Maranatha

Adam, nobody at MBBC lives under law. I think what you are saying is rather typical of the young, "Nobody is going to tell me what to do." I have some bad news. Every college, whether Christian or secular, is going to have rules. If you are not up to submitting yourself to the rules, you will never get an education, and will spend the rest of your life flipping hamburgers on the night shift at McDonalds. And even McDonalds has rules!

 

Yes, but very, very few schools are going to tell you which music you can listen too. As most colleges, even in undergraduate housing, the purpose of those rules is toencourage the undergraduates to take care of the housing and to be good neighbors. They are not there to force the students into a common mold.

Joshua

 

Strict rules in an institution don't make that institution legalistic. Believing that adhering to those rules produces spiritual growth and draws God's favor is legalism.

Are there legalists at Maranatha? Maybe, maybe not. But Maranatha's not legalistic just because they have strict rules about music, dress, etc.

 

Siegfried,

True, if they don't think it's God's will their not legalists, just silly. I couldn't see wanting to study under silly, superficial people any more than I could see wanting to study under legalists. In addition, the friends you make as an undergraduate are often your close friends for the rest of your life. I'm not sure that I would want my peer group to be limited to the people who were willing to put up with that kind of lunacy.

Joshua

P.S. In the Army, we had very strict rules but they all had a purpose, and very few of them influenced what we did in our personal lives.

 

Joshua,

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> In addition, the friends you make as an undergraduate are often your close friends for the rest of your life. I'm not sure that I would want my peer group to be limited to the people who were willing to put up with that kind of lunacy.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is a valid point until the last phrase. I would never counsel a young person to attend a Christian college where he thought the rules were way out of line. That would only create rebellion.

On the other hand, I believe your harsh judgment of institutions with strict rules (using words like "silly" and "lunacy") is a direct violation of Romans 14:1-12. Just because you don't know why their rules exist doesn't mean they're wacko. They work for God, not you. They will answer to God.

 

Colleges have rules? I didn't know that. At least where I'm at, we don't seem to have any. It's basically, use your commonsense.
Of course, I'm at a very secular university.

 

FlyFree,

Just so you get the whole story, I happen to know that at MBBC the music standards are clearly articulated to the students as "institutional rules" and are not to be viewed as didactic statements as to what is right and what is wrong. Students are encouraged to develop their own personal convictions. I personally know some of the staff there who listen to some CCM in their homes. It is not hypocrisy to say on the one hand, develop your own personal standards, and on the other hand, for institutional purposes some artists will be allowed and others not allowed.

As far as leaving the dorm with permission: You have to simply sign a sheet in the dorm when you head out into the city. When you head out of town, you simply need to have a dorm supervisor sign a form. Why? In case there is some kind of emergency, the college can do a little checking and tell loved ones where you are. If you don't go to places that you would be ashamed if others found out, then this policy wouldn't bother you.

Hope this helps,

Chick

 

Adam,
MBBC may not be right for you if you really feel that strongly about no one telling you what to do. The school aligns very closely to the environment I was brought up in, so I had no problems. That does make a difference in my perspective I know. Obviously if you have seen any of my posts on this board, you will realize that many of the "rules" at MBBC do not match my own personal convictions, but I chose to attend the school because it had a good academic reputation, and one of the best Biblical education reputations, the Faculty is outstanding. I am not in a Ministry position, and my degree is not Ministerial in nature, but the Biblical education I recieved at MBBC was outstanding.

It may be a shock for you if you have not been in a more stringent Baptist Church/School or Family, but I would encourage you to look at the importance of many other factors before saying it is a terrible school because of a few rules. MBBC is also very clear that the rules they enforce are insitutional standards only, not their recommendations for personal use. They have set the bar pretty high, but I think you would find that you could live with it. I would say you should visit the campus during school and get a feel for the student body. They are not a bunch of robots, and the spiritual atmosphere is really great. Yes they keep track of where you are, what time you are going to be back etc, but unlike some other Fundamental schools you are allowed off campus. And you have more freedom than you might think

As to friends, well there are all types, even at MBBC, if you want a bunch of pseudo-christian legalists, they are there, if you want unregenerate my-parents-made-me-come rebels, yep, some of those too. If you are looking for genuine christian young people who love God, and are willing to put up with a few rules for a while, and have a balanced view of standards and spirituality, they are there, at least they were when I attended. No school is perfect, but you will be hard pressed to find a better school doctrinally, or even an equal school doctrinally, without getting more strict than MBBC.

And if you really can't handle leaving the CCM at home, Try Cedarville in Ohio, it is a good school, far fewer rules, and IMHO a less fundamental stance on some doctrine, but a good academic reputation, and It sounds like the atmosphere you are looking for. It would be a manageable drive from GR. I have friends who went there, and they didn't get ruined by it

Good luck, I hope you find a school that God would have you attend and that you get a solid foundation. It makes a big difference.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by flyfree432:
I can't tolerate being treated like a three year old.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>The obvious solution seems, to me, to be, if you don't wish to be treated as a three year old, don't act like one.

 

On second thought, Adam, I retract my recommendation that you attend MBBC. Your presense there would be divisive and a source of rebellion for the other students. Find a nice liberal school that will let you "do you own thing."

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Thomas Cassidy:
On second thought, Adam, I retract my recommendation that you attend MBBC. Your presense there would be divisive and a source of rebellion for the other students. Find a nice liberal school that will let you "do you own thing." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yup, goodness forbid that as an adult you be allowed to choose you're own Christian music. You radical you. next thing you know, those young men and women will want to be able to go to the bathroom without raising their hands and getting hall passes.

Joshua

 

Listening to CCM music makes you liberal?

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kiffin:
Listening to CCM music makes you liberal? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It must, I listen to it sometimes.