Dr. Ligon Duncan’s Ten Radically Counter-Cultural Things that You Can Learn at Belhaven College

tartan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:30:30 +0000

Ten Radically Counter-Cultural Things that You Can Learn at Belhaven that You Won’t Learn at Other Colleges.

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan, III, Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson and member of Belhaven’s Board of Reference, spoke at the Fall Academic Convocation. He contrasted Belhaven’s emphasis on the biblical worldview with 10 “isms” that are at odds with Christianity.

(”Isms” at odds with Christianity listed in gray)

1. Life does not revolve around self.
Individualism: The self is the prime reality.

2. Truth exists and matters.

Relativism: there is no such thing as absolutes or morality.

3. What you believe informs everything you do, and what you do shows what you really believe.

Secularism: Religion must be kept out of all public spheres.

4. Real tolerance is not (and cannot be) based on relativism. All roads do not lead up the mountain!
Pluralism: All views, values, and lifestyles must be accorded equal standing.

5. Not everything that works is right.
Pragmatism: Whatever works is right.

6. Not all change is good.
Progressivism: Change is always good and progress is inevitable.

7. Our technology does not give us the ability to solve every human problem.
Rationalization (or Technophilia) Technology can solve all our problems

8. This material world is not all that there is.
Naturalism: Reality is material.

9. Freedom does not mean doing what I want to do.
Antinomianism: Freedom is right and it means I can do whatevery I want to do.

10. You are worse than you think you are. You are what you are alone, when no one sees you.
Privatism: Private life and public life have no necessary connection.

The Belhaven University Tartan » First Presbyterian Church Jackson

Dr. Ligon Duncan’s Ten Radically Counter-Cultural Things that You Can Learn at Belhaven College