Patrick Henry College

{{christianity}}
'''Patrick Henry Christian College(PHC)''' a.k.a. "God's Harvard"<ref name="colbert">Colbert Report, [https://www.cc.com/video/2f3tuj/the-colbert-report-michael-farris October 21 2008]</ref> is a college in Purcellville, [[Virginia]], which caters to [[Christianity|Christians]], especially those who have been [[Homeschooling|homeschooled]].  The college teaches that the [[Bible]] is the inerrant word of [[God]], and [[creationism]] is taught as literal fact.  Michael Farris, the founder and chancellor emeritus of the college—now President of the conservative Christian watchdog group [[Alliance Defending Freedom]]—stated on [[Stephen Colbert|''The Colbert Report'']] that if a student was to write "[[Goddidit]]" on a biology test, that would be a correct answer.<ref name="colbert" /> Students may not drink [[alcohol]], [[Tobacco smoking|smoke]] or [[Sexual intercourse|mess with the opposite sex]] outside [[marriage]] during term time on or off campus. 

The school is clearly attractive to outspoken Evangelical and political leaders, many of whom have visited PHCC to offer chapel messages, lectures, and commencement addresses.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZhxSUPUuw&list=PL_n3s777QTTVGxGTDIafXdUMOfxu_OM5M From the PHCC YouTube playlist for Commencement], accessed on Mar. 19, 2020.</ref>

==Background==

PHC is accredited by the [[Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools]] (TRACS), a [[creationist]] accreditation authority, to offer Bachelors degrees.<ref>PHC is accredited at the "Category II" level, for institutions offering Bachelors degrees, per the [http://tracs.org/documents/2015JuneAccreditationManual.pdf TRACS Accreditation Manual]. See also [http://tracs.org/TRACS_Members_all.html TRACS Members]. tracs.org. Retrieved 21 September 2015.</ref>

The college requires incoming students ''and'' faculty and staff to sign a "Statement of Faith."<ref>[https://www.phc.edu/statement-of-faith Statement of Faith] at PHC.</ref>
* The Universe? [[Goddidit]]!
* [[Evolution]] is wrong.
* [[Human_nature|Human Nature]] "Man is by nature sinful and is inherently in need of salvation."
* [[Homosexuality]] is [[sin]].
* [[Jesus]] [[salvation|saved us]] from the penalties of sin.
* [[Satan]] is a malevolent being from Hell that consciously torments non-believers for all of eternity.<ref>[https://www.phc.edu/statement-of-biblical-worldview Statement of Biblical Worldview (Attested to by all trustees, administrators, and faculty)] at PHC.</ref>

==Main objective==

One of the primary aims of Patrick Henry College(PHC) is to train committed Christians for government posts,<ref>[https://www.collegedata.com/college/Patrick-Henry-College/?tab=profile-overview-tab CollegeData profile.]</ref> and many graduates of the College found positions in the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration.<ref>Lorelei Jackson And Mauricio Rosas, [http://archive.is/Utarc PHC Could It Be A Front For An Extremist Madrasa?] Archived from the original at voiceoffreedom.org, 12 May 2004. The [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1137966/posts article was reposted] on [[Free Republic]] so [[wingnut]]s can show proper outrage).</ref><ref>Mauricio Rosas and Lorelei Jackson, [https://www.indymedia.org/en/2004/12/865183.shtml PHC: Is it a breeding ground for the Christian Republican Reich?] indymedia.org, 1 December 2004.</ref><ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/06/24/125047/-American-Madrasas-Inside-the-Stepford-Republiban-Factory# American Madrasas: Inside the Stepford Republiban Factory], ''[[Daily Kos]]'', 2005.</ref><ref>[http://www.greanvillepost.com/2012/11/23/german-reporter-goes-underground-at-fundamentalist-christian-madrassa-patrick-henry-college/ German reporter goes underground at Fundamentalist Christian Madrassa PHC.] ''The Greanville Post'', November 23, 2012. (Excerpts from a story in ''Die Zeit'' entitled [http://www.zeit.de/2012/46/USA-Evangelikale-Elite-College Die Elite-Uni für Amerikas religiöse Fundamentalisten]).</ref> The [[UK]] based Wilberforce Academy jointly set up by the [[Alliance Defense Fund]] ([[US]] based) and the [[Christian Legal Centre]] ([[UK]] based) has a similar purpose.

A 2019 article in the Washington Examiner reports that PHC is among the top three conservative colleges in the nation for the number of its graduates going to work as White House interns.<ref>[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/trump-white-house-opens-door-to-christian-conservative-colleges Trump White House Opens Door to Christian Conservative Colleges]. ''[[Washington Examiner]]'', May 6, 2019.</ref>

==Controversies==

===Mass resignation of professors, heretics, etc.===

In 2006, five professors at PHC, who at the time constituted an entire third of the faculty, resigned from the institution, alluding to the rather obvious fact that academic freedom is badly proscribed there. One of their complaints concerned the firing of a library clerk for [[heresy]], ''viz.'', for believing in baptismal regeneration along with all [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Christians]], [[Roman Catholic]]s, [[Lutheran]]s, and [[Anglican]]s.<ref>Michael Alison Chandler, [http://archive.is/M7D6S 5 Professors Quit Religious School.] ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 19 May 2006.</ref> 

One of the resigning professors, David Noe, a [[minister]] of the [[fundamentalist]] Orthodox Presbyterian Church, was under fire for writing an article containing the blasphemous suggestion that any books besides the Bible possessed any truthful or otherwise useful content.<ref>Sheryl Henderson Blunt, [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/mayweb-only/120-12.0.html Shakeup at PHC.] Christianity Today, 15 May 2006.</ref>

===Forced resignation of President Walker===

On October 15th, 2014, the immediate resignation of college president Dr. Graham Walker was announced at a surprise all-campus meeting. Walker was ousted by the Board of Trustees along with the help of the independently-run Alumni Association. The college has refused to announce the reasons for the sudden departure, but it appears that for several months the Board had been struggling to gain Walker's cooperation with an independent investigation regarding sexual assault allegations, as well as the future of growth and accreditation for the college.<ref>Kiera Feldman, [https://newrepublic.com/article/120038/patrick-henry-president-graham-walker-resigns-inside-story Why Did the Ultra-Religious, Anti-Gay President of "God's Harvard" Suddenly Resign?] The New Republic, 30 October 2014.</ref><ref>Morgan Lee, [https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2014/october/patrick-henry-president-graham-walker-resigns.html PHC President Resigns Amid Board Disagreement.] Christianity Today, 16 October 2014.</ref>

===Sexual assault policy===
 
The prevailing mood at PHC is that bodies are corrupting and the onus is on women to avoid tempting the men. One former student shared this with ''The New Republic'' several years back:<ref name=KieraFeldman>Kiera Feldman, [https://newrepublic.com/article/116623/sexual-assault-patrick-henry-college-gods-harvard Sexual Assault at God's Harvard.] The New Republic, 17 February 2014.</ref>
 
{{cquote|They basically at no point accounted for sexual assault (cases where girls’ ‘purity’ was taken from them) and left many girls who’d been victims in the past feeling ashamed.}}
 
One student, Claire Spear, claimed that a man made serious sexual contact without asking her permission first; she was found lying in grass crying and saying she'd been violated.  Her accusation was overlooked and the college disciplinary system was more concerned that she had been drinking alcohol.  Another female student fell asleep after a party and woke with a man assaulting her.
 
{{cquote|The administration encouraged me to not go to the police and said that, because alcohol was involved and I was violating the rules there, they hinted that I could be expelled if I brought light to the incident, the focus was the alcohol. I drank. I sinned. I deserved to be assaulted in the middle of the night.}}
 
When an anonymous woman reported that a male student sent threats that included an email claiming he "wanted to forcibly take my virginity," the dean told the woman 
 
{{cquote|The choices you make and the people you choose to associate with, the way you try to portray yourself, will affect how people treat you.}}
 
In later meetings she was told to consider how the clothing she wore put certain "ideas ... in men’s minds."  The dean would not consider asking security to guard her against the threatening man.

The College (undoubtedly noticing gaps in policy) later found the need to revise their Student Honor Code<ref>https://www.phc.edu/student-honor-code PHCC website, accessed on Mar. 19, 2020</ref> and now have put in place a process for filing a formal grievance, which includes sexual misconduct.<ref>https://www.phc.edu/complaintresolution PHCC website, accessed on Mar. 19, 2020</ref>

==Notable alumni==
*Theresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/teresa-scanlan-miss-america-2011-begins-college-life-at-virginias-patrick-henry-college/2012/09/15/92e7c208-ff5a-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_blog.html Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, begins college life at Virginia’s PHC]. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 17 September 2012</ref>

*Lindsay See, Solicitor General for [[West Virginia]]<ref>[https://fedsoc.org/contributors/lindsay-see Lindsay See], The Federalist Society.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210125160002/https://www.phc.edu/alumni-profiles/lindsay-see Lindsay See alumni profile]. Patrick Henry Christian College.</ref>

==External links==
*[https://www.phc.edu/?hsLang=en Official website]

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Fundamentalist Christian organizations]]
[[Category:Fundie schools]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Rape culture]]

Categories: Christianity, Fundamentalist Christian organizations, Fundie schools, Sexism, Purity culture, Rape culture