AN HONORARY DOCTORATE?

I've written long enough on this blog about the apostasy in Christianity, and yeah even in Fundamentalists circles and even within the Indpendent Baptist Movement, that it is now time I start giving some definite and specific details of that apostasy. So I'll begin with something that really bothers me, and something that very few want to deal with. That is the subject of the "Honoray Doctorate."

There was a pastor in South Carolina that I really appreciated because of his stand against being a "doctor." He said once from the pulpit, "I don't ever want to be a Doctor, for it was the Pharisees and the DOCTORS of the Law that killed Jesus Christ! Why would I want to identify with that crowd?"

He further said, "And I tell you what I'd do if someone tried to give me an honorary doctorate from some Bible School somewhere. I'd go to their college to accept it in person, and then I'd tear it up right in their face, because I didn't earn it, and to give me something like that that I didn't earn is WRONG!"

I thought about that later, and really enjoyed hearing him say that. Because in modern Christianity today, there is a lot of MEN WORSHIP. And because of this, people believe that if a person has a high "degree," then he someone who is worthy of attention, esteem, and praise by other men.

But what does the Bible say about this? In Psalm 62:9, we read what God thinks of those with degrees: "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."

The way God looks at things is much different then how men look them. For in our world today, we view those who have "doctorates" as some of the smartest people in the world. But if you'll actually study their lives and teachings, the fact of the matter is they are some of the STUPIDEST and LOONIEST people who ever lived! The majority of them aren't even saved, and they buy into ridiculous theories such as "Evolution" and "The Big Bang." So from the get-go they are against God and everything to do with Bible.

This doesn't bother God much, as he's already written about them before they were even born:

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

1 Cor 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1 Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 Cor 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

1 Cor 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1 Cor 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;1 Cor 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 1 Cor 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

According to God, those who think they are smart in this world are FOOLS. And God says those who think they are wise are only VAIN. This is why God wants people to look to Him for knowledge and His precious, holy word, and not to men. God doesn't want men to glory in themselves. He wants all the Glory for Himself! (And let me just say, HE DESERVES IT ALL!)

So what about "Christian Doctorates" given out in so-called Christian Schools, Bible Institutes, and Colleges? If God is against athiestic, secualr doctors and degrees, wouldn't it stand to reason that he'd be against those who claim to be Christians, but who desire to receive praise for their acheivements as well?

I'll let you answer that question yourself! All I know is many people who claim to be Christians Scholars with "High Degrees," are often those who are the most adamant attackers of the King James Bible. They are the same ones who praise the Westcott and Hort texts, and the Vaticanus and Siniaticus, while they defend the Septuagint and the modernistic Nestle-Aland "Critical" Greek Texts. Their "education" has made them"critical" as they cast doubt on which Bible texts are the right ones, and this usually leads these "learned men" to becoming their own "authority" (because they think they know more than anyone else), instead of trusting solely in the word of God. Yep, a good education can often times ruin a fellow!

Now I'm not saying that all "doctors" are bad. I'm sure there are good doctors in both the secular world and in Christianity. But if you study the educational system that most of them receive, you'll see oftentimes it is bad, as it casts doubt on the TRUTH, replacing it with TRADITION.

Now let's move away from "earned" doctorates, which are something a person has worked hard to obtain through much study, and sacrifice, and look at the "honorary doctorate."

What think you? Is it okay for a university or college to grant a degree to someone who didn't earn it, all because THEY (the university faculty) deem that person has done something to merit it?

Well, you can think whatever you like. But here's what I see. First, that's giving someone something they didn't earn! Second, it's giving them something freely that others had to sacrifice and pay for! Third, it falsely gives a person a title that can further their career or standing in the community, and Fourth, it helps the university to brag on itself and those who have become "doctors" at their institution.

To me, all these are not good! And for a person to receive something he didn't earn, and then go around and brag about it, DOESN'T THAT MAKE HIM A HYPOCRITE??? And doesn't it give him the praise of MAN instead of giving all the praise and honor and glory to GOD?

I don't see how a Christian could want to have an honorary doctorate. I just don't see how they would want peope to call them something they are not. And I don't see how they would want people to view them as something they didn't earn!

I've seen a lot of Christians ministers obtain honorary doctorates. And I wish I could say good things about all of them who received that degree. But instead, what I have seen is a change in their mentality and in their attitude. They are no longer meek and humble. They are no longer approachable and courteous and easy to talk with. Instead they become lifted up with pride, and begin to walk with their heads higher than everyone else's, while they look down their noses at others.

They further become "political" as "allegience" to the school that bestowed to them such a great honor leads them to favoring other alumni of that educational institution. (They become "groupies). And most notably, the new "doctor" then feels because he has such an honor bestowed upon him that he must have something that people need to hear, so he goes on "speaking tours" in "conferences" which draw large crowds because he's such a "noted speaker."

But, how does this give honor and glory to Jesus Christ??? Instead, it gives honor and glory to the college, to the "honorary doctor initiate" and to man!

What ever happened to the old time days of people coming together under a tent for a REVIVAL MEETING? They went to hear PREACHING from the word of God! Those days are few and far between. Now a well-known name is what draws a crowd to come together. And the people go to hear him instead of to hear from God.

Is this apostasy? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS IT IS! It's a form of man worship. For men (the college faculty) give honor to a person in the form of a degree. This worships that person, who in return honors the institution by accepting their praise and esteem. And oftentimes the person who receives the "honorary doctorate" becomes full of himself and puffed up with pride, which leads to him becoming nothing more than a modern day PHARISEE, who the rest of his life seeks the praise of men. This man then begins to "compare himself" with others which is something God is very much against and which leads him on the road to apostasy:

2 Cor 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Thus, we find that even though MAN says an "honorary doctor" is SMART, as far as God is concerned, he's not wise at all!

You might not agree with all that's written here. I don't really care. But I would like to provoke you to thought and ask you a question. ARE YOU GUILTY OF FOLLOWING A MAN OR MEN JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DEGREE BEHIND THEIR NAME? Well, just because man says they are smart doesn't mean they really are. You should go to the word of God and check them out. Make sure they are telling you what the Bible says. For oftentimes, "honorary doctors" are guilty of just spewing out the traditions of their college or school, instead of just preaching plainly the word of God.

For truly:

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Psa 118:8)