification for having such a policy. The world saw this and gave BJU a big fat "F" on its report card. That "F" stands for fraud in the eyes of the world. This is bad enough but the real bad news follows. For now let us plead with each and every Christian association and organization from F.C.A. to C.C.C. to evaluate their biblical hermeneutic and bring their policies and procedures in line with the Bible. We are blushing because we did not, as brothers and sisters in Christ, call upon BJU to rid itself of this baggage before it led to something worse. Sure enough, the something worse has happened and now it is too late.

The world not only sensed that BJU was prejudiced racially [and they were right!] but that BJU was also a bigoted and intolerant place as well [they were wrong]. Predictably, the world lumped racial discrimination in with religious discernment and called them both evil. Bob Jones University got caught practicing a highly suspect principle and could not hope to explain that their view of the Roman Catholic religion was not equally as pernicious. Campus racial policies that had no biblical moorings helped to turn proper biblical discernment into bigotry in the eyes of the world. BJU has no one to blame but themselves. But we as Christians feel their pain. Is this not a lesson to be very careful in our declarations and decrees? Is this not a wake up call for Christians to make sure of our stands on everything? Is this not a warning to those in public Christian enterprises to dot I's and cross T's in the proclamation of the Gospel? If Bob Jones University had only been charged with anti-Catholicism everything would have been different. This would have been a platform to preach the Word. But the charges of racism had a ring of truth and they were mixed together with a perceived religious bigotry and intolerance. The world could not hear BJU on Roman Catholicism. It only saw evil. Maybe they would not have heard BJU on Roman Catholicism anyway. But the appearance of racial prejudice stuffed the noses and ears of an already hostile world.

Now back to Mr. Bush. We are deeply troubled by Mr. Bush's letter of apology to the late John O'Conner. We are so for two reasons. In the first place, Mr. Bush has given credence to a dangerous and ominous change in the way Americans understand the word "bigot." Webster defines a "bigot" as someone who holds blindly and intolerantly to a particular opinion. However, that this term "bigot" has now been expanded to include all those who disagree with you. It is a slanderous term which should be reserved for hate groups who exist for prejudice and narrow mindedness. However, Mr. Bush has failed to understand that an honest, intelligent, articulate and sincere appraisal of the Roman Catholic religion in the light of biblical Christianity does not qualify as bigotry. He has missed the "real opportunity" to shed light on the real prejudice [racism] and safeguard the cogent defense of the Gospel against the charge of bigotry. He could have done both. Instead he let stand the world's assessment that Bob Jones University was not only racially prejudice but also religiously prejudice.

Secondly, we grieve with the rest of Christianity over the lamentable state of professing evangelicals when it comes to understanding the basics of Christianity. It is difficult for us to accept that a person can be born again, see the glory of Christ, trust the promises of God in Christ and still affirm non-Christian religions as Christian. Is Mr. Bush a Christian? Perhaps. But where are his teachers? Where are his Elders? Why has he not been schooled in the basic tenants of the faith? According the Dallas Morning News, Mr. Bush wrote these Gospel defying words.

"As a Christian, I see Catholics as my brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the same ancient creed and core beliefs."

Could it be that Mr. Bush is not a Christian? If he is a Christian, could it be that he has not been taught the core truths of Christianity in distinction to cults and other world religions? We simply do not know. What we do know is that his statement is not reflective of true Christianity. It is not even reflective of true Roman Catholicism!

There is also the unmentioned `guilty silence' stemming from Mr. Bush's address at BJU. This `guilty silence' must be shouldered by evangelicals. There was ample opportunity for Mr. Bush to have been corrected in print publicly by confessing evangelicals. To our knowledge, no one has stepped forward to do so. Rather, we are left with the whole distorted and sordid affair leaving an ugly stain on the evangelical world. Instead of a crystal clear denunciation of unwarranted racial policies on the campus of BJU and a crystal clear presentation of the Gospel in contrast to Romanism, we are left with these words from Mr. Bush.

"As he boarded a plane in Austin for a trip to Washington state Sunday, Mr. Bush told reporters that he regretted a missed opportunity when I did not speak out against the anti-Catholic bias of that university"

It is indeed a sad and mournful day when a man who professes to be a Christian apologizes to the world for not lambasting other Christians! It especially hurts since the apology to the world was couched in repentance to a non-Christian religion which preaches a foreign gospel! Mr. Bush thinks he is guilty of a "missed opportunity" in not chastising Christians at BJU. He thinks BJU should have been scolded for their stance against Roman Catholicism. He does not think BJU should set forth such acrimony between Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Mr. Bush laments his "missed opportunity" But, though BJU compromised its witness to a degree, Mr. Bush has done so to a much greater extent. In reality, Mr. Bush has missed the real "opportunity."