In this episode, we delve into the transformative journey of Paul the Apostle and his teachings on the renewal of the mind as conveyed to the Roman Christians. We dissect the current landscape within academic institutions where ideological conformity pressures students, especially Christians, to silence their beliefs. Discover the challenges they face and the compromises they make in an environment that often prioritizes secular standards over spiritual values.
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The Crawford Stand, with the president of Crawford Broadcasting Company, Don Crawford.
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Paul the Apostle experienced the dramatic, and even for him a traumatic, conversion and transformation on the Damascus Road. There, he met Jesus Christ, in an explosive way. Paul was never the same, transformed in mind, heart, soul, and spirit, forever. Forever. Are you? I hope and pray you are. Paul wrote to Roman Christians the following message. Do not, he said, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed in the renewal of your mind, that by testing, testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. What a message, huh? Super message. When you and everything about you has been transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that’s the only way, you can no longer be a part of secular culture, nor can you adapt its standards, especially just to avoid conflict. But you, the new converted you, must be different from the world, in fact, a light unto the world. The saving transformation of Jesus Christ requires radical change, and that includes behavior. No longer can you conform or compromise to this world, but tragically today, in this hyper-polarized academic landscape of ours in America, there exists an unspoken ultimatum. Conform, says academia. Conform or be cast out. Cast out. ostracized. Many college students today do just that. They conform by hiding their true beliefs in order that they may navigate the social and academic minefield of ideological conformity. There exists for many a fear, a fear of social ostracism. If a student’s morals or spiritual values are different, ostracism occurs. So many professors, woke and radical, apply academic penalties for those, especially Christians, with contrarian beliefs. That crushing academic culture, according to a recent survey, led 88%. Almost 9 out of 10 students interviewed to admit that they on a regular basis pretend to hold many more progressive views than they really do. And they do that in order to succeed socially and academically.
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88%.
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Almost 9 in 10 students admit to that. In order to achieve acceptance, including professorial approval and social compliance, compromise and conformity to the new radical culture seems to be required. As a result, this study concluded as it was performed in the University of Michigan and Northwestern two illustrious universities, authenticity and true beliefs were lost in the process. Lost. Gone. And that self-censorship, that moral and intellectual compromise occurred with respect to gender identity, and on politics, a student would never vote for a Republican or for Trump, and worst of all, family and spiritual values. Compromise everywhere. and in all of those critical topics in American life. Students at both universities routinely concealed their beliefs for fear of ideological fallout and ridicule and even ostracism. To confess to a strong belief in and love for Jesus Christ would have resulted in the ultimate ridicule. Consequently, faith and witness were virtually non-existent. Isn’t that tragic? Tragic. Gender ideology was key. Some 80% of the students interviewed identified as exclusively heterosexual and indicated they supported a binary model or gender. The students disagreed. with prioritizing gender identity over biological sex, especially in areas like sports and health care or other privacy places. They were honest in the survey, but many believe that public honesty is unethical. Can you believe that? If it risks exclusion, ridicule, and ostracism. In many ways, telling the truth was deemed as radical. Radical. Oh, my soul. That compromised culture in academia results in a total lack of dialogue. Honest dialogue. Students felt that they could not be true to themselves or their beliefs. You know, the old adage, to thine own self be true? Couldn’t do that. They were afraid to test the spirits. As scripture states, we must test them. Use your mind to analyze what is true. to question, and to disagree. That was not going to happen. They ignored the biblical admonition, which states emphatically that God has not given them, the true Christians, the spirit of fear, not to be afraid, never to be afraid, but of power, love, and a sound mind. That’s what God has given us when we are converted, a spirit of power and love. and perhaps most importantly, at least in this case, a sound mind. That wasn’t happening at these universities. The compromising and conforming student, especially the Christian student, was robbed by woke professors of that very special sound mind. They were robbed of the experience of open dialogue that defines true education. And of course they never testified to their faith and belief in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us emphatically as students, and in fact all Christians who should embrace their entire lives, to study to show yourself approved unto God. All of us should study to show ourselves approved unto God. Workmen, and workwomen who are capable of rightly dividing, that is, understanding and interpreting and discerning the Scriptures, and in fact all things intellectual. The sound mind is critical for every Christian. It’s critical. There can be no compromise and no conformity with the things and thinking of this world. None. none test says paul test the spirits the facts the knowledge of the culture the values and priorities of this non-binary culture test them and understand compromise where it exists whether in words or deeds and where compromise and conformity exist the transgender culture wins Don’t let it do so. Progressive agendas win. Don’t let that happen. The passion for good grades prompts even more compromise, including accepting men invading women’s private spaces. Oh, that gets me angry. children facing life-altering surgeries, and high schools and colleges permeated with ideological propaganda. Christian students and all Christians everywhere cannot let that happen. Stand up, Christian. Stand up. It is more difficult than ever not to be conformed to or compromised by the things of this world. It is more difficult than ever to test the spirits. It is more difficult than ever to discern right and wrong and what is good and acceptable and perfect. It is more difficult than ever to be ready to give an answer to the faith and belief which truly lies within. Are you ready? Do you have the courage to stand for that? It is more difficult than ever to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is more difficult than ever not to be afraid, to live the life and have the testimony of a true Christian. Difficult, hard times. But we must always remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear. God has not given us the spirit of fear. We should never be afraid, nor should we be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For God has given us the spirit of power. Power. You have it, no matter who you are. And love. And never forget, a sound Christian mind. You have it. God has given it to you. Now it’s up to you to develop it. It is our duty, my fellow Christians, and our privilege and our pleasure to use that sound mind so that we can be true sons and daughters of the living Lord and courageously stand up to the compromising and combative culture of this world. Stand up for Jesus, my fellow Christians. Stand up.
SPEAKER 01 :
The views expressed here on the Crawford stand are those of the speaker, and the question is, do you agree or not? Mr. Crawford would love to know. Talk to him in your email to stand at Crawford Media Group dot net. When you write, be sure to tell Mr. Crawford on what station you hear the stand. His email address again is stand at CrawfordMediaGroup.net. When you want to review what you hear, go to our website, CrawfordMediaGroup.net. The Crawford Stand is a public affairs presentation of Crawford Broadcasting Company and this station, serving God and country. I’m Bill McCormick.