Calling Dr. Brock (Cont'd)

Have you ever started the day with what appears to be a simple question, and the answer prompts another two or three additional questions, a greater need to research the matter, which again prompts another round of questions and before you realize it has become an all day event?

That is what has happened today. After my discussion yesterday with my friend ( we will call her Martha - not her real name) I began to ponder the issue of divorce and religious service. As we all know our civil (government) courts in almost every state permit no fault divorce; which in essence allows one party to seek a termination of the marital status without the other party needing to agree.

What we are left with is a college that much to my suprise, not only refuses to employ faculty members who are divorced or married to someone who is divorced, but they also will not allow a divorced student or a student who is married to someone who is divorced to attend the college. I have seen some extreme interpretations but this one is certainly farreaching. It begged the question, "Do other colleges and universities of the same religious background hold the same type of dogmatic policy?"

So my quest began. I contacted Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. I spoke with the Deans office and with the academic affairs office to determine their policy and position. BBC is by no means a liberal Baptist college and anyone claiming such is either lying or greatly misinformed. Their policy is to review the circumstances and make a decision based upon the individual and do so in a private and respectful manner. They do ** NOT ** outright reject anyone on the basis of a divorce alone.

I then contacted Bob Jones University which took the same approach as BBC. Pilsbury Baptist Bible College again does not outright reject either faculty or students on the basis of divorce alone.

I have several other colleges that I plan to contact as well so that I can fairly evaluate this issue.

I still firmly believe that Dr. Brock and Maranatha have an obligation to disclose the basis for their policy. It is stated clearly on their website and in their applicaton process; therefore, it is a matter which is open to discussion - they made it that way by stating the policy openly.

I again call on Dr. Brock to provide the reasoning behind the policy openly and pubicly. No ridicule will come from me on the matter, and although I am sure I will have further comments to make afterwards (if he grants my wish) but I will in no way make it personal or attack the college directly. I may respectfully disagree and that will be that.