Kerby Anderson

When President Everett Piper wrote his commentary about an incident on his campus, he had no idea that it would go viral (with 3.5 million views). He told the story about one of the students who felt victimized after a university chapel by a sermon on 1 Corinthians 13, often known as the “love chapter” in Paul’s epistle. He explained the philosophy at Oklahoma Wesleyan University and ended it by saying, “This is not a day care. This is a university.”

He was in studio with me last week promoting his new book, Not A Day Care: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth. He takes on the shocking examples of the “snowflake” insanity and the demand for “safe spaces.” He documents the dangerous intolerance on many university campuses. And he reminds us of the importance of protecting free speech.

Before he moved to Oklahoma, he served as dean of students at a college in Michigan. He taught a freshman orientation course and had students watch the movie Schindler’s List and then write a three-page paper. One student wrote a paper that summarized the plot and historical detail. But she ended the paper by admitting, “Who am I to judge the Germans?” She just could not bring herself to say that what was done in Nazi Germany was evil or wrong. In his book he cites other examples of the non-judgmentalism that has infected the millennial generation.

There is certainly a role for the church is this discussion. He recounts a time when he was on the TV program hosted by Bill O’Reilly, who voiced his exasperation with the lack of Christian leadership in the midst of these important cultural debates. Christians need to expose the self-refuting pablum of progressives. How tolerant is it to say, I can’t tolerate your intolerance, and how isn’t it hateful to say, I hate you hateful people?

The book is destined to be a bestseller. I recommend you pick it up and read about the problem and his biblical solutions.