16 February 2005

Take Me for a Ride

What is it about college admissions that makes people want to lie? I am an admissions counselor for a conservative Christian institution, but it still happens. Every day potential students line up to lie to me. "I'm just searching my options," they say. "I might send in an application or something," others will say. Why not just tell me, "Hey. Get off the phone with me. I don't remember asking you for information about your school. I used to think Bible school would be good, but not now. I won't get rich doing it." That would save me some time, allow me to work with the people who should really be training for Christian ministry. Of course, that wouldn't be polite, they think, so they keep taking me for rides every day. I wonder if my ride will be in a Chevette or an Aston Martin today?

4 comments:

Jason said...

I would think that dis-honesty is impolite. The reason we are polite (or the reason should be) based on respect. Lies shows a MASSIVE amount of disrespect.
So being polite by BS'ing your way is really an oxymoron... Interesting....
here's some truth for you: I"m done

Erskine said...

It's not a responsibility so much as a desire to tell people to stop snowing me. Of course I have no proof that I'm really being taken for a ride, but it's not difficult to discern what's really going on. To be honest, I occasionally do say, "Let's be honest with one another. Is ministry really your bag? Is this school?" I've only been quasi-rude to a few people, but the worst case was when someone who SHOULD be in ministry training said they knew the were called and proceeded (in the next sentence) to say they were staying at community college to take business. What?! Anyway, no, I just let people do their thing and stop communication with them on my end. ;)

Anonymous said...

I think that what you've pointed out in your post is amusing but you made it seem like the only reason people don't go to Bible college is because they want to make more money. Not everyone is called into the ministry and people who aren't called into the ministry shouldn't go to Bible college if they're not called to do so.

Erskine said...

I couldn't agree with you more, anonymous. I'm learning everyday that what I communicate and what I think I communicate rarely align. I loathe the thought that people would train for ministry for money. That's called simony. I do, however, feel that some people will be led by God to Bible college to find out that their talents that look good in a ministry context do not mean that He's calling them to a life of vocational ministry. Does this help?