is Bible College better than university?

Sketcher · #21 1st August 2006, 05:01 PM

In most cases, the type of school doesn't matter so much as the friends you pick. There are some people that may need to go to Bible college for one reason or another, but I know a girl who went up to a Bible college and just got involved with more drinking and sex. What matters most is the fellowship, and a Bible college doesn't always guarantee that. If you get involved with a good campus ministry group and devote yourself to fellowship with them you won't do any worse at a secular university.You may need to do more apologetics research on your own, but that's something that should be done anyway.

bliz · #22 2nd August 2006, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by twistedsketch

In most cases, the type of school doesn't matter so much as the friends you pick. There are some people that may need to go to Bible college for one reason or another, but I know a girl who went up to a Bible college and just got involved with more drinking and sex. What matters most is the fellowship, and a Bible college doesn't always guarantee that. If you get involved with a good campus ministry group and devote yourself to fellowship with them you won't do any worse at a secular university.You may need to do more apologetics research on your own, but that's something that should be done anyway.

While the friendships and fellowship are very important, I do have to disagree.

There is a huge difference if one receives their undergraduate education from fellow Christians with PhDs in their field or from pagans or Muslim's with PhDs in the field. Only another Christians can help guide one's development of a Christian world and life view in a particular subject area. A good local Bible study does not take the place of being able to discuss and being guided about where to read about a Christian view of welfare or genetically mutated food or Shakespeare. A great preacher on Sunday mornings does not accomplish the same things that a lecture on Christian jurisprudence from a JD does ora lab on stem cells or a discussion of Christian pedegogy.

This hardly means that Christian students should only be exposed to the scholarship of CHristians... but the development of curriculium and guidance of the scholarship and research from a Christian will be radically different.

Christian colleges and universities are not identical to non-Christian colleges except there is prayer before class, chapel and less drinking. The differences are far more important and far more integral.

lordvoldemort · #23 4th August 2006, 07:35 AM

I went to a bible college and almost lost my faith.

Being around christians all the time is not the best thing, you become complacent and not grow, because you are exposed to what you already know and for the most part nothing new, no new ideas are inserted in Christian colleges.

If you beleive ABC then most likely the school will believe ABC and what do you learn? Nothing!

Going to a secular college you will enter believing ABC and you may leave believing ACDEF

I plan to continue my education at a secular university and have no plans ever to attend a Christian college ever again.

I found the better teachers at Christian Colleges are those that have at least one or two degrees from a Secular university. Those with a string of Christian college Degrees were the ones I avoided. They tended to be more rigid, paroting the college stances on things, offering little new knoweldge to the subject, more apt to say "What I beleive is correct, everyone else is wrong!" But those that have a secuar degree tend to be more open minded, introduce more material and expand their knoweldge with those that may not agree with the college stance and I found them to be more personal and nice.

Sketcher · #24 4th August 2006, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by bliz

While the friendships and fellowship are very important, I do have to disagree.

There is a huge difference if one receives their undergraduate education from fellow Christians with PhDs in their field or from pagans or Muslim's with PhDs in the field. Only another Christians can help guide one's development of a Christian world and life view in a particular subject area. A good local Bible study does not take the place of being able to discuss and being guided about where to read about a Christian view of welfare or genetically mutated food or Shakespeare. A great preacher on Sunday mornings does not accomplish the same things that a lecture on Christian jurisprudence from a JD does ora lab on stem cells or a discussion of Christian pedegogy.

This hardly means that Christian students should only be exposed to the scholarship of CHristians... but the development of curriculium and guidance of the scholarship and research from a Christian will be radically different.

Christian colleges and universities are not identical to non-Christian colleges except there is prayer before class, chapel and less drinking. The differences are far more important and far more integral.

Right, but there is a surprising number of liberal Christian faculty, even at Christian colleges. If one of those is too liberal, I fail to see the difference between taking a class from him or a secular professor. A good campus ministry would have apologetics resources at its fingertips.

You do have a point when it comes to certain subjects (biology and philosophy come to mind). However, I met a missionary who runs an outreach to New Agers whose philosophy class was at a secular university and he was the only Christian in it. This man turned out fine, he is not liberal in the least.

mikewould · #25 5th August 2006, 10:29 PM

Thank you very much i think i got a better understanding now.

solosoprano · #26 11th August 2006, 03:50 PM

You do have a point when it comes to certain subjects (biology and philosophy come to mind). However, I met a missionary who runs an outreach to New Agers whose philosophy class was at a secular university and he was the only Christian in it. This man turned out fine, he is not liberal in the least.

Hmm, I'm a biology major, and sometimes you will have to learn things in order to make it in the world with the subject you are studying. No one says you have to believe it, but you surely do have to know it like the back of your hand. I don't believe evolution, but most of the biological world, even in graduate schools, hospital labs, etc do. Most of my freshman biology was memorizing classes, phyla, subclasses, etc. Most of that is based on evolution-- there's just no way around it. My university has a disclaimer for having to teach that while being a Christian univ., but that's just the way the biological world is. If you want to be a decent biologist, you HAVE to know this stuff. Either that or just plan on not being competitive in the field.

vicarius · #27 12th August 2006, 07:22 PM

Over the past several years I've noticed some confusion regarding the difference between "Bible College" and "Christian college/university." Bible Colleges are designed primarily as schools that train ministers. I consider them trade schools for preachers.

A Christian college/university is usually church sponsored, or church affiliated. Some are non-denominational but will likely adhere to a particular theological tradition. These schools offer a variety of majors, sometimes religion or Christian ministry majors are among the majors, sometimes they are not.

Each type of school is accredited differently, usually by different accreditation boards. Because of this, often credits earned at a bible college will not transfer to a Christian university. This is true even when the bible college and the university are sponsored by the same denomination.

I attended a Christian liberal arts university sponsored by my denomination. My majors were in the social sciences and humanities. Several of my classmates majored in fields as varied as business, psychology, biology, social work, education, art, etc. While there were some who majored in religion or Christian ministry, they were among the smaller groups in my class.

Students who transferred to my school from state universities and community colleges usually had an easier time transferring their classes than students that came from my denominations bible college, even when they planed to continue majoring in religion. The reason for this was because the accreditation boards that certified the university did not recognize the accreditation board that accredited the bible college.

Generally speaking, the mission of Christian colleges/universities is to provide an education that will prepare students for the workforce and to prepare them to serve in their local church and community.

Each type of school Bible College, Christian college/university or public school has unique advantages and disadvantages. Your choice should be based on your preferred field of study your financial resources and what you feel God is calling you to do with your life.

wiggbuggie · #28 15th August 2006, 03:43 PM

I think a universary or a regulare 4 year college is better because a lot of Bible colleges are small and probably no big company has never heard of them before. So if you want a degree in science or computers etc it would be best to go to a more known college which will look better on your resume.

shadowmage36 · #29 16th August 2006, 01:40 PM

As has been stated already (high, loud, and repeatedly), it all depends on what you want from it.

I could never go to a Christian university or Bible college. For one, my views are FAR too liberal for most of them, and I probably would have been expelled by this point. Second, most of them don't offer the degree that I'm studying for (chemical engineering), third, many state schools are far cheaper for the same education, and fourth, I've found that quite often, un-biased, secular individuals are the best at giving the most comprehensive overview of a particular subject (I've had an overly religious professor or two. While they were professional enough to keep their religion out of the classroom, outside it was obvious.).

Just my $0.02.

2LivIsChrist · #30 16th August 2006, 05:00 PM

I think it all depends on which school your going to. Some bible colleges are probally horrible, and some are great. But for me, I'de rather go to a good bible college, because I'm just not into the whole University thing. But I think it depends on the person.