For the first 23 years of my life I was not a Christian. I have since accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, and enjoyed a personal relationship with God for 4 years--studying His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in my life. Like the apostle Paul, I started my life on the other side of the fence; an enemy and persecutor of God and all those who practiced religion. Perhaps it was because I was ashamed of my lifestyle and my addictions, yet I was unwilling to give them up or admit it. Nevertheless, I did not grow up sheltered or in a Christian environment.
Let me get this out of the way first: Christians are not perfect.
1 John 1:8-10:
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
I looked at the list of reprimands and consequences and even I found them to be overbearing and legalistic. Not to mention it overemphasizes the punitive aspects, rather than the assurance of forgiveness that is promised by our Loving God. Certainly, I see the value of attempting to foster such an environment for Christians in order to set an example as well as providing a sanctuary. However, as far as educating and challenging the believer, this type of measure is highly ineffective.
For example, on Sundays, it is very easy to "be a Christian" in church while everyone else around you is trying their best to do the same. However, I think a better test of your faith is how well this carries over Monday through Saturday--when you are at work, at home, at a "normal school", or when nobody else is watching. Your assessment that this type of sheltered environment does not model the "real world" is correct, for the most part--it is idealistic at best.
As a Christian, I KNOW that I sin on a daily basis; that's why I need Jesus.
That's why I continue to go to church; much like people who are sick need to go to the hospital to see a doctor. Know that all Christians, no matter how old, are still works in progress.
To expect this level of purity and maturity from a young adult living in today's world accustomed with today's moral standards (or lack thereof) is asking a bit much; as is evident by many of your responses. For someone who is accustomed to this kind of living, it may not seem so unreasonable. But to force an unwilling individual into this kind of institution will not produce the result you might desire.
I can sympathize with your reactions to seeing something that so starkly contrasts with what we are so used to seeing nowadays. Such freedoms can easily be viewed as restrictions depending on what side of the fence you are on. For example, someone might view narcotics being illegal as a violation of his freedom to utilize substances that he believes he is entitled to. Whereas, a former addict might see it another way having been freed from his bondage/imprisonment to such a powerful addiction. Or that the police are just trying to get on your case (and sometimes they are), but for the most part they are there for your general protection. Again, it depends on which side of the law you're on.
In the end, nobody is forcing you to go to Liberty U. Just as nobody forces you to believe in Jesus Christ. It is a freedom you can choose to exercise or not. If you truly believe in liberty and freedom let us, at the very least, be mindful of others' beliefs and of the choices that they choose to make. So in the case of Liberty University, institutions such as these are few and far between. Let us not wrongly criticize this school or those who choose to exercise their freedom to attend it.
