Atheist player at a Christian College?

Y'all should pray on it.

"Christian college" is a very broad category.

Some don't care if you subscribe to their faith as long as you understand where they are coming from and are willing to respect the community they have. 

Others want you to affirm their faith and observe its practices and obligations. 

Many are somewhere in between.

Talk to the coach and find out how he views the matter.

I would look at it this way.  Is the Christian aspect of the school a main reason why most of the student body attends the school?  If so, I think your son would have very little in common with his classmates and would likely not enjoy the experience. 

I don't think it is a bad fit, per say.  I played at a Christian college that accepted and recruited players from all walks of life.  Some bought in and some did not, but there were many players on our team that were not Christian.  I would not rule it out.

Very Christian place,  in terms of student body, faculty, and general atmosphere.   

Many folks have suggested, if there is any sort of a choice, to go to a college where if you drop out of baseball that you'd still be happy. Does not seem like anything close to a good fit otherwise.

Good advice above.  Like with any school your son needs to look at the academics and see if that's a good fit, both for major and requirements.  And looking at the student body, he should ask himself, many of these people will be important professional contacts and my lifelong friends.  One may be my spouse.  Is that going work?

Campus Visit would seem to be in order.  Meet the team and see what the atmosphere is like.  If it is very conservative prayer based he'd have to see if that is something he would want to be his everyday life for the better part of the next 4 or 5 years.

I almost died laughing!  That was funny!

I'm Jewish. I attended a Christian boarding school my freshman year of high school. I was required to attend church five times per week. I was not required to bow my head and pray. I was required to sit quietly and respect it was a church. I also had to take a Bible study class. Since freshman year it was Old Testament it wasn't an issue at all. Other than this and wearing coat and tie during school hours it didn't seem different than any other learning and living environment.

One of my son's high school teammates (a Catholic) attend an evangelical Christian college and played baseball. He transferred after two years. He felt being Catholic had something to do with lineup decisions. He started and starred at the second school.

I believe each religiously based college will be different. The big issue is living with a very strict honor code (or getting around it)  I know several people who were athletes at BYU. I was told some great stories and antics of getting around the code. One was a football player during the McMahon era. They lived off campus.

Slugger, my opinion is that the question you are asking is one of the criteria questions along with a host of others that determine the best fit for him. It is another data point that has to be considered and it may be the data point that determines the decision. Following my son from afar this Freshman year I can't overestimate the importance of the right fit. It is a huge adjustment academically; athletically and socially. If he is considering it because for example it is D2 and his other options are D3 then that would certainly give me cause for concern and it would be back to the spreadsheet of pros and cons.

If the school in question is Westmont or Wheaton (Illinois) then it would NOT be a good fit for your son based on what you wrote. I doubt he would be happy at either school for very long.

Bobby, You are talking about the Thunder (wheaton) correct? If so I would have never guessed that they are a heavily Christian school. My son has played them several times down in Florida and their was nothing to indicate Baseball wise that they were overtly Christian. Just seemed like regular baseball players/coach to me. Same kind of language and attitude as any other ball players. 

Liberty is another very Christian school, they used to have a curfew. Their Baseball team is very good. My son has played with a few Liberty players over the summers. 

BLD,

The head coach of Wheaton saw my son play at Stanford.After the camp he started a dialogue with my son.He encouraged my son to visit the school website and take a look for himself to see if this school would be a possible fit for him.He went on to say that Wheaton and the environment that it embodies is more of a place that you desire to be than just something you can deal with.

Here is a quote that is posted on the Wheaton College website by the school president :

"Welcome to Wheaton College—a community of grace. As an academically rigorous, four-year Christian liberal arts college and graduate school, we seek to honor Jesus Christ with mind, soul, body, and strength. We praise God for your interest and pray that in some way your contact with Wheaton College will serve the sacred purpose expressed in our historic motto: 'For Christ and His Kingdom.'"
—Philip Ryken '88, President

After reading that and digging deeper into the website, my son emailed the coach and told him it would not be a good fit for him.The coach was gracious in his reply and understood.

Wheaton College is a VERY Christian college and it's not for everyone.

The title of the thread says atheist?

Why would an atheist meaning no belief in God at all want to be in a Christian environment.

Hmmm???  If the school has a good secular education program and good baseball, the window-dressing of the "Christian environment" probably doesn't (or shouldn't) matter to an atheistic baseball player..... huh?

But certainly an atheistic player needs to find out what will be expected of the student and whether such things can be tolerated from both sides.

Absolutely agree with luv baseball.  I would visit and evaluate if this is a fit or has a possible future.  

Most young folks go away to college and learn there is a big and vast world out there with lots of different people and views.  My oldest son grew up in the South and attended a school in upstate NY.  He quickly learned there were many people different from him and I think it is a great thing.  In his current job he is dealing with engineers from across the world with different cultures, languages and beliefs.  I'd keep an open mind.  Good luck.  

If it was wheaton college and you took a pass that's probably a good decision. I live in the next town over and the school makes the news once in a while for controversial positions and decisions they make. If you fit within their Christian values it's a great school but if you fall outside of them you are pretty much an outcast. They have let professors go for being Catholic and not Christian enough. There have also been issues with them meddling in students and staffs off campus private life's. Again if you fit their conservative style it's a good school but if you don't your better off taking a pass.  Just google them and you should find some of the articles. 

SDad,

If that's the best opportunity that comes his way he may have to take it, but I think in the long run that your boy would be happier playing at FSMU*.

Unfortunately, FSM does not currently have a U.  But it should.

*Just a little atheist humor. The kid will get it.

"Hmmm???  If the school has a good secular education program and good baseball, the window-dressing of the "Christian environment" probably doesn't (or shouldn't) matter to an atheistic baseball player..... huh?"

A Christian school depending on how "Christian" it is and they vary .We visited them and we are Christians.

Some even go as far as monitoring what you watch on TV so yes to me it would be hard to be in that environment. Most require chapel. It really depends on the school.My son wasn't comfortable being told what he could or could not watch on TV.He would be an 18-22 year old and being told he cant watch certain shows.

An atheist VS just a kid who doesn't want to be at a Christian school is 2 different things maybe the OP didn't mean his son was an atheist.

I am a Christian and if there were atheist schools, I mean ones that push a Atheist doctrine I wouldn't attend. Because its a conflict to my spirit.

After much "soul searching,"  some investigation,  and further conversations,  it's pretty clear that this wouldn't be a good fit for our son.  He actually might thrive there baseball wise, but the broader college atmosphere would be completely outside his comfort zone. I'm not saying that college shouldn't stretch you beyond your comfort zone.  But this would be quite a huge stretch -- a veritable contortion really. 

I agree 100%. This doesn't make any sense to me.

Is the son truely an atheist or just doesn't have any particular faith he follows?

Well he's 17,  not at all religious, not raised religious.   Is he diehard insistent that there is no god.  Don't think he has firm unshakeable beliefs on that score.   Mom has vague spiritual beliefs, the dad, though, is definitely an atheist.  Might he come to believe in something some  day. Who knows?  Not hostile to religion, just not particularly interested.   Some sectarian schools are pretty loose about such things.  Others are not so laid back and loose.  This particular one turns out to be very intense about it.  Not a good fit, even though coach seems like really good coach and really good guy.

So you should change the wording in the topic, as your son obviously is not an atheist, but rather has no belief at all and that is not being an atheist.

I am wondering who is more concerned about this, the son who has no particular faith to follow, or the dad who claims he is an atheist?

To me you seem over involved in your sons decision.  Is that because you oppose him being exposed to Christians due to your beliefs (or lack there of)?  To me you should let him make an informed decision after a visit.  Think about it, let's say no other school offers and he turned the Christian school down because that's what he thought you wanted.  20 years from now will you and he have regrets?  Not sure just my two cents.

Call him a casual atheist-- that's pretty much how he describes himself -- if you want.  I was just trying to suggest that he's not a Richard Dawkins type -- on a "crusade"  against those who believe. He's pretty laid back and tolerant about just about everything -- this is California after all.  We got all kinds here.   Religion is not a part of his life. But the thinks he could play at  a religious school, if it was pretty much religious in name only --the sort of place  that  gave you the opportunity to pursue it, and maybe even  encouraged you to pursue it,   but didn't force it down your throat.  Plus I think he has decided that he doesn't want to go to a school, even if he did have a chance of playing there,  where religion is one of  the primary thing that brings most students there.   After thinking this through and talking with various people and reading more about the school, he took a pass.  Personally, I am glad he did. But it was his choice not mine. 

SluggerDad,

Once again, not having a particular faith that one follows does not make one an atheist.

So I was kind of confused why an atheist would attend a Christian school, but now I understand that its most likely not following a faith rather than adopting the principles of atheism.

No that would not have been a good fit. Before son was in HS one of the better HS baseball programs were offering a scholarship if he decided to come, however, after only a slight thought since son was not Christian that seemed rather hypocritical. 

After all the injuries and bad breaks your son has had, it might be a good time for some Devine intervention.

Now that was funny.

touche

You'll be happy to know that the bone bruise is close to being healed.  He can actually swing a bat with only a tiny bit of pain.  Swing isn't where it was,  but he's about at the point where he can start doing regular BP again.

In the next few minutes, I will pare back this thread and then close it. 

It has served its intended purpose of giving the advice requested by the OP In a manner that did not debate the underlying religious issues. 

Unfortunately, now it is becoming a discussion about religion.  

Several members will notice that their posts which had nothing objectionable in them will also be deleted in the course of the pruning to maintain coherence of the remaining thread. I ask for your understanding and forebearance.