Whatever you do, don't think.

[kellinator]

I just received an interlibrary loan from Bob Jones University (yes, I know, it's an oxymoron) and was struck by the large, bright pink notice pasted inside the front cover:

"The fact that this volume is included in the Bob Jones University Library does not mean that the University endorses its contents from the standpoint of morals, philosophy, theology, or scientific hypotheses. The position of Bob Jones University on these subjects is well known.

In order to standardize the work and validate the credits of Bob Jones University, it is sometimes necessary to include in this library books whose contents the University cannot wholly endorse."

I am translating this as...

"OMG the awful liberal educated people who run accreditation boards say we have to have a library with more than one opinion in it or they won't let us call ourselves a university!! Well, fine, but WE DON'T LIKE IT!! So here, have this book, but don't you DARE think about it for yourself!!"

Hey, doesn't Bob Jones know what they say about pink?

When I showed this to a co-worker, she told me about Pensacola Christian College, which makes Bob Jones look like a party school in comparison. She mentioned in particular the rule that students of the opposite sex cannot look at each other too intently, lest they commit "optical intercourse", colloquially known as "making eye babies." I replied that these people clearly are the ones with dirty minds, as they see sex absolutely everywhere.

I'd really like to wrap this up with a pithy comment, but I'm too aghast to come up with one, so I'll just state that these lunatics do more harm than good to Christianity. It's impossible to provide witness when people like these ensure Christians have a reputation as idiots. Jesus, save me from Your followers.

Comments

[tikimama.livejournal.com]

BJU chooses not to be accredited (according to Al Franken's book) so they needn't worry about accredidation boards.

But I'm dying to know what the book is!

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

It's a textbook -- Social Psychology, Fourth Edition! It's like a Psych 101 textbook! It's not even controversial! (Of course, I'm sure they don't have the books that are actually controversial.)

[stevietee.livejournal.com]

Forgive them, Father, for they are whack.

[stevietee.livejournal.com]

And here I thought only the Scientologists thought Psychology was evil!

[sage-and-sea.livejournal.com]

I just heard about PCC yesterday, and I can't think of "making eye babies" without hearing Ralph Wiggum in my head...

"..and they were kissing and they made a baby and the baby came out and it winked at me!"

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

my xBF Lizard's x-wife went to Pensacola Christian College -- i remember her telling me about the eye babies... ::twitch:: she got better, except mostly not.

[tfcocs.livejournal.com]

The sentiments around the "eye babies" issue sounds a lot like the reasoning behind the wearing of the burkkah in Islamic communities. Actually, IMHO, the Christian version is more oppressive because, while Islamic doctrine recognizes that the flesh is weak, it proscribes a remedy to allow deobjectification for both sexes. The fundamentalists, however, do not. They prscribe a certain behavior that is unrealistic.

[sallerina.livejournal.com]

that kind of thing really amazes me. i go to a very christian university and somehow am managing to receive a very fair, equal-minded, and actually compassionate education that is no more over-dramatically evangelical than my pathos-less public undergrad education.

[jp7.livejournal.com]

Thanks.. :)

I am now going to have optical intercourse with every woman on the train today.

It's going to be a fun ride home. :)


:D

[leopard-print.livejournal.com]

I just about fell out of my desk chair over "making eye babies".

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I am going to be metaquoting you and pointing people to the equally funny comments.

[tikimama.livejournal.com]

Of course it's controversial! It says that is isn't a sickness to be whisper gay.

[walkinlikecain.livejournal.com]

"Optical Intercourse"??? Holy whacko's bat-man...then I must be the Wilt Chamberlin of making eye-babies!!!

[azurelunatic]

... Optical intercourse?

[redbird]

Quite. My favorite radio station is run by "the Jesuit university of New York City" (as Fordham keeps identifying itself in the station identifications).

[calieber.livejournal.com]

I think it's because you're turning to a fellow sinner rather than Jesus to solve your problems.

I dunno. My people are totally down with shrinks -- I'm Jewish.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Huh. I did not realize your school was Christian. That's cool. It's good to see that it can be done right.

[polychromatic22.livejournal.com]

I wanna make, like, 10,000 eye babies with you.

[sallerina.livejournal.com]

http://www.pepperdine.edu/welcome/about/valuecentered.htm

even though i am not christian (jewish and largely non-observing, in fact), this is the most supportive and real academic atmosphere i have ever been part of, and i have really come to appreciate it. so places like bob jones or liberty univesity or that school in pensacola with eye babies really make me sad, because like you said, it can be done right.

[hopefulnebula]

Hi. Here from metaquotes. The chronicle.com article is password protected, fyi... :/

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Oh, bummer... I was probably able to access it because I work at a university...

The part I was referring to:
Even couples who are not talking or touching can be reprimanded. Sabrina Poirier, a student at Pensacola who withdrew in 1997, was disciplined for what is known on the campus as "optical intercourse" — staring too intently into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex. This is also referred to as "making eye babies." While the rule does not appear in written form, most students interviewed for this article were familiar with the concept.

As she tells it, Ms. Poirier was not gazing lovingly at her boyfriend; he had something in his eye. But officials didn't buy her explanation, and she and her boyfriend were both "socialed," she says.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

This might be the best compliment ever. :D

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

*blush*

[lintilla.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, it's even blocked from BugMeNot! :o

[mr-black-cat.livejournal.com]

Thats almost as bad as that gay reform program that got mentioned a while back. Its cult behavior, and its sad that people get suckered in to believing it.