Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Sunday, December 11, 2016
[I hope this doesn't happen at fuller too, or BIOLA,or CALVIN, God forbid ] DISTURBING "The Islamization of Hartford Seminary " Creeping Sharia
Another danger for these institutions is becoming more "private " than "Christian"
"
The Islamization of Hartford Seminary must not be viewed as an isolated case, but as a future omen of Islamic Studies in American and really, global education, at least as far as the West is concerned. Hartford Seminary is a small school, but because of its historical presence..."
https://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2016/12/11/islamization-of-hartford-seminary/
Friday, December 9, 2016
WELCOME! 12/9/16
SO I've been going to Biola for various events for many years, even decades now, ...conferences, special events, special speakers, even the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and of course basketball games.
And yet, yesterday, December 8, 2016 I came to Biola after an event in Brea, intending to catch the 2nd half of the basketball game. Arriving a little early I decided to go to the Biola library first, and do a little studying. However, I hadn't been to the library in a long time and I was informed that you have to be a student or staff to use the library.
I was a bit surprised, and asked if there was any allowance for Fuller Alumni , which I am. And the latino (?) library monitor said only for current fuller students. I also am a former Calvin College student /graduate but didn't mention it yet.
Biola is the closest thing to a Calvin College in southern California, although Azusa also could be considered a substitute as well. Anyways, the library monitor had his orders to keep people like me out so there was no use arguing.
Although apparently they do give a 1-time guest pass, but it is a 1-time only (ie "for life"? I asked , and he nodded yes). And it requires ID, which I didn't have . I don't carry a wallet with ID etc. I keep it all in the car and only bring it when I plan to use it.
So I turned around and walked over to the little adjoining coffee shop. I didn't think it would be a big deal to go sit in there and "read my phone " for a while (Biola does offer free wifi for guests) before going to the 2nd half of the basketball game (Biola men are undefeated this season, GO Eagles!, and they won again).
As I opened the door to the coffee shop I looked back at the latino (?) library monitor and he seemed to be watching me closely, as if I needed permission to do anything on the Biola campus, even go to their coffee shop.
So I said to him, "Is this ok? Can I go in here?" And he nodded. So I went in, sat down, and connected to wiFi and started scanning the news and trying to connect to Biola basketball live stats . I couldn't connect to the Biola game so I just read the news.
About 10 minutes later a latino (?) security guard came in and stood over me as if he felt he needed to he stern with me. He inquired as to my purpose being on the Biola campus. He asked if I was "faculty".
Apparently the latino (?) library monitor had called security on me, even though he had approved of me going into the coffee shop. Thanks dude. So I repeated to the latino (?) security guard #1 (2 others would arrive shortly later) what had just transpired.
He asked me again if I was "faculty". I started to say, "I just told you I am not...." but then I stopped and said, "ASKED & ANSWERED" . I did NOT come in trying to be a "poser" (ie posing as, or pretending to be, a biola professor), which seemed to be the implication by him asking again, perhaps with a little smirk on his face, I'm not sure.
He started to talk about Biola being "private property" . I noticed another latino (?) security guy now standing off to the side trying to remain unnoticed. . Wow ! This was like an emergency to them. A "stranger" on campus. I asked # 1 to speak to his supervisor. And he said, "Sure he's here." And waved over the other latino guard (#2) whose name was Mendoza. But I asked Mendoza who is the head honcho and he spelled out a complicated name that sounded African to me. He said he was the shift supervisor.
WE basically repeated the same things I just had talked to #1 about. Mendoza began to emphasize that this is "private property" blah blah blah. I mentioned that I was going to go to the 2nd half of the basketball game. I also mentioned that at Fuller we allow Biola students to go to the library. I mentioned Calvin College and thought there was some "reciprocation" between Christian colleges. I mentioned my "history" in the Christian community, etc without going too specific.
I was trying to be nice. Mendoza seemed to be trying to be polite, but I still felt like I was being treated like a "lower class" citizen because I wasn't a student, staff, or faculty. By that time a 3rd latino (? ) security was standing by the door as Mendoze did, trying to remain off to the side for some reason. That's probably good actually, rather than "escalate" the matter by overwhelming me with big male security guards, none of whom were my own skin color or ethnicity.
That shouldn't matter but it does , especially in southern California where whites are now actually the minority. In most of my day to day business I rarely encounter whites at stores and various businesses, and now at Biola amongst the security guards, albeit I thought I noticed white security at the Christmas tree lighting a week ago (or was that La Mirada police?). C'mon let's admit it, everybody has a bit of a bias. I know some latinos have a bias against some whites as less intelligent. I sort of got a feeling that I was being treated as such, which is why I repeated that I am a Calvin graduate, and also Fuller (BA/BA/M.Div))
ANyways, I wondered why they need such a big security force at Biola. Is there really that many problems with crime here? At Fuller they have one guard per shift who drives around in a Post vehicle...usually a bit too big , but at least only one. Biola campus is a bit bigger but do they really need so much security ?
It made me think later about whether some Christian colleges are becoming more "private" than "Christian" in character. I hope that's not the case at Biola because I know they have a lot of good people here, just like at Calvin, and at Fuller, and at Azusa, among elsewhere.
It's important for our Christian institutions to retain their Christian character. That's why I like it that Biola has a Christmas tree ceremony (& Christmas concerts, etc) as opposed to Fuller which is almost strictly academic in nature. I think I would have been happier, in retrospect, if I had attended Talbot seminary rather than Fuller. Talbot and Biola , in general, are also a little more conservative than Fuller, or maybe a lot more now.
Anyways, I am a Christian evangelist (BA/BA/M.Div) and enjoy periodically dropping in at events at Fuller (my alma mater), Biola (my calvin replacement in southern Cal) , as well as Azusa (but it is farther away than Biola) .
I don't just drop in and walk around and pretend to be a student or staff. I come at specific times for specific events, but this was the first time I tried to use the Biola Library in a LONG time (before they started the students only policy) so it took me by surprise.
Nonetheless, I asked why they were targeting me. Why didn't they ask everybody in the coffee shop for ID? Simply because the library monitor called them for no good reason? Mendoza stammered that they were here because they thought I needed "help".
But #1 and #2 insisted that I couldn't just sit in the coffee shop. I told him that I've come to various conferences & events here over the years and often came to the coffee shop or cafteria during breaks, without an issue. He raised his eyebrows and said "You've been to conferences here in the cafeteria?"
Was he trying to be sarcastic and ridicule me as if I was concocting a ridiculous story about attending conferences in the Biola cafeteria!? I rebutted his exaggeration and said with emphasis that I would GO TO THE CAFTERIA DURING BREAKS from the various conferences I've attended. Was that really necessary Mendoza? That was clearly disrespectful. Snarky.
I've been to the theology/philsophy lectures in the chapel. I've been to the evangelical meeting in one of the classroom areas. I've been to Dennis Prager event. I've been to a pastor event when Frank Pastore was still alive and well (RIP), and I've been to basketball games.
So then he added insult to injury and said "DO you know where the gymnasium is? " After all I told him I told him , he still decided in his mind that I was some stranger who just walked on to the campus for the first time, and was pretending to be familiar with it. How insulting.
I told him again that I was going to go to the 2nd half of the basketball game.. he tried to find out if it was halftime yet via his radio. I finally said I would go...thinking I might still go to the game, but decided just to leave instead. IT was not the most pleasant experience of my life. They could have been better. But then, I suppose, they could have been worse too.
At one point I think Mendoza did say he was trying to "accommodate" me. Anyways, I will leave it at that for now.
Later, I realized, I need to start "blogging Biola" . This is my way of coping with insults after-the-fact. This will be a "fair & balanced" blog about my experiences at Biola and maybe some Biola news updates as well.
Needless to say , as a disclaimer, this is NOT anything affiliated with Biola, albeit I would like to think of them as my "2nd Calvin" at times. Time will tell ...we shall see how I am treated in the future if and when I return for specific events at which the public are allowed to attend.
And I would like to think that if and when I do attend such an event, if I feel inclined to sit in the cafeteria or coffee shop for a little while either to eat/drink or simply browse my phone, I won't be treated like a dangerous stranger next time.I am a fellow Christian.
Does Biola require their security to be Christians? (ie do they only hire Christians for security? ) I would like to think so. Otherwise you are giving "secular treatment" to mostly Christian people coming to their campus. IF we are fellow Christians we need to show that sort of brotherly care for each other, more so than "This is private property" .
God will judge us all accordingly. Our Christian institutions should beware of hiding too much behind the veil of "private property" when it is convenient. I don't think this comes down from the top at Biola. I know some of the people at Biola, and know they are pretty good people.
I must rebuke myself as well if and when I do mistreat others as strangers. Hear my prayer that this will lead to a better paradigm for ALL of us in and around the Biola community. In the name of the Father Son & Holy Spirit !
And yet, yesterday, December 8, 2016 I came to Biola after an event in Brea, intending to catch the 2nd half of the basketball game. Arriving a little early I decided to go to the Biola library first, and do a little studying. However, I hadn't been to the library in a long time and I was informed that you have to be a student or staff to use the library.
I was a bit surprised, and asked if there was any allowance for Fuller Alumni , which I am. And the latino (?) library monitor said only for current fuller students. I also am a former Calvin College student /graduate but didn't mention it yet.
Biola is the closest thing to a Calvin College in southern California, although Azusa also could be considered a substitute as well. Anyways, the library monitor had his orders to keep people like me out so there was no use arguing.
Although apparently they do give a 1-time guest pass, but it is a 1-time only (ie "for life"? I asked , and he nodded yes). And it requires ID, which I didn't have . I don't carry a wallet with ID etc. I keep it all in the car and only bring it when I plan to use it.
So I turned around and walked over to the little adjoining coffee shop. I didn't think it would be a big deal to go sit in there and "read my phone " for a while (Biola does offer free wifi for guests) before going to the 2nd half of the basketball game (Biola men are undefeated this season, GO Eagles!, and they won again).
As I opened the door to the coffee shop I looked back at the latino (?) library monitor and he seemed to be watching me closely, as if I needed permission to do anything on the Biola campus, even go to their coffee shop.
So I said to him, "Is this ok? Can I go in here?" And he nodded. So I went in, sat down, and connected to wiFi and started scanning the news and trying to connect to Biola basketball live stats . I couldn't connect to the Biola game so I just read the news.
About 10 minutes later a latino (?) security guard came in and stood over me as if he felt he needed to he stern with me. He inquired as to my purpose being on the Biola campus. He asked if I was "faculty".
Apparently the latino (?) library monitor had called security on me, even though he had approved of me going into the coffee shop. Thanks dude. So I repeated to the latino (?) security guard #1 (2 others would arrive shortly later) what had just transpired.
He asked me again if I was "faculty". I started to say, "I just told you I am not...." but then I stopped and said, "ASKED & ANSWERED" . I did NOT come in trying to be a "poser" (ie posing as, or pretending to be, a biola professor), which seemed to be the implication by him asking again, perhaps with a little smirk on his face, I'm not sure.
He started to talk about Biola being "private property" . I noticed another latino (?) security guy now standing off to the side trying to remain unnoticed. . Wow ! This was like an emergency to them. A "stranger" on campus. I asked # 1 to speak to his supervisor. And he said, "Sure he's here." And waved over the other latino guard (#2) whose name was Mendoza. But I asked Mendoza who is the head honcho and he spelled out a complicated name that sounded African to me. He said he was the shift supervisor.
WE basically repeated the same things I just had talked to #1 about. Mendoza began to emphasize that this is "private property" blah blah blah. I mentioned that I was going to go to the 2nd half of the basketball game. I also mentioned that at Fuller we allow Biola students to go to the library. I mentioned Calvin College and thought there was some "reciprocation" between Christian colleges. I mentioned my "history" in the Christian community, etc without going too specific.
I was trying to be nice. Mendoza seemed to be trying to be polite, but I still felt like I was being treated like a "lower class" citizen because I wasn't a student, staff, or faculty. By that time a 3rd latino (? ) security was standing by the door as Mendoze did, trying to remain off to the side for some reason. That's probably good actually, rather than "escalate" the matter by overwhelming me with big male security guards, none of whom were my own skin color or ethnicity.
That shouldn't matter but it does , especially in southern California where whites are now actually the minority. In most of my day to day business I rarely encounter whites at stores and various businesses, and now at Biola amongst the security guards, albeit I thought I noticed white security at the Christmas tree lighting a week ago (or was that La Mirada police?). C'mon let's admit it, everybody has a bit of a bias. I know some latinos have a bias against some whites as less intelligent. I sort of got a feeling that I was being treated as such, which is why I repeated that I am a Calvin graduate, and also Fuller (BA/BA/M.Div))
ANyways, I wondered why they need such a big security force at Biola. Is there really that many problems with crime here? At Fuller they have one guard per shift who drives around in a Post vehicle...usually a bit too big , but at least only one. Biola campus is a bit bigger but do they really need so much security ?
It made me think later about whether some Christian colleges are becoming more "private" than "Christian" in character. I hope that's not the case at Biola because I know they have a lot of good people here, just like at Calvin, and at Fuller, and at Azusa, among elsewhere.
It's important for our Christian institutions to retain their Christian character. That's why I like it that Biola has a Christmas tree ceremony (& Christmas concerts, etc) as opposed to Fuller which is almost strictly academic in nature. I think I would have been happier, in retrospect, if I had attended Talbot seminary rather than Fuller. Talbot and Biola , in general, are also a little more conservative than Fuller, or maybe a lot more now.
Anyways, I am a Christian evangelist (BA/BA/M.Div) and enjoy periodically dropping in at events at Fuller (my alma mater), Biola (my calvin replacement in southern Cal) , as well as Azusa (but it is farther away than Biola) .
I don't just drop in and walk around and pretend to be a student or staff. I come at specific times for specific events, but this was the first time I tried to use the Biola Library in a LONG time (before they started the students only policy) so it took me by surprise.
Nonetheless, I asked why they were targeting me. Why didn't they ask everybody in the coffee shop for ID? Simply because the library monitor called them for no good reason? Mendoza stammered that they were here because they thought I needed "help".
But #1 and #2 insisted that I couldn't just sit in the coffee shop. I told him that I've come to various conferences & events here over the years and often came to the coffee shop or cafteria during breaks, without an issue. He raised his eyebrows and said "You've been to conferences here in the cafeteria?"
Was he trying to be sarcastic and ridicule me as if I was concocting a ridiculous story about attending conferences in the Biola cafeteria!? I rebutted his exaggeration and said with emphasis that I would GO TO THE CAFTERIA DURING BREAKS from the various conferences I've attended. Was that really necessary Mendoza? That was clearly disrespectful. Snarky.
I've been to the theology/philsophy lectures in the chapel. I've been to the evangelical meeting in one of the classroom areas. I've been to Dennis Prager event. I've been to a pastor event when Frank Pastore was still alive and well (RIP), and I've been to basketball games.
So then he added insult to injury and said "DO you know where the gymnasium is? " After all I told him I told him , he still decided in his mind that I was some stranger who just walked on to the campus for the first time, and was pretending to be familiar with it. How insulting.
I told him again that I was going to go to the 2nd half of the basketball game.. he tried to find out if it was halftime yet via his radio. I finally said I would go...thinking I might still go to the game, but decided just to leave instead. IT was not the most pleasant experience of my life. They could have been better. But then, I suppose, they could have been worse too.
At one point I think Mendoza did say he was trying to "accommodate" me. Anyways, I will leave it at that for now.
Later, I realized, I need to start "blogging Biola" . This is my way of coping with insults after-the-fact. This will be a "fair & balanced" blog about my experiences at Biola and maybe some Biola news updates as well.
Needless to say , as a disclaimer, this is NOT anything affiliated with Biola, albeit I would like to think of them as my "2nd Calvin" at times. Time will tell ...we shall see how I am treated in the future if and when I return for specific events at which the public are allowed to attend.
And I would like to think that if and when I do attend such an event, if I feel inclined to sit in the cafeteria or coffee shop for a little while either to eat/drink or simply browse my phone, I won't be treated like a dangerous stranger next time.I am a fellow Christian.
Does Biola require their security to be Christians? (ie do they only hire Christians for security? ) I would like to think so. Otherwise you are giving "secular treatment" to mostly Christian people coming to their campus. IF we are fellow Christians we need to show that sort of brotherly care for each other, more so than "This is private property" .
God will judge us all accordingly. Our Christian institutions should beware of hiding too much behind the veil of "private property" when it is convenient. I don't think this comes down from the top at Biola. I know some of the people at Biola, and know they are pretty good people.
I must rebuke myself as well if and when I do mistreat others as strangers. Hear my prayer that this will lead to a better paradigm for ALL of us in and around the Biola community. In the name of the Father Son & Holy Spirit !
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