Years before he prayed and said, “Let’s roll,” on board United 93, Todd Beamer graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. The student center at Wheaton is now named in his honor. Billy Graham and John Piper, famous American preachers graduated from Wheaton. Jim Elliot and his wife Elizabeth, the former a martyred missionary and the latter a clear voice for orthodox Christianity, graduated from Wheaton. So too did Russell T. Vought.
On Friday, Wheaton College noted that its most recent famous alumnus had been elevated, by a vote of the United States Senate, to a prominent position in American society — Director of the Office of Management and Budget, a powerful position within the executive branch of the American government.
“Wheaton College congratulations and prays for 1998 graduate Russell Vought to serve as the White House Director of Management and Budget!” read the social media post.
You cannot find it now. Wheaton College apologized for posting it and deleted it.
Afterwards, Wheaton posted this statement:
On Friday, Wheaton College posted a congratulations and a call to prayer for an alumnus who received confirmation to a White House post. The recognition and prayer is something we would typically do for any graduate who reached that level of government. However, the political situation surrounding the appointment led to a significant concern expressed online. It was not our intention to embroil the College in a political discussion or dispute. Our institutional and theological commitments are clear that the College, as a non-profit institution, does not make political endorsements.
Wheaton College’s focus is on Christ and His Kingdom.
Wheaton’s original social media post was not an endorsement. In fact, it was something the institution would “typically do for any graduate who reached that level of government.” What changed? The progressive mob, which Wheaton chose to cave to.
This is not leadership, but capitulation.
Todd Beamer stormed a cockpit full of jihadis.
Jim Elliott died sharing the gospel.
Philip Ryken, the President of Wheaton College, and his institution could not even stand up to mean tweets.
Wheaton is no longer an institution of Christian conviction. It has not been for some time. This should be the final nail in the coffin of its institutional reputation as an institution committed to orthodox Christian faith.
If you cannot stand up to mean tweets, you’ll blow in the winds of secularism over everything related to Christian orthodoxy, which the institution has already been doing. Now, it is clearly completely adrift.
Those of you who donate to the institution would be best redirecting your dollars elsewhere. Your values are no longer reflected there.
Last Night’s Game
Congrats to the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was kind of boring. But they were amazing.
As for the ads, I thought it was notable that Nike put real women in the women’s ads, as did the NFL. Trans is so last year.
But also, too many of the ads seemed designed to lecture. They were not very entertaining. The advertisers seem to be out of ideas. The game would have been less boring had the ads been more entertaining. But there were few willing to engage emotionally or humorously.
It’s like they all expected Kamala Harris to win and, when she didn’t, it was too late to redo their ads. The advertisers missed the moment.
But while at the game, Trump tweeted an end to the penny. No word on if he actually tweeted it or Big Balls, the intern, did. Either way, the penny is finally going away. Allegedly.
Democrats, who have long wanted it gone, will probably now demand the penny be spared.
Also, that half time show sucked.
