From the Halls of Academia:
By Tim Philibosian
Ah, memories. Santa Barbara High School 2016 graduates will look back at this year as the time they celebrated their Senior Prom by electing their first transgender Senior Prom queen. As the Santa Barbara News Press reported in its front page story (5/24/16), “Saturday’s prom was a milestone for another reason: a female student . . . was named prom king.” A male queen and a female king. While this is novel for the high school, the mother of the queen gushed, “The most important part to me is how normal it all seems to all the kids. . . . Everyone was excited.”
Several years ago, one of my children asked for my help in high school geometry. As I brushed away cobwebs and reviewed Side Angle Side, I realized how rational, logical and practical geometry is. I’ve utilized the principles of strategic, clear thinking and the application of known principles to solve problems and arrive at logical conclusions throughout my adult life. I’m convinced a basic knowledge of math is essential to a well-rounded education.
Therefore, I read with dismay that Wayne State University, one of Michigan’s largest public universities, has decided to drop mathematics as a graduation requirement. Conversely, it is considering adding a requirement of four courses that promote diversity.
This elimination of core courses for political expediency is not an isolated incident. It is occurring throughout America. Stanford University is an example. It has decided knowledge of Western Civilization is no longer essential. When a student group managed to put the matter to a student referendum, a hostile column in a campus newspaper responded that such a requirement would uphold “white supremacy, capitalism and colonialism, and all other oppressive systems that flow from Western civilizations.” So George Washington and the Industrial Revolution are out.
While engineering and physics may still be taught in our major universities, the emphasis on political correctness, diversity, multi-culturalism, and relative values leads to a vacuum in understanding the basis of our society. The Judeo-Christian ethic of the past is being replaced by a relativism that has no understanding of our history, rights, or foundational beliefs.
How should evangelical Christians respond? I live in Santa Barbara, California, where a private school, Providence (preschool – 12th grade), boasts a motto that proclaims the classical goals of education:
“Truth. Beauty. Excellence.”
No matter where we go, what we study, how we are employed or invest our time, these should be our goals. In all we do, may we seek truth, appreciate beauty, and contribute to excellence.
Editor’s note: Tim Philibosian, with degrees in economics, law, and theology, analyzes cultural, political, educational and religious trends, and is President of Rivendell. Svenska casino gratis pengar. This article is from the Rivendell Update, June 2016. For more of the interviews, please write to: Rivendell, 2669 S. Zephyr Court – Lakewood, CO 80227
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