What Has Happened to our Christian Morality?

[Basil the Great]

To those of you who have not heard, the famous Evangelical college associated with Rev. Billy Graham, Wheaton College, is in the midst of a crime scandal. Five of the school's football players have been accused of the hazing of a Freshman. The school claims that it investigated the reported hazing incident, but the question remains, what did they do to the five players? Were they dismissed from school? - no.... Were they dismissed from the football team? - no.... Now it is true that from a legal standpoint, we are all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and make no mistake, it certainly looks like the Du Page County, IL State's Attorney is going to proceed with charges. However, if it turns out that the hazing incident did occur, then one has to ask just how could presumably Christian young men have done such to a fellow student? Perhaps even more important, if the men are found guilty, then we must ask ourselves how could a college that claims to be so committed to the cause of Christ have apparently done little, if anything, about this matter?

This news report reminds me of something that a late disabled friend once said to me. He claimed to have been raped by fellow guy in a Bible study group for singles that the three of us were in together. My friend said to me after telling me about his horrific story, "If someone tells you that they are a Christian, beware, for you could be in danger."

 

[thecolorsblend]

What is "hazing" exactly? Every group you could possibly join has some kind of initiation ritual. In college, it's called "hazing" and "hazing" is bad, mmmkay? But seriously, what are these people being accused of exactly?

As you say, the courts presume the defendant's innocence until he's proven guilty. Me, I'll presume this is much ado about nothing until someone explains what's so bad about this particular hazing episode.

Christian morality, I swear...

 

[archer75]

I admit the OP took me a little by surprise. It was my understanding that most nominally Christian institutions were exactly like all the others but with slightly different rhetoric doled out to prospective students and the public.

I ask in sincerity: are you surprised by this? I'm not pretending to some kind of worldliness that the OP lacks here. I just don't understand the tone, and I want to.

 

[Grace2022]

To those of you who have not heard, the famous Evangelical college associated with Rev. Billy Graham, Wheaton College, is in the midst of a crime scandal. Five of the school's football players have been accused of the hazing of a Freshman. The school claims that it investigated the reported hazing incident, but the question remains, what did they do to the five players? Were they dismissed from school? - no.... Were they dismissed from the football team? - no.... Now it is true that from a legal standpoint, we are all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and make no mistake, it certainly looks like the Du Page County, IL State's Attorney is going to proceed with charges. However, if it turns out that the hazing incident did occur, then one has to ask just how could presumably Christian young men have done such to a fellow student? Perhaps even more important, if the men are found guilty, then we must ask ourselves how could a college that claims to be so committed to the cause of Christ have apparently done little, if anything, about this matter?

This news report reminds me of something that a late disabled friend once said to me. He claimed to have been raped by fellow guy in a Bible study group for singles that the three of us were in together. My friend said to me after telling me about his horrific story, "If someone tells you that they are a Christian, beware, for you could be in danger."

 

[HereIStand]

It does seem that the school gave the players a slap on the wrist, based on this article. Sadly, that happens at Christian and secular schools. I wouldn't have thought that football would be a big deal at Wheaton though. They seem more academic. I knew of a guy who was rejected by Wheaton graduate school, because his undergraduate degree was from an unaccredited Christian college.

 

[Grace2022]

Strange goings on. If there was a crime, I .hope the police are handling it all?

 

[GUANO]

Why would a Christian school even have a football team? The game itself looks like a pagan ritual to me—one in which many layers of meaning can be applied and extrapolated which is the essence of a ceremonial rite. I have no issue with football or anything like that, I'm just stirring the pot =P

Why do Christians seem to have to do everything that the world does? Is there literally nothing that sets a Christian apart these days?

 

[JackRT]

Stacy St. Clair and Christy GutowskiWheaton College football players charged this week in a 2016 hazing incident have been suspended from practice and games, the college said Tuesday.

"The players have been deemed inactive for practice or competition by the college's administration and coaching staff," college spokeswoman LaTonya Taylor said in an email.

Players James Cooksey, Kyler Kregel, Noah Spielman, Benjamin Pettway and Samuel TeBos were charged Monday with aggravated battery, mob action and unlawful restraint after being accused of a hazing incident in which authorities said a freshman teammate was restrained with duct tape, beaten and left half naked with two torn shoulders on a baseball field.

The freshman teammate's lawyer told the Tribune that the evangelical Christian school needs to be transparent about how it's handling the situation.　

"It appears to me that no meaningful discipline was implemented against any of these boys by the college or the football program," attorney Terry Ekl said. "The school and the football staff should have to explain that to the public."

The Thunder, a Division III program ranked fourth in the nation, are scheduled to play at Elmhurst College on Saturday. Three of the five accused athletes played in last week's victory over Carthage College.

Kregel, 21, a second-team All-American center from Grand Rapids, Mich., turned himself in to Wheaton police late Tuesday afternoon.

He arrived at the station with his parents and an attorney, posted $5,000 bail and was given an Oct. 23 date for his arraignment.

His lawyer, Christine Field, declined to comment on the allegations, saying they will argue the case in court.

"There's always more to the story," Field said.

Spielman, 21, from Columbus, Ohio, also turned himself in and posted bail Tuesday night. His attorney, Mark Sutter, released this statement:

"Noah Spielman was shocked to hear of these charges after an investigation by Wheaton College exonerated him over one year ago. Regardless, Noah has willingly surrendered to law enforcement to face these allegations, and he will continue to cooperate with authorities moving forward. Mr. Spielman and his family have full faith and confidence in the legal process and the DuPage County criminal justice system."

The other players — Pettway, 21, from Lookout Mountain, Ga.; Cooksey, 22, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and TeBos, 22, of Allendale, Mich. — are expected to turn themselves in to authorities this week.

 

[archer75]

I really just thought - assumed? - that Christian schools were mostly a matter of branding. I would gladly learn better.

 

[HereIStand]

I really just thought - assumed? - that Christian schools were mostly a matter of branding. I would gladly learn better.

Ideally, Christian colleges integrate faith and learning. Perhaps Harvard accomplished that the seventeenth century. It seems that many Christian schools start with high ideals only to succumb to pressure to expand beyond the intent of their founding, thereby weakening their Christian stance.

 

[Hank77]

To those of you who have not heard, the famous Evangelical college associated with Rev. Billy Graham, Wheaton College, is in the midst of a crime scandal. Five of the school's football players have been accused of the hazing of a Freshman. The school claims that it investigated the reported hazing incident, but the question remains, what did they do to the five players? Were they dismissed from school? - no.... Were they dismissed from the football team? - no.... Now it is true that from a legal standpoint, we are all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and make no mistake, it certainly looks like the Du Page County, IL State's Attorney is going to proceed with charges. However, if it turns out that the hazing incident did occur, then one has to ask just how could presumably Christian young men have done such to a fellow student? Perhaps even more important, if the men are found guilty, then we must ask ourselves how could a college that claims to be so committed to the cause of Christ have apparently done little, if anything, about this matter?

This news report reminds me of something that a late disabled friend once said to me. He claimed to have been raped by fellow guy in a Bible study group for singles that the three of us were in together. My friend said to me after telling me about his horrific story, "If someone tells you that they are a Christian, beware, for you could be in danger."

I read about this case and it's obvious that he was pretty seriously injured, having to have surgery on both shoulders. His football days, [and probably other sports as well,] are over according to his attorney.
Now it's a criminal case and it seems to me that Wheaton didn't investigate very well or if they did they are more concerned about winning football games than curtailing bad behavior.

 

[Basil the Great]

Sorry if my tone sounded a bit harsh. I guess I feel that a Christian College should be held to a higher standard than a secular one.

 

[Audacious]

I've never really seen why Christians need special schools, or why anyone would want to go to one.

I guess now I have another reason to avoid them!

 

[wing2000]

What happened? The national religion called football.

 

[Basil the Great]

I fear that you are correct, wing2000. Football and basketball programs help to support colleges.

 

[Tanj]

Is there any evidence from the last 2000 years of Christians as a group (not individuals) behaving any better or worse than any other group? Not sure what has happened to Christian morality, but the gap between said morality and Christian behaviour seems the same as it ever was.

 

[hedrick]

Part of what's happening is that moral standards are getting stricter, in many areas. Various types of abuse are being dealt with that we used to overlook. Standards for informed consent in both medicine and sexual contexts are in many respects new.

Anti-hazing rules are relatively new. When I was a teenager, both school clubs and church youth groups did hazing, though they were mild. I think the new rules are good, but the message hasn't gotten through to many fraternities and other groups. I don't think it's fair to blame the institution. The problems extend to all types of institution.

There's no reason to expect Christians to accept new moral standards more quickly than the rest of the population. Indeed my impression is that it's the reverse.

 

[essentialsaltes]

"Noah Spielman was shocked to hear of these charges after an investigation by Wheaton College exonerated him over one year ago.

They weren't exactly exonerated. They were given a slap on the wrist. "Sources told the Tribune that several players were required to perform 50 hours of community service and write an eight-page essay reflecting on their behavior."

 

[GeorgeJ]

Lack of understanding exists when one assumes that "Christian" morality is somehow a few steps above the morality of the "heathens".

Morality wasn't invented by Christians.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Part of what's happening is that moral standards are getting stricter, in many areas. Various types of abuse are being dealt with that we used to overlook. Standards for informed consent in both medicine and sexual contexts are in many respects new.

Anti-hazing rules are relatively new. When I was a teenager, both school clubs and church youth groups did hazing, though they were mild. I think the new rules are good, but the message hasn't gotten through to many fraternities and other groups. I don't think it's fair to blame the institution. The problems extend to all types of institution.

There's no reason to expect Christians to accept new moral standards more quickly than the rest of the population. Indeed my impression is that it's the reverse.

Not just the reverse - in some cases, it's Christians actively impeding these moral standards.