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Education cuts threaten Bible colleges and seminaries, not just ‘woke’ programs
The Education Department’s earnings test was aimed at “woke” degrees. Bible colleges and seminaries didn’t see themselves as the target.
By Janet Marugg | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
As a Cold War kid in America, I lived a strange ambiguity. Our nuclear “achievements” turned cold and fearful. We drilled at school as if we had a chance under a poison mushroom sky. We prayed to a deaf god at church, and ruthlessly demonized those who didn’t – the godless communists.
Cold War kids knew the enemy. The godless communist governments that owned everything – owned the people and the work they do. Godless communism, we were told, takes ownership of private businesses so, yes, my brow did rise when my U.S. president purchased “golden shares” of U.S. companies (Intell, U.S. Steel, and MP Materials).
Golden shares and cold memories
Cold War kids learned that godless communist governments controlled people with undue influence through “state TV.” They pumped their people full of propaganda, and so, yes, my other brow rose when my U.S. president deemed everything unflattering to him to be “fake” and allowed his courtesan friends to purchase media platforms to pump the people full of his flattery.
As a Cold War kid in America, the worse was learning that godless communists dictate citizen’s careers and employment. Communist kids had to grow up and be whatever the state deems necessary. So, yes, I double-browed when the wrestling lady head of the U.S. Department of Education announced a rule to withhold educational loans and university programs for degrees she didn’t like.
I’ve got a bad case of Cold War PTSD. These U.S. Dept. of Education cuts meant to target the teaching of humanities, sciences, liberal arts (philosophy, history, English, world languages, art, etc.) for being too “woke” and for underperforming in financial returns.
But like nuclear war with godless communists, the war on woke has unintended consequences. It turns out, owning the “libs” by withholding liberal arts education is devastating to religious education programs at Bible colleges, seminaries and divinity schools.
In April, the U.S. Department of Education tied a new rule to our president’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” that establishes an “earnings test” to determine student loan eligibility and program “viability.” Programs that routinely fail to provide students with a reliable return on investment would lose access to federal student loans, and in certain cases, Pell Grants.
Pastoral care, this is you
If a college program flunks an earning test two years in a row, the government will label it as failing. Pastoral carers, this is you. And that bothers me. It triggers my post Cold War PTSD. Is our government really going to force large-scale godlessness on us by eliminating Bible study programs and Theological studies? What bait and switch is this?
It might surprise, but humanists do support quality standards and healthy religious education for pastoral professions. Intellectually honest atheists recognize that religion does psychological and social work that benefits human beings. Despite doctrinal flaws, religious observance can provide our human evolutionary requirements for attachment and bonding, ritualized nervous
system regulation, grief containment, and such. People should appreciate the depth of good guidance and pastoral care.
Financial outcomes matter, but they don’t entirely measure the important work of clerical care. Congregations deserve educated religious leaders. When everyone has a megaphone, the country needs trustworthy religious guides.
We do not need more hedge-fund managers and big-tech/pharma/oil/war swindlers – we need people who know how to do the work of understanding and caring for each other. What is priceless will never pay enough for Wall Street.
‘An audience of One’
This graduate of Miss Barrett’s 4th-grade class circa early 1970s wants to know, what do you call a government determining a purpose-driven education less valuable? A government that tells us that if a calling doesn’t come with a big salary, we must suffer further economic discrimination?
People are not here to perform for the lifestyles of the rich and famous – to be forced into lifetime jobs for the purpose of increasing the war chest of the U.S. Treasury. The educated clergy I know believe we are here to perform for an audience of One and that One requires something very different than our government’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” That One requires humanity to be cared for.
The current government has decided that people voted against education for clergy, social workers, teachers, counselors, artists, thinkers, public servants, etc., because they are too woke – too caring for the well-being of others over the next quarterly report or Treasury tally. Suddenly, this godless corporatism looks exactly like godless communism.
But we cannot surrender our right to love and care for one another. Helping others is a source of profound joy. Joy on Earth is heaven on Earth. Why would our government withhold this from us like only the godless communists would do? Miss Barrett?
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