TCU - Christian Univeristy?

[ChemicalArts]

Don't get information about the spiritual/religious nature of TCU from a sports discussion forum. People here aren't required to reveal their real names, and often that attenuates the civility of conversations. There are some great people on this site, but it's an internet fan forum, which means there are some boneheads too.

 

[An-Cap Frog]

Just TCU, please...

 

[Tsfardiim]

While I don't mean to disagree with what has already been said (i have always maintained TCU is exactly as christian as you want it to be, no more, no less) I would point out that the senior minister at University Christian Church sits on the board of trustees, and possibly also the regional minister for the Southwest Region for the CC(DOC), and up until Ferrari (the chancellor before the current one) the chancellor was always an ordained Disciples minister, so the connection to the CC(DOC) is not quite as "historic" as some might maintain.

 

[TCU2002]

I'll just speak to the part of whether or not a TCU education is taken seriously due to "Christian" being in the name of the school. Thinking about just me and my close friends from TCU, I discover graduate degrees (completed or in progress) from the following schools:

Indiana University (both Master's and MD)
Dartmouth College
University of Notre Dame
Rice University
Purdue University
Vanderbilt University
University of Chicago
Michigan State University
Tulane University
UC Irvine
Boston College

I am sure I am forgetting some.

 

[allclearforfrogs]

Tell your friends that Christianity has about the same role at TCU as it does at the Ivies founded by Protestant churches and far less than at Georgetown and Notre Dame when it comes to the Catholic Church.

I'll echo others' comments by adding that I probably spent more time studying Buddhism than Christianity while at TCU (perhaps worthwhile to note that I am in fact Christian). And if you have an irreverent side (as so many of us on here do) I recommend taking any philosophy course at TCU (watching George Carlin would probably be good preparation).

On a side note, I do find it sad that the Christian "brand" in America has been so thoroughly destroyed by fundamentalism (I'm sure that to many I've already punched my ticket to hell many times over) that you would even have to defend your choice to go to a university that is associated with "Christianity" or whatever that has come to mean in many corners of the country.

Oh, and if reasoning with your friends doesn't work, just show them any good picture of the TCU Showgirls. If they still don't think that we are openminded and every bit as intellectually sophisticated down here as anywhere else in America, at least they'll be too envious of you to really care.

This

 

[PurplFrawg]

i don't get why some people still ask about the "christian" in tcu.

I don't get why some don't get the part about capitalizing "Christian" and "TCU."

 

[Virginia Frog]

As for Baylor, my wife went there and they are more 'strict,' but its still full of crazy Baptists! Anyways, enjoy your Freshman year while it lasts!

Tell your Oregon friends that the are IGNORANT.

The word "Christian" in TCU comes from the DENOMINATION ["The Christian Church/Disciples of Christ" which trades as the Disciples of Christ (The Christian Church) www.disciples.org/ ] (President Lyndon B Johnson was a member.) (or DOC)

TCU is not a university of or for 'Texas Christians' but is the Texas version (and largest) of many "Christian Church" colleges around the USA...Drake in Iowa, Lynchburg in Va., Transylvania in Kentucky, Barton (formerly Atlantic Christian College, former TCU Chancellor Bil Tucker's ug alma mater), Eureka College in Illinois (Pres. Ronald Reagan '32), Chapman College In CA (Jerry Lewis, MDA fundraiser & comedian extraordinaire is an adjunct faculty member there.) and others. http://www.helmdisciples.org/colleges/index.htm

Counter to what many Texans believe, Abilene "Christian" University is NOT a DOC school, but a
"Church of Christ" School (COC). The best known COC college (to those on the West Coast) is Pepperdine Univ in Malibu (and many kids (maybe your some of your peers) WANT to go there - largely because WHERE it is located (and I don't blame them!) If you inquired further, you'd find out that Pepperdine is MUCH MORE OVERTLY RELIGIOUS than TCU. Pepperdine is named after a LA auto parts distributor (big $ can get a university named for you...Rice, Vanderbilt) rather than for Jesus Christ. That fact doesn't may them less religious than TCU with "Christian" in the name.

Around the country virtually EVERY large school with let's say 4,000 or more enrollment is secular in approach. While some like Georgetown, Boston College, Notre Dame, Marquette and other Catholic schools are much more OVERTLY religious than TCU, there are only three that I'd say have a "Christian" or more fundamental religious orthodoxy within it's student ranks and belief system: BYU (Mormons), Liberty (Southern Baptist and fundamental Christian born againers) and Baylor (Sou. Baptist.)

Educate these fools, Please.

VF

 

[JurisFrog]

It's simple really:

There is nothing about tcu that compels or mandates participation in Christian activity.

However there is more opportunity for religious growth or participation in religious activities at tcu than at purely secular or public institutions.

 

[Scott]

Hey TCUStudent 2015, I think you should embrace the Christian part of TCU if you're a Christian.

Sure, there isn't any required church service to attend as part of being a TCU student but if you're a Believer, you should be proud of your beliefs.

Be proud of TCU, be proud to be a Horned Frog and feel no need to defend this amazing school and religion, for that matter, to people who doubt us. Instead, encourage them to discover the great things that God and TCU have to offer.

This!

Also, this website is provided by Christian owners. We are tolerant of different opinions. However, in no way will we allow mockery of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

[Kaiser]

Hey,

Long time reader, first time poster. I've enjoyed reading about football on here but I have a quick question for those close to TCU. I am entering my freshman year at TCU this Fall and am having some arguments with some of my highschool friends.

They all know we have an Awesome football team, but they have been trying to make fun of TCU saying it's like Bayloror some hard core Christian school. Trying to say that TCU can't be taken too seriously in the world of academics due to "Christian" being a part of our name and the committment to Christianity.

When I took tours of the campus and takled to admissions officers, there was never a mention of TCU being a "Christian" school. And I know we are not a bible thumping school. So are there any articles or any support that I can show them to prove TCU is not the "Christian" university they are making it out to be.

Oh and I'm from Oregon. So this is probably why my friends have no clue regarding what TCU is all about.

Thanks!

The student body's largest denomination is Catholic, not Christian FWIW. I had to take 1 course on world religions and the campus was secular, just not with the whole "we will sue you for displaying a cross" attitude like you have at many public universities nowadays. The Christian in TCU really just means that TCU doesn't have any institutional hostility towards religion like you get at many public schools, but TCU doesn't proselytize. There aren't morality police running around controlling your lives or anything like that.

I'm somewhat hostile to Christianity, but never had a problem at TCU and felt right at home.

Congrats on your admission to TCU and Go Frogs.

(and stay all 4 quarters at the game)

 

[halfwaytoheaven]

I'll just speak to the part of whether or not a TCU education is taken seriously due to "Christian" being in the name of the school. Thinking about just me and my close friends from TCU, I discover graduate degrees (completed or in progress) from the following schools:

Indiana University (both Master's and MD)
Dartmouth College
University of Notre Dame
Rice University
Purdue University
Vanderbilt University
University of Chicago
Michigan State University
Tulane University
UC Irvine
Boston College

I am sure I am forgetting some.

Hopefully you'll be able to add one to that list this Fall. More on this as it develops.

But to address the OP, show your Oregon hippie friends this article, and that should disabuse them of their misconceptions about TCU. Oh, and we almost had an LGBT dorm. Almost.

 

[stell91]

Oh, and we almost had an LGBT dorm. Almost.

That story got blown WAY out of proportion and the fallout from it led to the dissolution of all the Living-Learning Communities. There was a lot of support on campus for that plan and I applaud the university for recognizing that TCU has a rather large LGBT population and trying to include them rather than ignore them.

 

[Zubaz]

The student body's largest denomination is Catholic, not Christian FWIW

Father Charlie FTW!!! Love that man.

TCU definitely has a Christian influence and a predominately religious student body, but I would suggest that's more because it's in Texas than because of any denomination the school might associate with. Texans tend to be religious (wait, sorry, "Have a relationship with Jesus Christ"), that's not really a surprise. It's in the Bible belt with a predominately upper class student body that's bound to over-represent the Conservative and Evangelical Christian demographic compared to the national average. That's not a good thing or a bad thing, but it certainly is bound to lead to some culture shock for anyone coming from, say, New England (like me) or the Pacific Northwest.

Put it this way: Will you be required to attend chapel, or submit to some statement of faith? Absolutely not. However, are you likely to get stopped by Campus Crusade or BYX and have them try and share the gospel with you? Yeah, probably.

 

[JurisFrog]

The student body's largest denomination is Catholic, not Christian FWIW. I had to take 1 course on world religions

----------------------------

You may not have paid that much attention to your religion class or your catholic friends......Catholics are rightly called Christians, along with Protestants.

I have always wondered about that oft-cited fact though. I knew many more Protestants than Catholics at tcu--I think that Catholics are the most representated Christian denomination on campus, but I do not think that they outnumber Protestants as a whole.

 

[Zubaz]

No, they don't outnumber the over-arching "Protestant" umbrella, but they are the largest specific denomination.

 

[Kaiser]

Lol, I didn't pay a whole lot of attention in that class but I knew that one! Butt many self identify as catholic instead of the generalized Christian due to the Jerry Falwell types highjacking that word. Kinda like lds falls under Mormon instead of Christian it's a division withion a division.

But without getting into too much religion that's how I choose to self identify.

Go Pope!!!

The student body's largest denomination is Catholic, not Christian FWIW. I had to take 1 course on world religions

----------------------------

You may not have paid that much attention to your religion class or your catholic friends......Catholics are rightly called Christians, along with Protestants.

I have always wondered about that oft-cited fact though. I knew many more Protestants than Catholics at tcu--I think that Catholics are the most representated Christian denomination on campus, but I do not think that they outnumber Protestants as a whole.

 

[Kaiser]

No, they don't outnumber the over-arching "Protestant" umbrella, but they are the largest specific denomination.

Yes Protestant basically covers those formed outside the Latin church from the 16th century on, (excluding the eastern & orthodox churches) but there are tons of Protestant religions; anglican, Lutheran, baptist, pentacostal etc. Some protestant denominations are closer to Catholics in theology than their fellow Protestants.

See, I did pay some attention.

 

[tcumaniac]

as other people have said, tcu is just as christian as you want it to be... i doubt it's much different than a&m on the religious side of things. both schools have rather conservative student bodies with the majority of students coming from texas so there will naturally be a strong influence of Christianity. However, the "Christian" in TCU doesn't make it a Christian school any more than Agriculture & Mechinal makes A&M a school for farmers. '

If you are a Christian, you'll fit in great at TCU. If youre not a Christian, you'll also fit in great at TCU.

It's what you make it. There are literally Christian related events every night of the week on campus, but it doesn't mean you have to go to them. It has no effect on the education provided by the university.

 

[TCU2012]

Anyone ever met an Atheist? They know the bible better than most Christians. Just saying/stirring the pot/Big Steaming Pile'ing

 

[BWDFROG]

I took a World Religion class. It was taught by a Muslim black woman from Africa. We talked about Christianity for about two days. If anything, I've learned more about Islam in my four years at TCU than Christianity.

That's a sad commentary