Baylor has need of Christ’s wisdom
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Mammon.”
We ( Baylor - as a university community which says its follows Christ) have blindly served mammon, with the other schools in Texas…and look where it has taken us. Now money is driving the conference groupings even more than before- in 1995. Where will this lead?
Texas—that is the University of Texas at Austin, is the driving force of the ‘we deserve more money’ movement. Fair enough, that is as it probably should be. UT is a dominant force in NCAA athletics. It is a secular school. It has absolutely no ties to the Gospel, other than the Gospel’s influence on our culture. Although far less in influence, the same goes for our militaristic land grant school, and our state’s other outpost, which defies description.
But Baylor—why do we follow them? We say we are of Christ.
I question that.
Especially as we seek and have sought a spot at the altar of mammon. This practice does not speak well of our values.
I hope this experience gives us enough of a shock so as to wake us up to what has happened and is happening.
At Baylor—focusing on the Big 12 and football revenues has plunged us further and further into athletic deficits…and has led us to this conclusion.
Is it possible for us to focus on academics and not worry about being one of ‘the big boys’?
I’ll end with another statement from Jesus’ brother James’ wisdom:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
Comments
Surely you would agree that Baylor's participation in a major conference opens up doors that further the Kingdom and the propagation of the Gospel? The national television exposure allows a wide audience to learn about Baylor University and its Christian mission. Being on the national scene ultimately attracts students - many of whom are not Christian. Hopefully, some of those students will come to know Christ during their time in Waco.
In terms of furthering Baylor's Christian mission, the benefits of being in a major conference seriously outnumber the benefits of being in a smaller conference that receives very little national exposure. As Christians, we should strive to transform culture rather than separate from it. Sometimes Christians must operate from a more flexible ethic to further the Kingdom. A literalistic reading of Scripture is not always helpful as we attempt to faithfully apply our Christianity in such a complex culture.
My wishes and hopes for BU are all good...
But, has Baylor playing Division I football been a witness for Christ?
I surely would like to think so...but is it a clear witness for Christ? Really?
To see that as a witness for the Gospel is a stretch in my opinion.
I welcome the discourse.
My point is that by being in the Big 12, Baylor gets 100x more national exposure on a regular basis than do 99% of other Christian institutions. Because of Baylor's participation in the Big 12, more people get to learn about our school and our unique status as a major research university with a Christian mission. That's a good thing in my book and it gives Baylor the type of potential Christian influence and public square exposure that the Samfords, DBUs and Mercers can only dream of.
Also, it's not like Baylor as a Christian institution can really separate from secular culture. Research is still largely funded by secular sources at Baylor. Research and academic programs are still evaluated by a secular standard. The Tier 1 status that Baylor 2012 so desires is a quest for a secular designation, a quest to be accepted as a top research university by the world of secular higher education. In order to achieve all of these secular goals, to gain credibility in the secular arena, Baylor ultimately has to play the secular game which is, in part, a money game.
By the way, Pitting Christ against culture is not accomplished by a blog post.
He pit himself against culture. :)
Of course that was in order to save culture.
This is definitely a complicated situation. Maybe the Big 12 can be salvaged. We will see.
It looks rather doubtful.
But can we as a faith community unashamedly weather this rejection by the moneyed schools & conferences, and continue to do the work to which the university has been called, without pursuing or chasing after the state schools?
I know it will cost us--this rejection--and it will cost Waco as a town...perhaps.
The state schools, that is THE state school--UT, is faced with a decision to do what lines their pockets, or what is best for our state.
Again, I welcome the discourse. It has been enlightening.