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Education and Religion 1
By Rev. Kelvin N. Broadus
If I understand correctly, educational institutions by religious organizations cannot be completely governed by the government, and even the programs at governmentally accredited schools must still remain from under governmental control. If this is the case, how can any religious degree be deemed credible in the business and academic eye, even if it is from Harvard School of Divinity? It seems that ultimately it is a personal view, and popularity complex. I say that because even governmentally recognized accrediting associations vary from their own acceptance, which is what causes so much turmoil when trying to transfer from one to another, with loss of credits. After each association was founded, certain groups of people found whichever they liked best, or what they felt seemed to be the most appropriate standards, and others jumped on the bandwagon, finally ensuring these certain organizations to become recognized by the US Department of Education to be "good enough." So does that cause ministry seminaries and institutes of higher education to be less than good enough, since they cannot be officially "associated" with the government? Or does that cause ministry institutes to be less effective? I know that many theological schools don't seek being accredited because of their beliefs.
It does become sad to live in a world that bases a person's work on a piece of paper, and what paper that piece of paper is endorsed by. If someone has been working in a field for 12 years, and never received a degree, is he less than qualified than someone who has been studying it for four years who does have one? I think not, but the society treats it as so. Four years and a degree are able to outweigh a lifetime of experience. Why? I have always valued education and higher learning and enlightenment, but why is your higher learning deemed worthless if certain institutions endorsed by certain associations do not approve it? We study to show ourselves approved, but who are we seeking approval from, or whom should we be seeking approval from? God definitely, yet we also have to be approved of by mankind in order to be accepted by most of mankind's jobs anyway. My intent is not to degrade the Department of Education or any of its institutions of higher learning, though they can even grant honorary degrees, which are accepted as acceptable. I'm just trying to understand why ministry, independent study, life experience crediting, and other nontraditional institutions get such disrespect in society. I've always thought that education was supposed to be free, yet free education (self study, mentoring, and apprenticeship) under most authorities, with exceptions in some trades such as barbering apprenticeship, is deemed worthless in this society of paperwork. Any answers or helpful information would be greatly appreciated.
By the grace of God,
Kelvin
2001 © Rev. Kelvin N. Broadus, UGFE Ministries. All rights reserved.