'76 Blog

('76 Contributor) "Have the media failed America?" That was the question at an all-day conference in Colorado Christian University's Beckman Center on December 2. Media experts gathered to discuss the changing face of news and journalism's role in a free society. It was part of a project called News in the 21st Century, sponsored by CCU through its think tank, the Centennial Institute. Through the means of classroom instruction and civic engagement the News in the 21st Century Project seeks to equip both CCU students and the public to be critical consumers of media, as well as objective producers. "To be self-governing citizens, we all need reliable information about our world," said Centennial Institute director John Andrews. "The News21 project addresses that need."    Funded by a grant from the Smith Foundation in New York, the project is fulfilled in part by Persuasion and News in the 21st Century, a required general education course. Dr. Chris Leland, the professor of record, taught the first two-thirds of the class on basic persuasive theory. Then, students got their hands dirty: under the tutelage of veteran journalists Stephen Keating and Jay Ambrose, they examined firsthand the persuasive messages, bias and tactics that media sometimes uses. Starting with Keating's first question, "Is Facebook news?" students considered how they got news, what they called news, and how they can trust news.    Bringing media notables onto campus was an appropriate climax, as students heard from men and women that they can read in the paper, watch on television, or see on the computer screen. Exhibiting both conservative and liberal views, the panels discussed the effectiveness of the media, as well as the role for consumers today. Students were continually reminded that media is changing, and the divide between consumer and producer is breaking down. Referring to an individual's role, Patti Dennis of 9News reminded all: "Your job is to enlighten yourself." With the rise of the internet and the democratization of news, there is ample opportunity.   Building on this idea, Brent Bozell, who founded the Media Research Center, exhorted students to become storytellers. "If you learn how to become storytellers, you're going to change the world."   Indeed, that was the goal of the class, and remains the ongoing goal of the project -- which will continue in the spring. According to Dr. Leland, students, "gained interpretive skills and interests they didn't have before. They could see how the theory of persuasion works in the real world. And, they saw the clash of ideas in culture."    Still, this class is a beginning for students: with the tools to add to the cultural dialogue, they now have the confidence to do so from a Christian perspective. "Karl Barth said that every Christian should get up in the morning and read the newspaper and the Bible," explained Leland. "They need to know what's going on and how God wants them to react." The News in the 21st Century project aims for exactly that.   "We invite everyone to keep up with the project through our website at www.news21ccu.com," said John Andrews. "That includes suggesting topics for our blog on media bias, and attending future conferences."    The next conference is set for Friday, March 2, 2012, again at the CCU Beckman Center. It will take up the issue of how fair and accurate is the media's treatment of religion and faith.

The CCU Symposium, two days of all-campus lectures and workshops on a topic of urgent concern, held annually in the fall since 2009, addressed "Compassion for the Poor" in this year's sessions on Oct. 11-12. Major speakers included Robert Woodson, Andrew Romanoff, Lawrence Reed, and Paul Cleveland.  CCU alumni working overseas in areas of extreme poverty reported by Skype.  A showing of the documentary film "Waiting for Superman" pointed up the lack of educational opportunity as a critical factor in America's poorest neighborhoods.  A program review is here. CCU President Bill Armstrong, an experienced business executive, longtime evangelist, and former US Senator, opened the Symposium on Tuesday morning with a survey of the human face of poverty around the world - including over a billion people who live on $1 a day- and a review of the biblical commands to help the poor, climaxing with Jesus' promise and warning in Matthew 25. Armstrong closed the Symposium at noon Wednesday with his own personal 10-point commitment for more active engagement with this burning issue.  The points, on which he pledged to report again next Feb. 7, include:  1- Pray regularly myself for the poor 2- Urge others to pray for the poor3- Devote time at weekly CCU Cabinet meeting to prayers for the poor4- Open every CCU class for the next 7 days with prayers for the poor5- Engage CCU more fully with programs of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise6- Place CCU students in CNE Alabama internships7- Engage CCU students with the Mercy Ships ministry8- Form a CCU administration working group on serving the poor9- Double my financial support of charities that serve the poor10- Travel soon to Africa and Latin America to see extreme poverty firsthand

Could it be the past is prologue in terms of a political price to pay for letting the national debt grow endlessly?  With high stakes electorally as fiscally in the upcoming battle over raising the debt ceiling, hop in my time machine and travel back a third of a century to 1978.  Bill Armstrong, president of Colorado Christian University today and a young congressman back then, warned in his underdog campaign against Sen. Floyd Haskell that the incumbent was reckless and wrong in having voted to let America's borrowing go north of $700 billion.  (Whoa, it's now 20 times that much!)  See Armstrong on the attack, and Haskell glumly wishing he was somewhere else, in a priceless debate video from the '78 race that Bill came from 30 points down to win.  It leads off an 8-minute tribute to Colorado's Mr. Conservative, presented to him by surprise at a Boulder County Republican dinner on May 21.  Watch it here.    

(CCU Student) The nuclear crisis in Japan is a tragedy on top of a tragedy. It has not caused major damage, but the Japanese officials have finally decided to tell the truth as it is instead of trying to fluff it up in order to make the people feel better. This is actually how many wish to speak for the entire disaster in general. One reason may be the technological access that has recently caused rebellion in the Middle East. If anyone within the danger zone (or any family member in contact with them) has the ability to access world news they can get the full story from sources other than Japan to find out the truth.  With their new way of handling this disaster in hand they finally disclosed that reactor 2 unit 4 of the Fukushima plant has likely been damaged and is leaking harmful radiation. –Prime Minister Naoto Kan gave a brief address to the nation saying, "The level [of radiation] seems very high, and there is still a very high risk of more radiation coming out." (WSJ)— Now an eighteen mile radius has been evacuated in preparation for more damage, though it is unlikely that this will turn into another Chernobyl despite everything, and this would not be happening at all if they had had the ability to maintain normal safety measures to circumvent the dangers that are happening today. However, not many nations will go through a 9.0 earthquake that moves it, by a considerable margin, towards the United States, nor will they be struck by a 10 meter wave (about 30 feet) shortly afterwards. When dealing with this it is safe to say that the ability of the workers to react within normal parameters had been stolen from them. The fact that this reactor has not obliterated Fukushima like Chernobyl can be attributed to the efforts the Japanese plant workers. Are they out of danger? By no means no, but I do know that this will not be like Chernobyl at all. Chernobyl made it possible to have the safety measures in place at every plant world-wide that are precautions against similar accidents. Though, no matter the outcome, naysayers will take this disaster and run with the idea that nuclear power is never a good source of energy despite evidence to disprove them. It is safer, cleaner, and cheaper than many methods in use today which is why Japan uses it in the first place. Approximately 2/3 of the country relies on nuclear energy as their primary source of power.  What needs to be taken into consideration is it is not an everyday occurrence for two major natural disasters to hit the same area in the same day. Also, since Chernobyl, nuclear plants have not been taken lightly. They are handled as one would handle a wild beast: with a great measure of respect. Since 1986 there have been no major disasters because of the standards set in place. These standards are being used in Japan, and the only reason this malfunction is because of the two-for-one natural disaster. All the affected plants were near the epicenter of the earthquake in near the shoreline hit by the tsunami, and if they had not been prepared for either event in any capacity the plants would not be there and that entire region would be a nuclear wasteland by now. So instead of massive media induced hysteria, we should listen to those with more knowledge on the subject and discover ways that we can be of assistance (besides monetarily) of the Japanese community. We will not know what happens until after everything settles, but the need over there is great whether or not a nuclear disaster is added to the mix.

(Centennial Student Intern) The past few days, with CCU sophomore Drew Goorabian, I have had the distinct pleasure of making a brief pre-Christmas stop in the frozen swamp that is Washington D.C. in the winter. AIPAC or the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee has been both our motivation and gracious host for this trip bringing Drew and me to D.C. to attend the biannual Saban Leadership Seminar. It is quite noteworthy to understand the prevalence of AIPAC as one of America’s most influential political lobbies. AIPAC is better known as “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby” and one of the top five most powerful lobbies in the country ranking alongside the AARP and NRA in lobbing effectiveness, all quite a feat in consideration of their smaller size and lesser funding. It is events like the Saban Leadership Seminar that have boosted AIPAC into their top 5 position. The impact is twofold: first, Saban reaches out to educate and empower over 400 of the top students from a mass of colleges across the country, and second, those same students then go out and educate and impact the rest of the country. Over the past three days, we’ve sat through a myriad of sessions with subjects ranging from international affairs briefings to the etiquette and best practices of lobbying one’s representative. The point being to educate and motivate the next generation of Americans on how to be proactive citizens geared towards making a positive impact on the world.  Below: Lenell, right, and Goorabian paid a call at the White House on Sunday, but Obama refused to see them

“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent."  Those words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian prisoner and eventual martyr in Hitler's Germany, were the concluding line in remarks at a world religions panel on Dec. 10 by Ryan Murphy, CCU Assistant Professor of Christian Thought.  Addressing a convocation of faculty and staff two weeks before Christmas, Murphy pointed out that Advent is unique for the same reason Christianity itself is.  His talk began this way: One question we were each asked to address was: “What is the most serious misunderstanding of you by outsiders?”  It would have to be that Christianity is yet another variant of religion.... Why?  Because in Christianity we have a fundamentally different assessment of the human condition.  That’s what sets Christianity apart.   The assessment is not that vice is ignorance (as per the classical conception, Plato, etc.); it is not that we have corrupted our revelation, lost knowledge of God, and we required simply a better prophet, a more sound revelation, as per Islam, or Joseph Smith). What’s unique, is that Christianity posits that humankind is unable to bridge the gap between ourselves and God – not just ignorant of how, in which case further instruction would be necessary;  Not just unwilling, in which case a helpful example would be called for.   Unable.  In which case, if this gap is to be bridged, it will be bridged by God himself.    This is Anselm’s conviction – Man owes a debt he cannot pay, God wishes to pay a debt he does not owe – the elegant divine solution?  The God-Man.  God incarnate in the person of Christ, reconciling the world to himself.   Read the full text here. Ryan Murphy - This I Believe - 121010  And have a blessed Christmas, a liberating time in the highest and holiest sense of that word, a passage through that door of ultimate freedom of which Bonhoeffer wrote and Murphy spoke.      

Centennial Institute assisted Bill Armstrong, president of Colorado Christian University, in presenting a world religions panel for a half-day workshop of all CCU faculty and staff at the Lakewood campus on Friday, Dec. 10.  With a theme of "This I Believe," thought-leaders of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and atheism offered summations of their faith and sparred amicably with each other in response to audience questions. The panel was one in a series of CCU Strategic Objectives Workshops, designed to help everyone in the community stay on track with the institution's 13 core values, spelled out here.  John Andrews, Centennial Institute director, said that three of those in particular would be served by the Dec. 10 program, including: *  Be seekers of truth  *  Honor Christ and share the love of Christ on campus and around the world;  *  Teach students to trust the Bible, live holy lives, and be evangelists.  The panel was moderated by Dr. Sid Buzzell, Dean of the CCU School of Theology.  The panelists were Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, editor of the Intermountain Jewish News; Ryan Murphy, CCU Assistant Professor of Christian Thought; Imam Karim Abuzaid of the Colorado Muslim Society; and Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. For the opening round of comments, each panelist was asked to address some or all of the following questions: 1- What core beliefs define your overall faith or worldview? 2- What variations of belief characterize the major subgroups? 3- What is the most serious misunderstanding of you by outsiders? 4- What collective self-criticism could be made by you and fellow believers? 5- What is the most important ongoing contribution of your belief system to mankind's wellbeing? 6- Is your belief system more in coexistence, competition, or conflict with other systems? Ryan Murphy's position statement comparing and contrasting Christianity with the other three belief systems will be posted here in full, next week.  A complete video record of the program will be up on CCU.edu in January 2011. Below: CCU's Murphy, atheist Barker, and Rabbi Goldberg listen as Imam Abuzaid states, "We eagerly await the second coming of Jesus, who will return as a Muslim."

This weekend I am fortunate enough, along with my schoolmate, Drew Goorabian, to represent Colorado Christian University at The Young America’s Foundation’s West Coast Leadership Conference at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara.  Throughout this weekend we hope to bring the ‘76 Blog audience along through short stories, photos and anecdotes from our trip. Our first day in Santa Barbara – I am truly amazed.  Three months ago I was in Doylestown Pennsylvania and had not yet traveled beyond the western boarder of my state.  Today I am writing this posting 2,800 miles away from my small-town beginnings.  Colorado, the center of our great nation, is now my home.  And thanks to one more facet of the blessing CCU’s political science department has been to me, I now bear witness to the great expanse of the country I love so deeply.  The opening speaker of the conference, held at the Ronald Reagan Ranch Welcoming Center, was none other than the Gipper’s son, Michael Reagan.  Michael’s speech gave incredible insight to the man that Reagan was on and off “duty”.  He went on to describe how conservative values infiltrated every area of life in the Reagan household.  Michael gave one example of this that took place while riding in his father’s jeep on their ranch.  He recalled asking his father for a raise in allowance at the age of eight.  Ronald Reagan responded by describing all the responsibilities he had as father, head of the household and operator of the ranch.  He, without complaining, laid out, for his son, the responsibilities of an adult and drew parallels of the federal government’s tax policy.  After hearing this, Michael promptly offered to take a “pay-cut” after realizing how gracious his father was already being.  Ronald Reagan denied his son’s offering but instead proposed a deal – if a president would cut his tax rate, Reagan would allow that benefit to trickle down to his son and give him the raise he had requested.         Years later while Michael was in high school John F. Kennedy introduced a tax cut for Americans.  Without needing to be reminded, Ronald Reagan promptly raised his son’s allowance.  Ronald Reagan’s heart pumped conservatism, hard work and reason through his veins.  What made him so impactful was his ability to apply conservatism to any issue.  He was not an elitist pretentiously ordering the masses to do what he thought was in their best interest.  He was a man who could simplify the issues and present them calmly, in a way that even an eight year old could understand.   Today, my second day in California started quite early.  We had breakfast with Senator-elect Michael Lee (Utah) who spoke of his battle to become senator and the help he received from the Tea Party movement.   Next, there was a seminar on government spending, healthcare and its effects on business by Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE restaurants and Dr. David Newton.  Following this, seasoned Congressman Tom McClintock (California 4th) spoke of what congress must do moving forward through 2011 with a majority.  I am truly amazed by the wealth of knowledge that is present here at the Young America’s Foundation’s West Coast Leadership Conference.   Within one hour I was able to hear from and ask questions of members from both sides of the Legislative branch of government in addition to seeing the detailed perspective of economists and successful businessmen. And now for what I had truly been waiting for- a visit to the Reagan Ranch.  After hearing Congressman McClintock speak, we boarded a bus and headed into the mountains for Rancho De Ciello.  I have to comment, leading up to this point I had been nearly bursting with anticipation, but sitting on the bus heading up to Reagan’s Ranch, I reflected on what a treat this whole event had already been.  I looked around, noticing that every conversation on this bus was about conservatism or Reagan or lauding the recent election.   Still, I could not wait to see the place the greatest president loved so much, but I made sure to consciously enjoy the special environment on this trip. I just hope that in time this type of collection of minds is not so rare in everyday life. I really did not know what to expect.  Zigzagging up the steep hillside, our bus felt as if it might not make it to the top.  The view of the pacific kept me occupied however.  We crested the hill and there it was… A proud yet humble proclamation spanned two erected telephone post, “Rancho De Ciello”- beyond that lay a quaint little ranch in a small valley.  I could feel what made Reagan long for this place above all others.  <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->  <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> After exiting the bus, we were led down the driveway past fences built by Ronald Reagan using discarded telephone poles.   I had heard of his homes modest stature, but was amazed to hear that it was no larger than 1600 square feet and had no central air or heating.  This was all fitting though.  Reagan was a man who always had the right priorities.  He built his home in such a way that you could not help but take in the full majesty of God’s surrounding works.  The interior arrangement of his home was in the same priority; there were no fancy appliances, elaborate furniture pieces, just bedrooms, a kitchen, two fireplaces and hundreds of books. I’ll leave you with an interesting anecdote told by the tour guide.  When Gorbachev came to visit the Reagan Ranch he was insulted by the modest stature of Reagan’s home.  It is quite Ironic that the leader of a Communist country would criticize the leader of the free world’s modest home.      

“The youth of our country is our greatest strength. The fact is that we are still young; the country is only a few centuries old. However, it is full of youthful idealism that will return us to greatness. "These words, spoken by Senator elect Mike Lee (R-UT), shored up a stirring and inspiring weekend at the Ronald Reagan Center in Santa Barbara, CA. Along with fellow CCU sophomore Bela Franklin, I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the West Coast Leadership Conference put on by Young America’s Foundation. According to YAF, the purpose of conferences such as these is to teach young people about individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values. Their mission was sustained exceedingly this past weekend, as over 100 students from universities nationwide gathered in Santa Barbara to hear from many of the most prominent speakers inside the conservative movement. Keynote speakers for the weekend consisted of: ·      Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan .      Wayne Thorburn, author of From Goldwater to Reagan ·      Ron Nehring, GOP Chairman of California ·      Marc Theissen, best selling author and speechwriter for President George W. Bush ·      Mike Lee, Senator-Elect of Utah ·      Dr. David Newton, economist and professor of entrepreneurial finance at Westmont College ·      Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE restaurants (Carl’s Jr.) ·      Cong. Tom McClintock, California 4th District ·      Ben Stein, acclaimed author and actor The overarching theme of the weekend, as displayed on each attendees t-shirt, was “Reject Socialism.” The melancholy association with socialism was certainly rejected, as conversations between students, speakers, and staff reflected individuals willing to place their life work towards the advocating of conservative ideology to the young generation. With countless keynote addresses prompting collegiate conservative leaders to become active on their campuses, the powerful message of sustaining freedom and liberty resonated in a highly impactful way throughout the conference. From Michael Reagan’s lecture on The New Reagan Revolution, to Ben Stein discuss ‘Freedom being God’s plan for man’ Live from Rancho Del Cielo, the inclusive experience of the museum and ranch alike is a captivating and inspirational adventure. As stated by Ron Johnson, President of Young America’s Foundation, “(YAF) is preserving and protecting the Reagan Ranch and using this historic presidential property to pass on to our children and grandchildren the ideas and lasting accomplishments of this great leader.” Students were taken to on many of the same trails that President Reagan would take his daily horse-riding session upon, and visited areas of the ranch that had sentimental and endearing value to Mr. and Mrs. Reagan. In addition, students took a first-hand look inside the home in which the Reagan’s presided; a house that was built in the early 1800’s and was scarcely altered from its original composition. Illustrating this experience into words is merely insurmountable, in that the charm, breathtaking outlooks, and rich history of Rancho Del Cielo define the character of the man who inhabited this incredible domain. President Reagan was a man with a message: the message of individual freedom, limited government, and free enterprise. This is a leader who led by example, through his vast knowledge of historical events and sanguine approach in leadership. The ranch was a portrayal of these his inner core, which depicted a place in which history, fascination, and excitement bestowed upon each individual who stepped foot on its premises. And as Reagan once stated: “No place before or since has ever given Nancy and me the joy and serenity it does.” This opportunity maintained itself as the premier venue for conservatives nationwide on the beautiful California coast. Reagan must have been looking down from Heaven this weekend smiling, in that the prospect of hundreds of college students fighting for the explicit constitutional principles that he had spent his life work striving to accomplish was his vision for the youth of America. As leaders on our campuses, it is imperative that we proceed to address and convey the pressing issues facing college students in the current political climate. Because, as Senator Mike Lee stated, the youth are the greatest strength and asset that conservatives possess; they are the key towards uniting and inspiring the upcoming generation towards ideology that reflects constitutional limited government, traditional values, and individual freedom.

As the Centennial Institute / Heritage Foundation seminar on "Seek the Welfare of the City" approached its climax on Nov. 11 with a talk by Robert Woodson of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, CCU senior Cha'Rel Wright brought down the house with an a capella performance of her own spiritual solo, "In Dire Need to End Poverty."  Here are the lyrics: In Dire Need to End Poverty Written by Cha’Rel Wright Who will lead us? Who will go? Stand up for us. Do you know we need the help of your hands? Please say you do understand. We’re in dire need, to end poverty. It’s a big task, but all things are possible through Jesus Christ; that’s one reason He gave His life. No matter what the others say, we will win if we start today. We’re in dire need, to end poverty. Children are dying because there isn’t much to eat. Mothers are crying as they’re on their way to sleep. And it’s not because of you, and it’s not because of me. But understand there is no “I” when we spell “WE”. We will lead them! We will go! Stand up for them! Yes we know they need the help of our hands.  We can’t say we don’t understand. We can’t say we don’t understand. We’re in dire need, to end poverty. Copyright (c) 2010 - Cha'Rel Wright