NPR had an excellent story a few days ago entitled Harvard for the Home-Schooled, Christian Crowd. It was about Patrick Henry College, an evangelical college with a large number of home-schooled students. It is an academy that is preparing young evangelicals to make a difference in the public square. This frightens many liberals, who fear that the religious right will one day set up a theocracy. The story included an interview with Hanna Rosen, a journalist who has written a book about the college.
I found the story to be touching. Hanna Rosen did not expect to like the Patrick Henry students. She is a Jew who was born in Israel and has lived in New York. Her social circle is very liberal. But she became friends with the students, and she found herself defending their right to participate in the public square. Her experience reminds me of other stories I have read. Carol Felsenthal was a feminist who cringed at the name "Phyllis Schlafly," until she got to know the conservative activist and found her to be a remarkable woman. I read this one blog by a liberal woman who hated Jerry Falwell, before she actually met the guy and discovered he was quite likable. Today's political climate tends to demonize opponents, so it is refreshing when someone discovers that the other side is composed of real people, with thoughts, feelings, and qualities like everyone else.
The story also highlighted a difficult issue: the doctrine that non-Christians will spend eternity in hell. Hanna told about a Patrick Henry student who was staying at her home. After the student had developed a friendship with Hanna and her family, Hanna asked her if she believed the Rosens were going to hell. After an awkward pause, the student replied, "Yes, but I'm not jumping for joy about that."
There was a Patrick Henry alumnus on the show, and the interviewer asked him if the Dalai Lama was going to hell. The alumnus responded that he heard a story about a previous Dalai Lama who had died holding a crucifix. His point was that we don't always have the full story about what people believe, so we can't make judgments about their eternal destiny. I think his point is valid. People often ask, "Is Gandhi going to hell?" They assume that Gandhi was a non-Christian. But Gandhi read the Gospel of John on a regular basis. He acknowledged his inner depravity. He had a picture of Jesus hanging on his wall. How do we know he didn't become a Christian before he died?
So the story was quite thought-provoking. Hope you enjoy it!