Religious
groups face negative views
By Franklin A. Holman
On-line Forty-Niner
 Christian
groups at Cal State Long Beach face anger
and resentment as they invite students to
attend Bible study sessions and other religious
functions.
Many students do not like being bombarded
by solicitation when they are on their way
to class.
“It’s annoying and they are ruthless with
their attacks.” Chris Herbert, art major
said, “It’s not the [Christian] group; it’s
just their persistence.”
“They came up to me and when I said I don’t
want to go to Bible study, she said you’ll
be damned to go to hell,” said communicative
disorders major, Maureen Teng.
Other students see an invitation to Bible
study as an opportunity to learn.
“Since I’m religious, I don’t mind listening
to them because I could learn something
spiritually,” Elsa Cobian, social work major
said.
Members of Christian groups also think that
students do not have anything against them
personally, only against religious solicitation
on campus.
“We hope that there is no resentment out
there against our organization or against
Christianity,” Nathan Inan, University Bible
Fellowship member said. “We still will encourage
students to study the Bible and invite them
to attend our meetings if they like.”
University Bible Fellowship is one of the
Christian groups that has come across losses
for their efforts to bring students to Bible
study. They have had two banners and several
lawn placards stolen this semester.
“I would assume the theft involves anti-Christian
sentiments because other organizations don’t
have this problem,” Bible fellowship member
Jason Koch said.
Dr. Stuart Farber, assistant dean of students
said it could be anybody from the community
that removed the banners. CSULB is an open
campus, and banners that remain overnight
are subject to being taken down by anybody,
he said.
There are posting and solicitation rules,
but any group is allowed to ask people to
attend their events. Banners that market
events from any organization are welcome
to be displayed as long as they follow the
posting guidelines, which deal with the
size, amount, and the time period that the
banners are posted.
“We tell solicitors not to touch students,
don’t block them, stop them from going where
they are going, don’t shout at them and
don’t badger them,” Farber said. “That goes
for all solicitors on campus.”
Students still get angry about religious
solicitation on campus. Nathan Inan of University
Bible Fellowship said that after a friend
of his invited a student to come to Bible
study, the student got angry and kicked
over one of the political candidates lawn
placards in a fit of rage.
Kengo Oshiro, engineering major said he
does not like when people invite him to
a religious function because he feels that
the religious group is pressing their beliefs
on him.
There have not been any official complaints
about solicitation on campus this semester,
but some students think that a solicitation
is a problem that needs to be resolved.
“There should be a no solicitation rule
on campus because it takes away from the
academic focus,” Hebert said.
Despite the fact that some students want
a no solicitation policy on campus, and
religious groups have experienced negative
reactions from students, members of religious
groups say they will continue to invite
students to their functions.
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