O Wheaton O Wheaton

"I am the LORD [Yahweh]. That is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." 

Many have been asking me my thoughts on the Wheaton professor fiasco that has put the evangelical college in the center of yet another politically incorrect headline. 

For those who may not know the story I refer you to the following site:  

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/22/wheaton-professors-ask-college-drop-case-against-colleague?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=2bec496f31-DNU20160122&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-2bec496f31-197741561

To summarize, Dr. Larycia Hawkins, Associate Professor of Political Science, chose to wear a hajib (Muslim headscarf) and posted the following message on her Facebook page: "I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book." "And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God." 

She is on probation and will be going through the process of termination for violating Wheaton's statement of faith. 

I want to make several observations. 

1.  It first and foremost gives warning to any employer (university, college, ministry, church organization). Just because you check off the box "Christian" or "I agree" doesn't mean anything. If a person tells me that they are a Christian my first responsibility is to ask, "What do you mean by that?" Chances are their definition does not follow the historical, orthodox position. We are in a post-Christian, neo-Christian America. 

2.  It also tells us that at the highest levels of education people can be spiritually ignorant, even in a Christian academic setting. Dr. Hawkins may be a great poli sci teacher but perhaps she should take a few theology classes and especially a comparative religions class. 

3.  If Dr. Hawkins would have had a cursory understanding of the Koran she would have known that the "People of the book" are the Jews. And subsequently the "Book" that she clings to has been "supposedly" corrupted by both Jews and Christians. The Koran is the only true word of "God." See Surah 5 of the Koran. So if you truly want to hold theological hands with a Muslim you are going to have to ditch the Bible and start memorizing the Koran...and it needs to be in Arabic. 

4.  It probably isn't wise to quote a Roman Catholic pope as your source of theological witness in an evangelical Protestant college. There are enormous doctrinal differences. I am not saying that we cannot learn from Romanist writings. I have been blessed to read incredibly insightful and deep theological writings from those who have a genuine and true faith but have remained in the Catholic faith system. 

5.  WE DO NOT SERVE THE SAME GOD! Please take a moment Dr. Hawkins and read the Koran. I'll make it easy for you and keep you in the same surah as used above. The Koran, without fail, denies that Jesus is the Son of God, that he is God. It, without fail, denies the trinity. It denies his substitutionary atonement on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. I don't know how else to say this. WE DO NOT SERVE THE SAME GOD! Allah is a false God and Mohammad is a false prophet. 

6.  Tolerance is not the act of being nice and believing that if you sincerely believe it, it must be true. Tolerance is not the act of believing that all roads lead to heaven. True biblical teaching says that there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death. In other words, all roads do not lead to the same top of the mountain. Some roads lead you off of a cliff. Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through me" (Jn. 14:6). He is not a way; he is the only way. And any faith system that denies that biblical truth is a false system of belief - no matter how sincere someone believes it. If Dr. Hawkins believes that we have the same God, she is not a Christian. 

7.  Stand strong Wheaton theology department. Do not let the donor or non-theological threat sway you from biblical convictions. God will bless you financially with other donors if others fall away. God will replace other faculty members. Fire those who continue to support a wrong theology. Perhaps a re-interview is necessary to actually see where some of these non-theo department profs really stand on the issue of Jesus' uniqueness and divinity. One might say that I am too strong on this issue. After all...its poli sci.  The point is that if...I were to recommend a student to Wheaton...it would not matter the discipline. I am recommending Wheaton, not because of their theology department but rather because of their world view that understands the centrality of Jesus in every discipline. And...if that centrality ceases to be central then the discipline fails in its divine course. You might as well attend a secular university. At least you know its not going to pretend it is something that it is not. 

8. We should pray for our Christian colleges and universities. How we need to get back to the basics of our orthodox faith in every discipline. We are called to be set apart from the world. In it, but not of it. Let us educate to that end. 

9. We should pray for Dr. Hawkins. I cannot tell from her writings if she is spiritually lost, spiritually ignorant, or ignorant of Islamic teachings. Perhaps all three. 

10.  To every person in my church family, especially teens that will be heading off to university...know what you believe, especially about Jesus and be able to defend it. There is nothing more intimidating than a professor who does not hold to an orthodox position on the person of Jesus and who seeks to undermine your faith.