Charles W. Colson Geneva College Commencement Address

American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank ^ | May 1998 | Chuck Colson

[CondoleezzaProtege]

"I've come to you this morning with a topic that probably in an earlier age would have sounded a little bit absurd. And that’s the question of whether character matters, whether it has anything to do with public service.

Now even as recently as a generation ago, probably no one would give a commencement talk on that address to educated people -- people getting their degree -- because education was considered to be not only the acquisition of knowledge, but the formation of moral character. That’s what education was all about."

..."Twenty-five years ago this summer, I was converted to Christ. And everyday that I get up in the morning, I thank God for that moment when I realized my own sin, and I knew that as an historical fact, the son of God went to the cross and took upon himself my sin.

Twenty-five years ago, in the darkest days of Watergate, you read about all of my sins -- those of you graduating now. Younger students at least read about them in your history books. I am always appalled when people come up to me and ask for my autograph on airplanes because they read about me in their history book.

But what I realized that night, twenty-five years ago, the toughest of the Nixon tough guys, the Whitehouse "Hatchet Man," was that it was true that I could be set free, and I realized what was in my heart -- not the stuff you read about in Watergate, but much worse.

And I tell you I would suffocate in the stench of my own sins today if I did not know that Christ took them away.

And what does that do with me?

[CondoleezzaProtege]

"I was a marine officer. When you’re trying to go into combat, the most important thing is that the fellow in the next foxhole you can depend on to be there if the shooting begins. I cared a whole lot more about his character than I did his IQ, because my life depended on his character. And as you go through life, whether it’s in the military, or whether it’s in your businesses, or whether it’s in your churches, or whatever walk of life, and certainly in your family, someone is gonna to depend more on your character than your IQ.

Build and develop your character. ~ Charles Colson

[DrDeb]

Excellent speech; thank you for posting it!

[geologist]

Character is of preeminent importance. It is becoming lost today.

We grew up knowing the character of John Wayne, and desired to emulate such character. Simple but effective, based on conviction and standing tall.

We are currently a bunch of wimps. The feminist movement caused most men to retreat from the former chauvinistic behavior and attitude.

Give me moral character every time.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

While that is very much true, there were major problems with men’s character that led to the feminist movement in the first place and we cannot discount that.

[geologist]

Yes. Yet men bent over backwards in the changing. Too far and what with political correctness, became to accepting of the unacceptable. MO

[CondoleezzaProtege]

well the ball continues to be in men’s court too...many “men” seemed happy and continue to seem quite content to go along with the pro-abortion/sexual revolution movements. Sex sells because there are buyers. Some women behave in such a way (sexualizing themselves) to be “accepted” by men, namely men in power—becuase that is what those “men” seem to be looking for and rewarding.

Men still hold more of the power.

[Ford4000]

I think it would be more accurate to say that the deficiencies of (some) men were used as excuse by feminists to sell their poision.

[geologist]

Agreed. Not beneficial for life, liberty, families, the future, or survival as a free people.

Do not walk in lock step with the lowest class (sexual exploiters) of character.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Ford4000, let's be honest and look at the entire history of human civilization. Women have been, by far, the most oppressed side of the "gender aisle" so to speak. In almost every culture and society, women have had it "toughest" in terms of their treatment and experiences. Men, as a whole, have had a shameful track record of abusing their power and utilizing their physical strength for ill rather than in the humble and sacrificial service of women and children.

With his life, Jesus Christ gave the leadership model for men to follow. Paul re-iterated in Ephesians chapter 5:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

[Ford4000]

Men have also had to support women and children so it’s not as though they got off easy.

Idealizing women is dangerous to the truth too since, as I am sure you know, they are as fallen and sinful as men are. Feminism, at least as practiced today, is almost purely evil: paranoid and justifying any behavior of women while blaming it on men.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Of course. We are ALL fallen indeed. And there is no justification for feminazism. All I’m saying is there is plenty of blame to go around.

I just think back to Eve in the Garden of Eden...even though she was technically the first one to rebel against GOD and eat the forbidden fruit...Adam bears the primary blame. He did not lead. He did not protect her. He encouraged the rebellion.

“The Fall” is attributed to Adam. “The Fall of Adam.”

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men.” ~ Romans 5:12