Customer Reviews for Master Books Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Master Books Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
An eye-opening look at the state of American higher education! Surveying Christian and secular schools, Ham and Hall examine whether Ivy League institutions continue to follow their foundational Christian beliefs, and determine which Christian colleges teach the inerrancy of Scripture. What organizations will build - or damage - your child's faith? The results will surprise you!
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Customer Reviews for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Review 1 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Slightly flawed, but still incredibly valuable
Date:May 21, 2012
Daniel Mount
Location:Avery's Creek, NC
Age:25-34
Gender:male
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Several years ago, Ken Ham co-wrote Already Gone, a book that documented that Sunday School is not providing a solid theological grounding for American Christian youth. Already Compromised, co-written with Greg Hall and Britt Beemer, is a logical sequel examining Christian Colleges and their impact on American Christians in their teens and twenties.
For the book, Beemer (who runs ARG, America's Research Group) interviewed 312 Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Science Department heads, and Theology Department heads from universities in the Council for Christian Colleges (the majority) and Universities and to universities affiliated with a Protestant or Catholic denomination (89 of the 312). They asked both general and specific questions about the universities' faithfulness to the foundational truths of the Old and New Testaments.
While there was broad agreement on the foundational truths of the New Testament, when it came to the Old Testament - specifically Genesis - there was far less agreement. Just as one example, many affirmed that Noah's Flood was worldwide--but admitted upon further questioning that, by "worldwide," they only meant the region of the world known in Noah's Day.
The research is thorough and convincing, but the conclusions could have gone farther. The authors still work from the assumption that Christian teenagers will go off to Christian college, despite disturbing evidence that Christian Universities in the United States, from the (now) Ivy League schools through today, almost universally are on the slow path to compromise. Also, of concern to homeschooling parents who believe that God has entrusted parents with the responsibility to train their children, the authors also affirm the validity of the Christian school model.
The book isn't quite as strong as it could be, but aside from those reservations, it is an incredibly valuable resource for parents with children nearing or in high-school years.
Disclosure of Material Connection (FTC 16 CFR, Part 255): Review copy provided by publisher. A positive review was not required; opinions expressed are those of the site editor.
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Review 2 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Where Do Christian Colleges Stand?
Date:October 11, 2011
BlossomB
Location:OH
Age:25-34
Gender:female
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How do Christian colleges stack up when it comes to teaching Biblical truths? How many actually teach what the Bible says? What impact does this have on those entering and leaving Christian colleges? Ken Ham, Greg Hall and research data from Britt Beemer give the facts in the book Already Compromised.
With the passing of time, I’m getting very close to having a student that will be looking at attending college. I really can’t keep burying my head in the sand. I requested to review this book from New Leaf Publishing and they graciously sent me a copy.
Many know who Ken Ham is (and many may know who Greg Hall is as well- I didn’t) and his affiliation with Answers in Genesis. The philosophy behind AiG is that if you can’t believe, and have faith in, the first book of the Bible (in its entirety- as written) then you will have trouble with the remainder of the Bible as well. That is why when researching Christian colleges many of the questions were dealing with belief and teachings about and from the first book of the Bible. Of course, there are other questions that veer from the book of Genesis (such as “do you believe the Bible is literally true?” and “what does your institution teach about the Bible?”) but it is interspersed throughout the book. Personally, I felt it ‘got old’ that they kept coming back to the “young earth/old earth” debate BUT I understand that it is something that is important to distinguish.
I did like a statement made by Ken Ham on page 129 in chapter 8 (The High Stakes of Good Thinking: The Age of the Earth):
I am sometimes belittled and cut down by professors at “respected” Christian universities because I don’t have the academic credentials that some of these people do. They think that because they have the credentials, they have the truth. They say, “How dare Ken Ham question us, because he is not trained in biblical languages; he didn’t go to Bible college; he didn’t go to seminary; etc.” In some ways I’m glad that I don’t have those credentials, because I might have ended up like some of them: compromising the truth clearly laid forth by Scripture in the midst of a bunch of academic mumble jumble created to accommodate secular scientific ideas.
I agree that it seems that much of the debate about Christianity is because the ‘educated’ are ‘in the know’. And the only ones. He goes on to say:
Or worse than that, they might actually believe that since they teach it, that makes it true—that they are the ones who actually determine the truth.
There is a chapter geared toward college students- chapter 10- that gives many scriptures and advice to help students stay true to their beliefs. The final chapter- chapter 11- calls for unity but not as it has been requested by many:
We are often told we should be concentrating on our unity in Christ alone. The accusations usually sound like this: “Only Christ should matter and those elements of the gospel message essential for salvation—and differing interpretations in Genesis should be acceptable and tolerated.
But this view ignores a larger question—can we separate the centrality of Christ from the authority of [God’s] Word? Surely we should agree that our unity should be centered around Christ. After all, it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that one can be saved…If the Word of God is not an authoritative document, then how can we know that the message of Jesus and the gospel is reliable?
Well, it was a lot to read (not that it is a large book but it is full of numbers and statistics) and take in. But it definitely made me think.
I received this book from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.
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Review 3 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Date:September 2, 2011
Quality:
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There is certainly an ongoing movement to belittle and phase out any influence of Christianity from society through multiple forms of method. If anyone denies this fact they are either not a Christian or they are deceived. I make no apologies in that last statement, of course people like Ken Ham and Dr. Greg Hall won’t be making any apologies for their stance and findings either I would imagine.
In Already Compromised Ken Ham, the Founder of Answers in Genesis, and Dr. Greg Hall reveal a surprising survey taken from the leading representatives of several Christian based Colleges and Universities. In this survey they have uncovered conflicting answers, denial of the authority of scripture, support of evolution, and other unfortunate responses from some of the heads of these Christian based institutions.
What I really liked about this book is that Ken Ham and Dr. Greg Hall not only present a problematic situation with proven statistics and facts, but also provide a solution for the problem as well. I like this quality a lot, because I have read several books which have presented a problem to its readers, but their authors didn’t give a very strong solution to their presented problem; if any solution at all… The one thing I didn’t like is that certain information was repeated a little too much, but I assume this was to constantly remind the reader of the seriousness behind the survey. Overall I thought this was a great book as it was disturbingly educational and it also had a good provision of scripture in support. If you have read the previous book Already Gone, you’ll definitely want to read Already Compromised too. If you have not read Already Gone, I’d still recommend this especially if you are a student or parent.
Disclaimer: Ben Umnus was given a free copy of this book by New Leaf Publishing, but he was neither paid for his review nor was he commanded by New Leaf Publishing to write a positive review. This review is the personal, written opinion of Ben Umnus. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Review 4 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
How much tuition to undermine your faith?
Date:August 12, 2011
Jeff LeMaster
Location:Glens Falls, NY
Age:35-44
Gender:male
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How much tuition does it cost to undermine the faith of a Christian college student? When a college claims to be Christian, you would expect it to adhere to the teachings of the Bible: not necessarily so.
This book presents the conclusions of a professional poll of Christian university presidents, vice-presidents and deans. The numbers are revealing: the historicity of the first 11 chapters of the Bible is widely doubted in the upper echelons of “Christian” higher education.
The survey focused on beliefs (or lack thereof) in Biblical inerrancy, literal six-day creation, and a global flood. The results were varied, even among members of the administration at the same school. Remarkably, science deans tended to hold to Biblical inerrancy more than the deans of the schools of theology.
SO WHAT?
Statistics. Lots and lots of them, so much so that the point is far over-supported. The first several chapters were tedious to wade through, and I love numbers! The rest of the book, however, is imminently practical with advice for parents and college-bound students.
Statistics. Lots and lots of them, so much so that the point is far over-supported. The first several chapters were tedious to wade through, and I love numbers! The rest of the book, however, is imminently practical with advice for parents and college-bound students.
The final appeal to unity is earnest, and also ironic. “Unity” is often the banner flown to encourage compromise. Instead, the authors provoke the church to a unity around the inerrancy and centrality of God’s Word.
Here is a list of colleges that subscribe to Biblical inerrancy, a young earth, and a global flood: http://www.answersingenesis.org/colleges/.
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Review 5 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Ken Ham takes a page from the KJV Onlyists
Date:August 10, 2011
Jon Baker
Location:Las Vegas, NV
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality:
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In their recent book Already Compromised, authors Ken Ham and Greg Hall sound a warning call to parents enrolling their children at Christian colleges around the country. Why the alarm? As it turns out, not every Christian academic shares Ham's view on creation and Earth history. Presumably, students and parents alike opt for Christian higher education to avoid the influence of 'secularism' (i.e. evolution and 'millions of years'), but what "they don't know," according to Ham, "is that, like the secular schools they wish to avoid...a growing number of the Christian schools they attend are...Already Compromised" (p. 8).
The book begins with a rather simple overview that chronicles the transition of Ivy League seminaries in America to secularized universities. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth—all began as modest institutions designed to raise up ministers in the Puritan and Protestant traditions. But to meet the demands of a growing and diversifying economy, and preserve their stature as major beacons to American intellectuals, these universities adopted principles of academic—and hence religious—freedom in their curriculum. Mr. Ham is correct about one thing: it is mildly disheartening to see the spiritual foundations of our university system blurred in a fog of relativism. But if schools such as Harvard had maintained the narrow disciplinary focus and guidelines that Ham envisions, they would not today be known to us as Harvard, etc., but as 'that little old seminary in Massachusetts'.
Regardless of how one thinks the Ivy League schools should have responded to intellectual movements of the past 400 years, we can still ask whether Christian colleges today should follow a similar path. Ken Ham thinks not. In fact, he believes the transition has already begun, and that it's time to take a stand. Ham and Hall polled 312 faculty/administration from ostensibly Christian institutions to assess 'how bad' the situation really is. "Christian colleges took a test on the state of their faith," reads the subtitle, "and the results are in!" If you read the back cover, you might expect the results to be "revealing and shocking!"
But if you've paid any attention to the origins debate in recent years, then prepare to be utterly unsurprised.
Not far into the book, I felt that I was reading inside of an echo chamber (allow me to explain!). Years ago, I became interested in the field of textual criticism, which seeks to reconstruct the original text of the Bible using variant manuscripts. Most Christians ignore the issue of textual criticism, or see it as unfruitful. Others, however, are disturbed that we can't know with 100% certainty the original words of Scripture, and even repulsed by the idea of a 'critical text'. This sort of skepticism in Christianity is fertile ground for what is called the King James Version Only movement. Reacting to what they perceive as a threat to the authority of God's word, KJV Onlyists have posited that God inspired an English translation of the biblical text for our day and age. Which version is that? Well, the 1611 King James Authorized Version, of course!
After the King James Version of the Bible has been dogmatically defined as the standard for God's word, rational discourse effectively comes to a halt. Likewise, Ken Ham and Greg Hall have dogmatically defined their own version of Earth history as the final standard for a 'biblical worldview'. So this poll is not so much about understanding the diversity in Christian opinion as it is exposing educators that would dare disagree with Ken Ham or Answers in Genesis.
Contributing to my frustration is the manner in which Ham crafted the poll and mishandles the results. Question 8 asks, for example, "Do you believe the Bible is literally true?" In reality, any answer to this poorly worded question will die the death of a thousand qualifications. But Ham comments (p. 22): "83 percent said that they believe Genesis 1 and 2 are literally true. But when we asked whether they believe God created in six literal days, only 59.6 percent answered yes. That means about 23 percent are either confused, wrong, or just haven't thought this through."
Ken's fiat declaration that a literal reading of Genesis requires a 24-hour day, young-Earth model—though well intentioned—is but an artifact of his own hubris. These results merely imply that respondents do not agree with Ken on what the 'literal' reading of Genesis is—not that they are confused or "wrong"! Nonetheless, he continues (p. 34): "nearly four in five who adhere to an old-earth theory believe the Bible is literally true. Keep in mind these two concepts are polar opposites." Like those who limit God's word to a 17th-century translation of the former, Ken has limited the meaning of God's word to his own interpretation, and then acts surprised to find that not everyone follows his line of reasoning.
The authors spend the rest of the book explicating rather uninteresting poll results, defining their own worldview, and belittling various Christian professors for taking a 'compromising' stance on Genesis. In the appendix, Mr. Ham paints misleading caricatures of his opponents with selective quotes. Most unfortunate, in my opinion, was his treatment of John Walton, whose work on the ancient literary world of the Pentateuch has been widely appreciated by students of the Old Testament—but apparently not by Ken Ham, who had much difficulty articulating Walton's viewpoint on Genesis.
To top things off, guest authors Terry Mortenson and Bodie Hodge refute the Documentary Hypothesis by calling it 'liberal' and overlooking the past century of research. Don't get me wrong—I'm not an outright proponent of the DH (certainly not the classic formulation by Wellhausen). But the authors' superficial treatment here only caused me to better appreciate the most recent work in higher criticism, which has articulated far better, ironically, the unity of the Pentateuch.
On the bright side, this book is an easy read (I finished it in less than 2 days while taking 7 pages of notes), and contains real data from polls of faculty/administration at Christian colleges around the country. Despite my frustrations above, this book is not devoid of meaningful discussion. I particularly enjoyed reading about the widely varied poll responses from the President/Vice-President of each institution. Lastly, if nothing else, this book will help you understand the young-Earth approach to polemics and ecumenism in the church today. For that reason, I must give it at least two stars.
If you regularly use Answers in Genesis as a science/faith resource, you will enjoy this book. My hope, however, is that you will find it in yourself to think critically through this work, and consider that Mr. Ham and Dr. Hall may have overstated the case.
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Review 6 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Super Insightful
Date:August 9, 2011
Very Blessed Mamma
Age:25-34
Gender:female
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I have been reading this book for the last few weeks, and let me say...Wow. It is so good. If you have a child that is considering going to college, you must read Already Compromised.
Ken Ham and Greg Hall do an amazing job of revealing what the professors in Christian Colleges really think.
You would be so surprised at how many don't believe in a literal translation of the Scriptures, and how many even believe in evolution!
In the survey used for this book they interviewed 312 people. All from Christian colleges.
Some of the questions asked were:
*Do you believe in God creating the earth, but not in 6 literal days?
Response: only 47.1 % said yes. Can you believe that?
*Do you believe in the inspiration of Scripture? 98.1% said yes.
*Do you believe in the inerrancy of Scripture? 74.0% said yes.
*Do you believe in the infallibility od Scripture? 80.8% said yes.
This means that there are 26% that don't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, and 20% that don't believe in the infallibility of Scripture. And that is just from these 312 people. Imagine how many more there really are.
There are many more questions in the book, but something I found very interesting was the fact that in this survey, the science department seemed to have a stronger faith than the religious department.
The religious department was more likely to believe in evolution, and reject the idea of a six literal day creation.
I never would have thought that, but I guess it makes sense. The science department can see that the data actually backs up creation, and not evolution.
There was a lot in this book that really made me think harder about sending my kids off to just any old college.
And just because your college is a Christian college, does not mean that your kids will be taught the same beliefs that you have taught them.
There is a list of colleges that they do recommend, however, if you are looking for a good Christian college.
I don't plan on my kids going to college, at least not to a public college. In my opinion they are no better than public school, and I wouldn't send my kids there.
I also wouldn't send my kids to a Christian school, because I believe that Scripture mandates parents to teach their kids.
But, if after they are adults, and they need, or want to go to college, I would definitely be very careful of which one I chose.
This book gives you a list questions to ask your colleges, to see where they really stand on their beliefs.
Greg Hall says "The ultimate goal of thinking Christianly is to present God as Creator and Father of everything that He has made and build our entire worldview on the foundation of His written revelation. He is the maker and owner of everything that is made. Here is where humankind is made to realize we owe our very existence to something (someone) other than ourselves. Here is where hubris is put in it's place. Here is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...and that is the only foundation for clear thinking ever made available."
This is what we need to teach our children, and what the Christian colleges need to be teaching our children. Unfortunately, many are not.
There is so much more to this book though than just what is going on in Christian colleges today.
I leaned so much from this book on faith and worldview. It is so refreshing to see someone write about standing strong in your faith, and not afraid to speak the truth.
I highly, highly recommend this book, even if you don't have a child headed to college. As Christians we need to be aware of what is going on in the church.
I would even say, let your kids read this book. There is a chapter specifically for students, but I think they would gain so much knowledge from reading the entire book.
If you read this book let me know what you think. I really liked it, and was very impressed by Ken Ham.
* I received this book from New Leaf Publishing, free, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given to me. *
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Review 7 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Even the appendix is good reading!
Date:August 4, 2011
Faith
Location:SD
Age:Under 18
Gender:female
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I was so excited to get a chance to review this book, because I am a huge fan of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis. I have read many books by him and enjoyed them all. This book was no exception. Since I'm at the age where I'm starting to think about college and where I want to go, I was so happy to been so well informed before I make a huge decision. But the thing is the truth is really sobering, and I am so blessed to have read this book BEFORE I go to college. I was shocked to learn how compromised Christian colleges have become in the last few years, it just blew me away.
The research was well done, and you can tell that it was very thorough. I was pleased with how they interpreted the statistics, not adding anything that wasn't there or making the results look a certain way. They were very open and honest about how they had ideas about why they might have gotten the results they did, but they admitted that they really don't know why certain people answered questions they way they did. Not only did they ask questions, they asked the same basic questions multiple times with different wording, and the results were drastically changed! This is the way statistics should be done!
Not only did this book warn parents and students about the sorry state of colleges these days it also, talked about finding a good college, and how you can't expect perfection from any college. There was also a special chapter for students, that was very encouraging, saying that no matter where you go to college the most important thing is the strength and stability of your faith. No matter where you go to college.
The appendix of this book was jam-packed full of goodies! And definitely worth reading. Such as an article on the new world of "Newspeak" the scary new double talk that is taking over our culture. And ones about understanding worldview and another affirming that Moses really did write the books that he is traditionally credited with.
In all this is a must read, no matter your age, we must all be aware of the radical changes in the culture around us so that we can fight against it and win!
ISBN 13: 978-0-89051-607-2
I received a free copy of this book from New Leaf in return for an honest review.
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Review 8 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Informative and Timely Reading for Every Christian
Date:July 25, 2011
mkpelti
Location:Indy, IN
Age:25-34
Gender:female
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Already Compromised, by Ken Hamm and Greg Hall, showcases a major problem and disconnect in Christian colleges today. By sharing results from polls and interviews that the authors, along with Britt Beemer, personally gathered from 200 Christian colleges around the U.S., this book shows that many Christian colleges don’t agree with the Bible on basic theological questions. This book is perfect for parents who will be sending a child off to college soon and are looking to make the investment - both monetarily and spiritually - into a Christian college. This book proves that just because a college has the label of “Christian” doesn’t mean it truly is. Christian colleges may look very Christian from the outside or even by how they word their doctrinal statements, but how a school appears may not be how it truly is. For example, a doctrinal statement may say the school believes in the flood of Noah’s day, but upon closer inspection, they could believe it was a local flood and not worldwide. Or, their doctrinal statement may state the school believes the Bible is literally true yet not really believe God created the earth in six literal days or that the earth is young. The number of questions in Already Compromised revolving around the first few chapters of the Bible should not come as a surprise to readers since one of the authors, Ken Ham, is the president of Answers in Genesis, a wonderful ministry that seeks to uphold the foundation of the Bible from the very first verse.
Some people may not see this book as relevant to them. If they have already sent their kids to college or won’t for several years, they may not see any reason to read this book. The Bible tells us that when a student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher. With this in mind, the subject matter of Already Compromised should be of interest to every Christian that wants the Word of God to be honored and upheld, because it is future Christian generations that are being spiritually led astray in most of our country’s so-called Christian colleges today. Furthermore, everyone knows someone who is college aged or is almost college aged. We don’t have to be a parent to make an impact on another young man or woman or to be concerned for their spiritual welfare. It should be noted and remembered that many Ivy League schools started off as staunch Christian universities or seminaries, but none of them remain Christian today because they compromised. So went the way of Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, and so goes the direction of too many Christian colleges today.
I am one of those people who will not have to face sending my children to college for many years, but my husband and I are confident even now that we’d like to send our kids to a Christian college even if it will cost more than a public university. Therefore, I am thankful to have read this book and am grateful for the research and interviews the authors did to make this book as informative as it is. When it is time to send my children to college, my husband and I won’t just sit back and let our children decide which one they want to go to and trust it’s the best choice for them, as too many parents do. We will actively be part of the process in making sure the colleges our children choose are ones where God’s Word will truly be taught and defended. For parents who are currently in this process, there is a website that lists colleges in agreement with Answers in Genesis’ statement of faith. The website link is: http://www.answersingenesis.org/colleges/all/. This list may not be exhaustive as some colleges may fully agree with their doctrinal statement but not want to add their name to the list for whatever reason, or maybe they just haven’t done it yet, but the colleges currently listed can be a good starting point for parents looking for a solid, Biblical university to send their children to.
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Review 9 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
great but sobering information
Date:July 20, 2011
faith
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
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would recommend it to parents, teachers and youth workers and definitely to Pastors who need to give the congregation a wake-up call
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Review 10 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
good things to think about when choosing a college
Date:July 19, 2011
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The subtitle of this book is, “Christian colleges took a test on the state of their faith and the final exam is in.” The basis of the book is a survey given to college presidents, vice presidents, and heads of science departments and religion departments at colleges which are called “Christian.” The results of this survey may be surprising to some, not so much to others.
The findings of the survey indicate that a large portion of the colleges labeled Christian colleges do not hold to some of the basic points of fundamental, evangelical Christianity, such as creation and other such Scriptural (Old Testament primarily) themes. Colleges which were founded originally to help spread the gospel are now causing many to abandon it. The chapters go through segments of the survey and summarize the results, giving Biblical comments/teaching on the topics. There is also a website they refer readers to for further information, including a list of colleges which were included in the survey (I did wish that was in the book, in an appendix or something!)
I thought the book was well-written, on a sort-of interesting topic. The results were, however, not surprising to me. I mean, look at the range of “protestant” churches—would each of them teach/support the same things? Obviously not—so why so surprised when “Christian colleges” are so varied as well? When making my choice of college 20 years ago (!) I had to sort through many of these in favor of one which fully supported and propagated Biblical truth. Those who make college choices on the basis of something so superficial as a label—well, you ought to look a little deeper! As a book which will at least bring these ideas to the forefront, I think it is a valuable tool. No “eye-opener” from my point of view, but good to remember, for a student as well as a parent.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.
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Review 11 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
The end needs the beginning
Date:July 19, 2011
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I hesitated before I got this book, primarily because while I have grown up in the church, graduated from a Christian college, I don’t necessarily believe that it is up to a college, school, or church to provide the theological foundation for my or my children’s faith. In fact, I went to 20 different schools before I graduated from high school, and while the majority of them were public institutions, the Christian ones I went to almost always had a ‘keep yourself away from worldly things’ mentality – meaning don’t learn about that, it will damage you.
I was surprised, then when the authors of the book not only recognized that as a legitimate concern, but also explained why it wasn’t the right approach. When they did that, it also helped me accept some of the other things that I hadn’t really committed to believing. My philosophy concerning the Bible since I became a Christian has been “hey, if God can raise Jesus from the dead, and I believe THAT, then everything else is incidental” meaning that even if it doesn’t make sense to everyone or hasn’t been completely proved one way or the other, it doesn’t matter – because the fact (to me) of the resurrection makes everything else plausible.
When Ken and Greg laid out the fact that the resurrection wasn’t even necessary if the creation account isn’t true – that blew me away! I knew it, sort of, but I really hadn’t thought of it in that way. If I am so sure about the resurrection, how can I be less certain about how sin & death began? Reading from that point of view, and then understanding that other believers are undermining it in the Christian colleges across the country made me realize just what an important work this book is.
This book is a great one to demonstrate not only that creation is important, but that the whole concept of Biblical inerrancy is the tipping point for the distinction between faith and non-faith – and that if we want to insure our children are getting the truth, college selection is at least of some importance. The questionnaire in the back of the book is a good start to choosing a school, but I really liked the section directed to students about how they can do what they can in the school they are in (regardless of its position) and can fend off the criticisms of the Bible as truth. A good defense is the best offense. Arming our kids with the tools they need to do battle with the world and its challenges is more important than ever, and I think this book is a great tool in that arsenal.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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Review 12 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
They are "Already Compromised"
Date:July 15, 2011
JonInCA
Location:Lincoln, CA
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
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So, you’re thinking of sending your kids off to college. Perhaps you’re considering a private religious school that has a world view more in line with the way you think. The statement of faith looks good. It must be a safe school, not one that would undermine the world view you spent the last 18 years nurturing in your son/daughter.
Not necessarily says the book “Already Compromised” by Ken Ham and Greg Hall. I’ll admit I leaned to the side of thinking that already. However the author’s put up so much evidence to back those claims up you can’t come to any other conclusion. They hired a research firm to take a survey of a large number of Christian colleges asking questions about the inspiration of scripture, its inerrancy, and other world view issues including creation (as if you couldn’t have guessed that when you saw one author was Ken Ham). The statistics they compiled are as convincing as they are damning. For example when asked if they would consider themselves as young earth or old earth Christians 77.8 % of respondents in the religion department described themselves as old earthers when only 34.9 % of the science department would describe themselves that way (14.8 % and 57.1% young earthers respectively). Why does the science department believe the account in the Bible more so than the religion department? There assertion, and I would agree it makes the most sense, is that the members of the science department more clearly understand the differences between historical and operation science and how your worldview affects how you see the data. It is true that everyone has the same data, they just interpret it differently. They also found inconsistencies in how people responded to similar questions. For example nearly 90 % of people asked said they believe the account in Genesis of creation but only 60 % said that they believed God created in 6 literal days. Why the difference of 30 % in those two groups. It’s because they don’t use the words the same way you may.
The book also has a lot of hints and strategies for finding a college that will not undermine the faith you have tried to instill in your children. The book was a good read and it was filled with great information. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with kids about to enter college (or will have them one day).
I was given the book by the publisher for the purposes of this review. The opinions, however, are my own.
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Review 13 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Shocking! Eye-opening! Inspiring!
Date:July 12, 2011
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Can I write a book about a book?!
That is exactly what I want to do in order to share with you all of the eye-opening, sometimes shocking, sometimes confirming things I learned when reading this book.
Already Compromised by Ken Ham and Greg Hall is the clever and thorough presentation of the results of a survey conducted by the authors.
They surveyed over 300 people who are in one of four different positions in several Christian colleges and universities throughout the United States. The positions the surveyed people hold are one of the following: the president of the university, the academic dean/vice president, the head of the science department, or the head of the theology/religion/Bible department.
Let me just say that the results are quite revealing of the major disconnect between the leaders within these institutions as well as the disconnect between what Christian parents expect they are paying for when sending their grown children to a Christian college versus the often dis-unified, non-Biblical instruction and support the students are actually receiving at a high monetary and spiritual cost.
As a matter of fact, did you realize that when these leaders of Christian education were asked what their institution teaches about the Bible, only 35.3% of them said that they teach it is true and only 25% of them teach that it is inspired by God?! Are you saying, "WOW!" along with me? Seriously, that is just the tip of the iceberg of what is revealed in this eye-opening, inspiring book.
Without quoting the entire book to you (which I would love to do), I will just highly suggest that you read this book. I am not just speaking to parents of soon to be college students nor just to the students themselves. All of us would benefit from reading this, as it is a true revelation of not only the state of our Christian education institutions but also of our churches. our leadership, and even ourselves.
Subtle changes in thinking over time have damaged us in ways we do not even realize.
It is time for us to wake up!
We need to rediscover the Truth of God as revealed in His holy, inspired, inerrant, infallible Word. That Word is Truth and Life. That Word is His Son. We cannot compromise it nor Him any longer.
It is time to stand and fight for the Truth...for ourselves and our posterity.
Stand with me.
Stand with our Father.
Stand for the Truth.
No more compromise!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.
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Review 14 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Wonderful new resource.
Date:July 10, 2011
Quality:
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I’ve had the pleasure of reading Already Compromised by Ken Ham and Greg Hall regarding the state of Christian colleges and what they are teaching the children who go there. As a home educator who is doing what I can in bringing up my children to know and love the Lord – I want to make sure that they don’t loose their faith by going to a compromising college.
I know what can happen to those who go into public colleges, and it isn’t good, I know my time spent at the local community college was when I really started living life for me with no regard to my faith I had in childhood. Philosophy and other classes gave no frame work to build a faith except one of humanism, secularism and by all means atheism.
I’m glad that Ken Ham and Greg Hall want to let other parents know what they can expect as their children desire to go to college. I pray that mine will fore go college and do an apprenticeship, however, they are young and the Lord will guide them when the time comes. I’m glad to have authors who are staunchly Christian and can sound the warning call and don’t back down in the event of negative feed back. Unfortunately, too many parents send their children off to colleges who purport to be Christian but may be teaching the Bible is fallible, does not need to be taken literally and that the world really is millions or billions of years old.
This book is not something you’ll read in a day, or three or maybe even a week – it took me about two weeks to get through this book. There is so much information included that it takes time to really digest it and analyze it and pray over (especially if you’re the parent of a college bound child). There are numerous graphs that for the visual learner, will aid in showing the results from the survey conducted by Britt Beemer of the America’s Research Group.
Already Compromised is a book that should be read by every Christian parent whose child wants to go to college, whether to be a nurse or a lawyer. If you don’t compromise your beliefs of Biblical authority in your home then this book will help you in making sure your beliefs and the beliefs of your children aren’t compromised as they leave home to be taught by someone other than you. This book is not just for home educators but for any Christian parent who stands on the literal, infallible Word of God and wants to continue on in the Good Fight.
**I was provided a copy of this book from Master Books in exchange for my honest review, no other compensation was given.
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Review 15 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
A Thoughtful Look at Christian Colleges
Date:July 9, 2011
Quality:
4
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Already Compromised by Ken Ham and Greg Hall takes a hard look at Christian universities and what they truly believe and teach. Using a series of questions and assisted by Britt Beemer, a researcher who helped Ham write the previous book, Already Gone, Ham and Hall reveal what over 300 mainstream Christian colleges believe about the Bible.
Ham and Hall alternate as the authors of the book as they examine the beliefs of the religion departments, the science departments, the presidents, and the vice presidents of the colleges that responded. They look at questions such as “Do you believe the Bible is inspired? Do you believe that the book of Genesis is literally true? What do you think differentiates a Christian university from a secular one?” As they reveal the answers to these questions, they consider the topic of worldview, what makes a Christian worldview, and how Christian parents and young people can select a college and thrive spiritually in college.
I was very interested in the topic of this book because I have heard Ken Ham speak personally on the subject. I attended a secular university after attending a Christian school in grade school and high school, and one day I will have children who may attend college. So, it is a relevant topic for me. The book was well-written, and the answers revealed were eye opening. Once more I realized just how important worldview is and how not every institution that labels itself as Christian can be assumed to have a Biblical worldview. The appendix contains several useful topics also- an explanation of a theory which purports that Moses that did not author the first five books of the Bible, quotes from professors at “Christian” universities that are obviously not Christian, and a questionnaire to aid parents and students in choosing a college.
I agree with the authors of the book entirely. My only dislike was that so many things they said seemed redundant. There were several things repeated throughout the book in multiple places. This made reading a little difficult for me. Still, I would recommend this as a good, informative read- biblically accurate and relevant.
I received a free copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing for review purposes. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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Review 16 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Must Read for Christian Parents and Students
Date:July 9, 2011
Quality:
5
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I'm not quite sure what I had expected when I started reading, "Already Compromised" by Ken Ham and Greg Hall with Britt Beemer of America's Research Group, but as I finished reading,"Already Compromised", not only was I surprised by the results of the reading, but found myself, actually, discovering information that I had not previously known about.
Without giving away too much of what, "Already Compromised" is about, first here's a basic publisher's description of the book:
A shocking look at the state of higher education - secular and Christian! The book serves a vital resource, engaging parents who are looking for a college for their child. Tips for parents when looking at a Christian college to find out what they really believe and teach about the authority of Scripture are included...focused on a powerful question: are they going to build your child's faith or tear it down.
Reading, "Already Compromised", the focus seems to be primarily on Christian colleges and the arguments that were laid out, was well-written, in that this book isn't telling parents or students, for that matter, what to choose, where to go, but rather, arming them with the best information possible, about discerning what is the best school for them, both education and faith wise, and how to discern what is being taught.
This book is not an easy, over the night, or over the weekend, book, but it's worth the time it took, to read and to carefully go over the information and the statistics that were shared.
With a section that is addressed for students to think about when attending any college, what caught my eye about "Already Compromised" is that it really helps lay an apologetic foundation of the importance for followers of Christ to understand and be able to defend why and what it is that they believe in.
The statistics were both shocking and eye opening and with the use of the visuals, helps the readers, get an idea of the results of the survey that had been done, along with personal ancedotes, that help bring insight into the views and commentary that was shared.
As the authors bring their case of the importance of both parents and students to understand what is being taught, to understand why and what they believe in, "Already Compromised" also teaches a vital message of the importance of not just accepting things at face value as well, but also to take the time to think for themselves and to weigh what they are being told and taught.
If you have read the book, "Already Gone", the book, "Already Compromised" is a continuation of the book, but if you haven't had the opportunity to read, "Already Gone", no fear, for "Already Compromised" is focused on the college years, and works as a standalone.
This is a great companion for parents and students who are considering going to Christian colleges and to help address questions about where and how does, the chosen college, stand on basic doctrines and more.
For many, in today's age, where finding a college that follows the Bible, "Already Compromised" is a wonderful resource to recommend and to read.
~~~Thank you to New Leaf Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion~~~
~~~Thank you to New Leaf Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion~~~
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Review 17 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Sounding The Trumpet Regarding Compromise
Date:June 29, 2011
Pastoral Musings
Location:Dixie
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
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Ken Hams's Already Compromised sounds the warning that Christian colleges aren't always what they seem to be, or profess to be.
Ham and some of his associates did a survey of Christian colleges about their beliefs on the Creation. There was a wide range of responses, many of which were discouraging to them.
Many of the colleges surveyed professed to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, yet were vague on their stance regarding Creation.
There was often a disconnect between what the administration believed and what the teachers and professors believed. Often there was a disconnect between what the president and vice-president believed. In fact, the disconnect was not only regarding the beliefs, but also about what the stance of the college was. There was also a large disconnect between the science and theology departments, with the science departments being more likely to believe in young earth Creationism.
Many colleges surveyed believe in an old earth Creation, or in theistic evolution. Others were vague.
It is clear that many Christian colleges do not adhere to a young earth view of Creation. For parents and students who do believe in YEC, this is certainly something to be aware of. Simply because a college is a Christian college doesn't mean that it will teach Genesis as parents have taught their children. In fact, Ham warns that many will not do so.
Ham warns parents and students to beware and carefully question the beliefs of colleges before committing to one.
This book is recommended to parents of college bound children, and those students who are college bound, as there is a need to know what one will be taught once they get to college.
Ham and some of his associates did a survey of Christian colleges about their beliefs on the Creation. There was a wide range of responses, many of which were discouraging to them.
Many of the colleges surveyed professed to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, yet were vague on their stance regarding Creation.
There was often a disconnect between what the administration believed and what the teachers and professors believed. Often there was a disconnect between what the president and vice-president believed. In fact, the disconnect was not only regarding the beliefs, but also about what the stance of the college was. There was also a large disconnect between the science and theology departments, with the science departments being more likely to believe in young earth Creationism.
Many colleges surveyed believe in an old earth Creation, or in theistic evolution. Others were vague.
It is clear that many Christian colleges do not adhere to a young earth view of Creation. For parents and students who do believe in YEC, this is certainly something to be aware of. Simply because a college is a Christian college doesn't mean that it will teach Genesis as parents have taught their children. In fact, Ham warns that many will not do so.
Ham warns parents and students to beware and carefully question the beliefs of colleges before committing to one.
This book is recommended to parents of college bound children, and those students who are college bound, as there is a need to know what one will be taught once they get to college.
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Review 18 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
I'm surprised that so many find this surprising
Date:June 28, 2011
Quality:
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Maybe it is because of some experiences I had growing up, but as a parent, I never considered that sending my kids to a Christian college was necessarily going to be a "safe" option.
I went to the public high school. I knew where a person could get alcohol or pot, I heard plenty of talk about promiscuity, yada, yada, yada. I had no assumptions that my teachers were Christian, however many of them really did keep my faith from crumbling.
But the religiously affiliated high school? You went to those kids if you wanted serious drugs, and it always seemed that the teachers and students would talk more about religious issues, but it never felt to me that it was in any way affirming or uplifting.
It seemed to me that the parents of the private school kids assumed that the school would take care of all worldview and moral instruction, and clearly it didn't work for a lot of the kids (I'm sure it did for some, I just didn't know them!)
Christian vs. secular colleges didn't seem much different. My public university ranged from indifferent to hostile when it came to Christianity. But it is where I found my way back to God. Friends at Christian colleges seemed to find the attitude towards Christianity to be wishy-washy and confusing.
That's, well, ummm, two or three decades ago. I have assumed that the situation hasn't improved.
Th book Already Compromised by Ken Ham and Dr. Greg Hall confirmed that. It didn't shock me or surprise me, not really. Except maybe that I'm surprised that parents still seem to think that your average Christian college is going to be an uplifting spiritual experience for their children.
That doesn't mean I don't think the book was worth reading. America's Research Group studied 200 Christian colleges and universities in 2010, asking questions of the presidents, vice presidents, and heads of the science and religion departments. The polls touched on a lot of issues, particularly involving scripture and faith.
I will admit to being a little surprised at some of the schizoid answers... and on back-to-back questions, like here, asking college presidents:
Do you believe in God creating the earth in six literal 24-hour days? 78.8% said yes.
Do you believe in God creating the earth, but not in six literal days? 42.3% said yes.
Assuming 0% of the presidents believe that God didn't create the earth, you're still left with far too many college presidents who believe that the earth was created in six days and that it wasn't created in six days. How is that possible?
Like I said above. Wishy-washy.
The first half of the book is talking about the study and the results. The state of Christian colleges in America.
The second half of the book is an action plan: what can the Church do, what can parents do, what can students do.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.
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Review 19 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Date:June 27, 2011
Quality:
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Ken Ham and Greg Hall with Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group sent surveys to presidents, vice-presidents, religion and science department chairmen at Christian colleges nationwide. These surveys contained a variety of questions like:
Do you believe in the inspiration of Scripture?
Do you believe in the inerrancy of Scripture?
What does your institution teach about the Bible?
Do you believe in God creating the earth in six literal 24-hour days?
The answers, found in Already Compromised, may surprise you.
I cannot say that I was surprised at the percentages of those surveyed who do not believe in a six literal 24-hour days of creation. What was surprising to me was the inconsistency in the survey answers. There were people who answered that they believed the Bible was literally true, but did not believe in a literal interpretation of creation. The book contains many other examples of these inconsistencies.
The book is more than the results of a survey however. It is a call to action. How did we get to this point? What should the church be doing? What questions should we ask before we send our sons and daughters to a Christian college? How should we teach them before they leave? There is even a chapter written directly to the student.
This book has forced me to start thinking about some of the tough decisions we’ll be facing in a few years. Our oldest son is going into the 8th grade. It doesn’t seem like college is that close, but I know that the next 5 years will pass quickly. We’ve spent more of our time worrying about how we’re going to pay for college than thinking about where he should attend. I’ve also got a renewed vision to make sure that my children understand what we believe and why we believe it. This book is a must read if you’re considering Christian colleges for your children.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review from New Leaf Publishing . I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.
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Review 20 for Already Compromised: Colleges Took a Test on the State of Their Faith and the Final Exam Is In
Overall Rating:
Very Thought Provoking!
Date:June 26, 2011
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I’m glad to see that Ken Ham is continuing to blow the trumpet and expose the fallacious teachings of compromising Christians who reject the inerrancy of scripture. He is continuing to take flack for it but refusing to budge in his position that the Word of God is supreme. Already Compromised presents his findings on the beliefs and teachings that are taking place in today’s institutes of higher learning – not only secular colleges, but Christian ones as well.
Worse than that, the teaching of Christian colleges often includes a strong emphasis on ‘higher criticism’ particularly within the religion departments. This is even more harmful than the straightforward atheistic/naturalistic teaching presented at secular schools – this students can more easily be prepared to fend off. The partial mixing of truth, compromise, and illogical positions being taught in so many Christian schools is enough to make any parent reconsider sending their children anywhere for college.
In Already Compromised Ham presents the findings of another Answers in Genesis survey conducted by Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group. Ham then explores these findings as he skillfully points out the discrepancies between what school officials claim they believe and what they actually believe. It is a tricky business to be sure. Ham of course focuses upon determining if school officials hold to a literal understanding of Genesis. While this certainly isn’t the only measure of ones Christianity (and Ham makes this clear), it does clearly point to whether an individual is holding solely to the teaching of scripture as the foundation of their worldview or if they are muddying the waters with man-made theories and trying to integrate them (in often preposterous ways) with scripture.
Far more than exploring the beliefs held at major Christian colleges however, Greg Hall of Warner University also writes chapters on worldview to help parents and college-going students understand the battle that is before them. There are also helpful appendices included that point out some of the major fallacious teachings that students are likely to find at colleges to help families prepare to counter them with truth. An appendix including fifteen questions to ask colleges to determine their worldview and the answers you are ideally looking to hear provides an invaluable tool for evaluating whether colleges take Genesis at its word.
Though this is a fairly short book it took me some time to read through. The worldview sections were hard slogging at times, and some of the theories put forth by professors in their attempts to reconcile an old earth with believing in a literal Adam and Eve were…bizarre at best. Ham doesn’t hesitate to call people on the mat by name and to quote from them directly in order to point out their errors. The book is incredibly well annotated, with copious references, and a wealth of scripture – always nice to see.
While Ham’s findings aren’t particularly surprising to me, they are unfortunate. We have never felt led to send our children away for college and this only serves to strengthen our conviction – I’m glad that more online learning options are becoming available as technology progresses.
For families who do feel led to send their children away to college – this book is a must read. It will help you prepare for what you might find even on Christian campuses (only in terms of worldview – moral conduct is another issue entirely!) and teach you how to screen potential institutes of learning before handing over your children. Dig in, Already Compromised is wildly thought provoking!
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