I don’t want to survive. I want to live! – Captain McCrea
Over the past several months, I’ve taken a new position at Truett McConnell University (TMU) as an Associate Professor of Microbiology. 1 I was attracted by what makes it different here. Virginia was a good season, but I sought to focus on closely mentoring students. TMU is unique because of its stances are uncommon in academia for the right reasons and from an Anabaptist heritage.
No more non-overlapping magisteria
During the 16th century, the state told everyone what to believe. The idea of separation of church and state is supposed to always let (y)our conscience be (y)our guide. Letting your conscience guide you began largely in the 16 th century with the Anabaptists. While Anabaptist seems obscure, some more commonly known names are Baptists, Mennonites, Brethren movement, and the Amish. 2 Anabaptists rejected state-enforced religion. While the state religion was the Holy Roman Empire, today’s state religion is secular humanism. The irony to atheists today attempting to push away religion are blind to the very religion that they’re promoting. Claiming religion doesn’t exist today is an extremely religious statement. If the state shouldn’t promote religion, then that unequivocally promotes atheism (aka non-overlapping magesteria, NOMA). NOMA has hypocritically ordained a modern priesthood of materialistic naturalists. Hello pot, this is kettle: you’re black!
Public Universities: Secular Seminaries Training a New State-Run Priesthood
University is based on unity in diversity; however, universities now reject tolerance in favor of intolerance. Academic bullying isn’t only in science, but across all disciplines. Darwin’s epistemology permeates the academy… with a twist. No one’s a Darwinist today; everyone’s a neo-Darwinist. In music: neo-romantic. In political science: neo-con or neo-liberal. Even the watered-down religion classes: neo-orthodoxy (presupposing neo-Darwinism). No one’s post-modern—we’re neo-modern.
The sport of losing with dignity
Post-modern governments replaced theism with atheism. Today, few are atheists and most are deists (god the cosmic killjoy). Since neo-Darwinism crosses every academic discipline, Anabaptists would reject state-funded atheism/deism and promote thinking for ourselves—risking degrees, jobs, and livelihood. A major change must redefine the fundamental definition of science (e.g., intelligent design) to foster intellectual curiosity and free exchange of ideas. At TMU, science operates differently from the current public/secular university/seminary. I’m not claiming to be an Anabaptist scholar. What I know about them, though, is the point of this blog.
The Anabaptists did not call themselves by this name. It was a name originally given to deride them. They were called this because they practiced believer’s baptism instead of infant baptism. Anabaptists topple the secular ivory tower even in athletics, caring about both the process and the outcome. Darwinian athletics only care about self-advancement and winning. We primarily follow sporting rules because it’s more challenging and rewarding to win playing fair. We aren’t perfect, but we also aren’t defined by material success: there’s more to life.
Truth is immaterial and can be seen using an open mind that voluntarily follows evidence regardless.