Marxist inroads into Minnesota Christian colleges

In Roman16:17 the Apostle Paul said:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them. (KJV)

Two years ago, my wife Julie and I identified (“marked”) Minnesota’s new teacher certification standards (PELSB) as promoting cultural Marxist ideology.[1] Cultural Marxist scholar, Dr, James Lindsay, released a tweet confirming our analysis. At this point virtually everyone familiar with the new standards agrees that they are Marxist in nature.

James Lindsay also correctly points out that Cultural Marxism (also called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—DEI) is a religious cult. The new teacher certification standards are not only Marxist, they are also false doctrine. The Apostle Paul admonished us to “mark and avoid” false doctrine.

Cultural Marxism promotes atheism and the false doctrine that neither truth nor morality exist. According to the Marxists, truth and morality are “constructs,” creations of powerful white males for the purpose of oppressing other people.

I have identified (“marked”) eleven false doctrines that are an integral part of these new certification standards.[2] This means that it is not possible to base instruction on these standards without teaching the false doctrines.

Identifying the false doctrines is only half of the battle, however. The other half is “avoiding” these false teachings, as Paul said. In contrast to Paul’s directive, however, many Minnesota Christian colleges are incorporating these false doctrines into their education curricula.  

Why would Christian colleges do this? The reason is that in Minnesota, public schools are allowed to hire only state certified teachers. Minnesota’s new teacher certification standards require that after July 1, 2025, prospective Minnesota public school teachers must adopt and agree to teach the new Marxist standards.

Those Minnesota Christian colleges that have been awarding state-certified licenses hope to continue granting this teacher certification. They believe that doing so will attract students and income. They also believe the fantasy that they may adopt the standards without incorporating the false doctrines.

Why would Minnesota teachers be required to teach doctrines that are both Marxist and false? The reason for it is simple—the intellectual godfather of Cultural Marxism, Antonio Gramsci, said that for the Marxist revolution to succeed, also called “the Great Reset,” the Marxists will need to control education. The new teacher certification standards are a key component for enabling the Marxists to control what is taught in Minnesota public schools. Other states are facing similar battles. 

What this means is that any teacher certified under the new Minnesota licensing standards becomes an agent of the Marxist revolution, whether they are aware of this or not. To Cultural Marxists, “it’s all about the revolution.” Why should we care?   

Will Christian colleges “avoid” the false doctrines that have been clearly identified (“marked”) as Paul recommends? Or will they incorporate the Marxist false doctrines into their programs? And will they send out teachers who will be expected to teach these false doctrines, whether they understand what they’re doing or not?

The Upper Midwest Law Center is seeking a Christian college to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit (pro-bono) to challenge the constitutionality of these new standards. Will any Christian college join the resistance and become a plaintiff?

Minnesota Christian colleges are “liberal arts” institutions—dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and the arts. Cultural Marxism, in contrast, operates on propaganda, censorship, threats, and bribery—the antithesis of liberal arts. No institution can long survive this contradiction.     

Author: Allen Quist is a former 3-term Minnesota state legislator and retired professor of religion and political science at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota. He is a retired adjunct professor of Christian apologetics at Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary and has authored ten books on education and Christian apologetics.  

[1] “Teachers must demonstrate a Marxist worldview to obtain their teaching license,” June 24, 2022

[2]  “Complete Article, War on Christians,” June 8, 2024