Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is tied to a quote that has transformed me. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” This quote compels me to act, and to denounce the hatred and prejudice in our world rather than remaining quiet. It can be uncomfortable to engage in controversial issues, but that should not prevent us from asking the hard questions that will push us to grow. Society focuses heavily on … [Read more...]

Guest Writer: Josh Senft A popular talking point from many on “the left” is that because Republicans generally tend to not support increases in entitlement spending, they don’t care about the poor or the elderly. They claim that Republicans are rigging the system to benefit the wealthiest Americans. Entitlement programs make up an incredibly large percentage of our national debt. Republicans believe it's irresponsible to pass all this debt from out-of-control spending to future generations … [Read more...]

On Aug.12, 2017 violence erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia at the hands of a “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally protesting the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Many statues have been called into question due to their deeply rooted connections to the system of slavery and racism the Confederate army fought to maintain during the Civil War. The Southern Poverty Law Center amassed research regarding the cumulative total of Confederate statues, schools and other monuments. Their … [Read more...]

Well, another year gone. As always, it has been an honor to take part in this crazy journey of writing the news and putting the pages together with friends. For those of us on staff who are ditching AU (that's you, Megan and Ethan), I can't believe our time together has come to an end. Megan, thank you for all the times we paused work for family dinner and ended up talking about everything under the sun. That was always amazing. And, Ethan, thanks for all the times you've had me in tears from … [Read more...]

On April 18th, in response to a hashtag movement empowering women writers to share stories specific to the female author experience, a movement centered around stories of unequal criticism, online hate messages and sexually-motivated threats, Sarah Bessey, author of “Jesus Feminist,” started the hashtag "Things Only Christian Women Hear." The hashtag immediately gained traction, encouraging women to share their experiences inside the church that were discouraging, painful and specific to the … [Read more...]

We know you’ve heard enough grumbling about the AU alcohol policy to last you a lifetime. Bear with us, however, because we at the Andersonian believe that this issue warrants one last call to action—specifically, a call to the administration. While some students might be under the impression that the current policy exists only to pacify Church of God patrons and donors, such is not the case. According to the University higher-ups, the heart behind the alcohol stringency is to lessen the … [Read more...]

By Amey Dice This season of Lent has been unlike any other I’ve walked through. I began going to church in late middle school and, although Easter shortly became my favorite time of the year, I didn’t know about the 40 days that preceded it. By the time I had understood what these 40 days were all about, no one had challenged me to actually participate in it. It wasn’t until this year when I was challenged to sacrifice for lent that I began to understand what it means to partake in this … [Read more...]

By Serena Ellens So they say we are “entitled.” They say that we, the Millennial generation, have come to expect a certain standard of living that simultaneously fosters laziness and discourages patience. They call us “ungrateful” when we waste our money on foamed lattes, the next iPhone or a nicely timed “Gap Year”—otherwise known to them as an excuse to roam abroad and neglect responsibilities. They remind us that “money doesn’t grow on trees,” and that a “penny saved is a penny earned” … [Read more...]

Everywhere we turn, there is something making noise. Silence, it seems, is dead. Not even when we are alone in our rooms can we escape the noise of 2017. From heating and air conditioning vents to refrigerators, from the whirring of a computer to the dull roar of a comedy on Netflix, it becomes clear: we are incapable of sitting in silence. Silence, though, is just what we need. We need to silence the man-made noise of life in order to reconnect with our humanity. When we are constantly … [Read more...]