QUESTION: Believing that the King James Bible is the perfect Word of 
          God is contrary to the stand that my "Alma Mater" takes. 
          What should I do?

ANSWER: You should be loyal to God, Who SHOULD be a little higher on 
your "loyalty list" than your college.

EXPLANATION: First, let's get it straight. You do not have an "Alma 
Mater." The term "Alma Mater" results from the combination of the 
Hebrew word for "virgin" (almah) and the Greek word for "mother" 
(meter). Thus when you speak of your "Alma Mater'' you refer to your 
"Virgin Mother," a terminology which we fairly say can only be used by 
Jesus Christ. Thus, although we may have to use the more lengthy 
description "the college I attended" or just "my college," we show 
much more respect for Jesus Christ than to go around claiming that we 
have a "Virgin Mother" also.

Secondly, you should appreciate the time, trouble and effort that your 
college went through to educate you. Education does not happen by 
accident; thus you should be appreciative of what was done on your 
behalf.

Thirdly, "appreciation" taken into consideration, you do not owe your 
SOUL to your college as you do to Jesus Christ. Therefore you need not 
be "eternally grateful" to it in such a humiliating manner that you 
are not allowed to control your own convictions once you graduate.

The receipt of "Dear Preacher Boy" letters from the college President 
designed to pressure and intimidate you into "towing the college line" 
should carry no more weight than the 3rd class "Dear Occupant" mail 
which we all receive.

Jesus said, "The truth shall make you FREE" and any school which is 
constantly reminding you of your "debt" to them for "all we've done 
for you" is not interested in your freedom, but your slavery. You 
needn't feel any guilt in "respectfully" disregarding both their 
request and the claims.

Furthermore, if you went to a school where you paid your tuition, your 
room and board, and the other associated costs of your education, then 
you are totally free of any so called "debt" to your school. You may 
wholeheartedly appreciate the "sacrifice, vision, dedication, etc." of 
your school and its leaders, but your DEBT to it ended when you made 
your final tuition payment. Your degree was not given to you as a gift 
to show their benevolence. It was EARNED by your academic efforts and 
PAID FOR by your cold cash, not to mention a little "sacrifice, vision 
and dedication" of your own.

Your college did not give you your degree because it thought that it 
would be a "nice" gesture. They gave it to you because they could not 
refuse to. You had EARNED it by fulfilling the requirements that they 
demanded. Including paying your bill (plus interest in some cases).

Thus if you find that the perfect Bible that your school spoke of 
really does exist, and you fear being alienated from your college and 
its "alumni" (Greek - "enlightened ones"?), then you should remember 
that your debt to Jesus Christ is REAL while your "debt" to your 
college is only imagined.

Which do you prefer to be alienated from, Jesus Christ or your 
college? They are NOT one in the same.

John 8:32.

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