The Pilgrim’s Protest

By the original Editorial Board of TPP

Pilgrim (pil΄grəm), n. a person who goes on a journey to a sacred or holy place as an act of religious devotion.

Protest (prō΄test), v. making a solemn declaration or affirmation.

Who are we? Why are we “The Pilgrim’s Protest”? We desire to be a student publication dedicated to the free and scholarly exchange of ideas among students and staff. The need for a university, especially a Christian one, to promote, sponsor, and freely publish the many diversified ideas of the people which make up its community is clear. In fact, the word “university” comes from the fusion of two words—“unity” and “diversity.” The very fact that we call ourselves a university should necessitate the call to hear diverse and varied opinions from the community about various ideas of Christian theology, ethics, and politics, as well as everyday CIU affairs.
By not providing the proper forum to speak our minds freely, we only hurt ourselves by making the CIU community weaker and less capable to handle the issues that Christians face on and off the campus. We also lose a vital part of our mission to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.

Why do we call ourselves “Pilgrims”? Because we are all pilgrims—people on a journey seeking our God.

So, what do we protest? We do not protest in the sense of standing in the streets and causing riots. We protest in the sense of simply standing up and making bold affirmations. And we protest in the sense that those first “protest-ants” did—in order to speak freely about what we believe. Thus, we are all “protestors” if we call ourselves protestants. The protestant movement was born out of the heart of a people who yearned to be free, who yearned to be able to understand God’s word for themselves. It was a few ordinary people who made a choice to stand up for what they believed no matter how ridiculous some people thought they were. We want to carry on the protestant message. The message that says each person has the right to come before man and before God to know his Word and speak their minds and hearts with confidence. And by creating a healthy and respectful forum in which each student and staff alike are able to bring their ideas to the table.