Professors debate ethical issues with students
Charlotte Holman
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
Southwest Baptist University
students posed questions about
torture, poverty, war and political
activism to four SBU professors
Thursday, Feb. 28 during
the Ethical Primary.
Dr. Rodney Reeves, dean,
Courts Redford college of theology
and ministry; Dr. Zach
Manis, assistant professor of
philosophy; Bill Walkup, assistant
professor of psychology,
and Tom Stevens, instructor of
business administration participated
in the debate.
Professors were asked questions
about various current
issues by moderators junior
Andrew Frisbie and freshman
Alex Worley.
The questions ranged from
the ethical decisions regarding
poverty, Wal-Mart return policies,
political activism and how
religion factors into these.
A microphone was available
for the audience to ask their
own questions to the professors.
From this open floor option
stemmed the most heated conversations
of the night including
a string of questions about the
morality of torture, war, political
activism and how being a
Christian affects all of these.
"It was a great opportunity
for the exchange of ideas," said
Walkup.
Students' ideas seemed
to be challenged as the professors
took their stances on
these subjects. Reeves, Manis
and Stevens expressed the ineffectiveness
and immorality of
torture while Walkup remained
silent on the issue.
The only two exceptions
Reeves and Manis allowed for
the torture question were zombies
and vampires when they
were in bat form.
All of the professors seemed
to be in agreement that when
it comes to politics, Christians
should not remain silent but not
try to impose Christianity on
American citizens through the
government.
"The Church is the only
instrument for Kingdom work,"
said Reeves.
Stevens expanded this idea
saying that he believed some
churches were so concerned
with keeping God in the Pledge
of Allegiance that they had forgotten
students posed questions about
torture, poverty, war and political
activism to four SBU professors
Thursday, Feb. 28 during
the Ethical Primary.
Dr. Rodney Reeves, dean,
Courts Redford college of theology
and ministry; Dr. Zach
Manis, assistant professor of
philosophy; Bill Walkup, assistant
professor of psychology,
and Tom Stevens, instructor of
business administration participated
in the debate.
Professors were asked questions
about various current
issues by moderators junior
Andrew Frisbie and freshman
Alex Worley.
The questions ranged from
the ethical decisions regarding
poverty, Wal-Mart return policies,
political activism and how
religion factors into these.
A microphone was available
for the audience to ask their
own questions to the professors.
From this open floor option
stemmed the most heated conversations
of the night including
a string of questions about the
morality of torture, war, political
activism and how being a
Christian affects all of these.
"It was a great opportunity
for the exchange of ideas," said
Walkup.
Students' ideas seemed
to be challenged as the professors
took their stances on
these subjects. Reeves, Manis
and Stevens expressed the ineffectiveness
and immorality of
torture while Walkup remained
silent on the issue.
The only two exceptions
Reeves and Manis allowed for
the torture question were zombies
and vampires when they
were in bat form.
All of the professors seemed
to be in agreement that when
it comes to politics, Christians
should not remain silent but not
try to impose Christianity on
American citizens through the
government.
"The Church is the only
instrument for Kingdom work,"
said Reeves.
Stevens expanded this idea
saying that he believed some
churches were so concerned
with keeping God in the Pledge
of Allegiance that they had forgotten
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