Searching for Beefcake in Fundamentalist Central

There are three things I like about this photo:
1. The guy's last name is Friddle -- great name!
2. He's peeling off his wrestling singlet in front of God and everybody.
3. He has just lost the title to Aurora Christian's Cameron














When I was growing up in Rock Island, we visited Aurora, about 2 1/2 hours away, often for jump quizzes, talent shows, and soulwinning weekends.

Nazarenes always talked about it as a "beacon of light in this sinful old world," aka Fundamentalist Central.

Wheaton College
North Central College
A Christian publishing company
Three Nazarene Churches
A lot of fundamentalist mega-churches with names like Abundant Life Family Center.

And a lot of cute fundamentalist boys, like these Wheaton College swimmers.

I was wondering if Aurora changed since I graduate from high school, or is it still Fundamentalist Central?




The Cameron who just beat Friddle -- and looks extremely miserable for someone who has just won a championship.  He's from the Aurora Christian Schools (plural).


















Christian high schools like Aurora Christian and Naperville Christian are a new thing -- at least, there weren't any back in 1975.  So now Aurora kids can learn that evolution is a lie and Roman Catholics are evil, and do  math problems that begin "If there are 6.23 billion people on Earth, and 2.3% of them are saved...."

And play football with your shirt off, like they apparently do at Aurora Christian.











However, Aurora is now 40% Roman Catholic.

There is also a significant Greek Orthodox population.



This very sad wrestling champion (does anyone ever smile in Aurora) is from the Roman Catholic Marmion Academy.

Surprisingly, Aurora Christian plays against them.  They must not be as anti-Catholic as Nazarenes.















Aurora is the home of the Sri Venkasteswara Swami Temple, devoted to the veneration of Venkasteswara (an incarnation of Vishnu).

Built in 1986, it is a spiritual home for Hindus throughout the Midwest.










And the Fox Valley Muslim Community Center.  Over 6% of the population of Aurora is Muslim.















Also in Aurora, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential high school
where, I guarantee, you're learning about evolution.














It's nice to know that diversity has come to Fundamentalist Central.