Response to "Regretting Her College Education"

     Today Lori Alexander continued her crusade against higher education for women:

"A woman named Kathryn Beal tweeted this the other day: 'I regret my college education. If you want to be a wife and a mom, you will likely feel aimless like I did. Many people see college as necessary, but it isn't. For aspiring homemakers, the cost may not be worth the benefits.'" 

     One gets the impression, especially due to some of the comments she includes regarding how colleges are godless and full of false teachers, that Lori doesn’t approve of anyone going to college, male or female. But, of course, she is careful not to teach men, so her opinion on this matter must remain a mystery. On the other hand, I do wonder if she sees no problem with men going to college because she thinks somehow they’re more resilient to “bad influences.” But I suppose we'll never know. 

     Lori declares that the purpose of college is to prepare people for a career and paycheck. Sure, those who attend college generally hope that their degree will benefit them in this way. However, there is so much more to be gained by going to college. It’s an opportunity to further our ability to be productive citizens, to learn how to defend our own viewpoints and also hear and benefit from opposing views, to think critically, to make friends and connections, and to grow on a personal level. However, this is a digression so I won’t spend further time on this point. 

     Lori says God never calls women to have careers or make money in His word. This is a common argument from Lori; perhaps we could call it the argument from omission. In other words, if the Bible doesn’t specifically mention it, it must not be allowed! But does Lori apply this principle universally? I’m pretty sure the Bible doesn’t command women to write blogs either. 

"Colleges' purpose is to prepare people for a career and a paycheck. God never calls women to careers or making money in His Word. It also exposes them to godless teaching and feminism which is the opposite of being feminine." 

     Having attended college myself, I can confirm that I was exposed to a lot of godless teaching. In my Operations and Supply Chain Management class, for example, there was not a single mention of God. I’m sure my friends who took math, engineering, or economics classes will agree. 

     And she says feminism is the opposite of being feminine. I suppose “femininity” means simply having inferior social status compared to men?

     She then asks the women in her chatroom for their opinions, and of course they too felt that their college degrees were wasted and that they regretted going. I guess the argument is that since a few women wish they hadn’t gotten degrees, you shouldn’t either!

     She ends with the following verse, which, of course, is referring to marriage, not going to college. This is what is known as twisting the plain meaning of the Bible.

2 Corinthians 6:14:  "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

     Women, if you want to go to college, go to college. If you don’t want to go, don’t. There are many factors on which your decision ought to be based, but your gender is not one of them. It would be a sad world indeed if our universities were entirely devoid of the perspectives and talents of women. 

     Because there was no such thing as a modern university when the Bible was written, there is very little (if anything) the Bible says that could be applied to the question of whether women should get a college education. The only passage that comes to mind is the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Mary chose to take the opportunity to learn, while Martha fulfilled the role of a woman by keeping the house. Let’s not forget which one of them Jesus praised.  


Link to original blog: https://thetransformedwife.com/regretting-her-college-education/