Campus
Christian groups increase religious
curiosity
By
Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
While spirituality and religion remain relatively personal themes, some students
at Cal State Long Beach are becoming more open in sharing and practicing
Christianity with others on campus.
“
I would say there is the same amount [of Christians] on campus as before,
but today I would say more are participating,” said John Lockmer, president
of Christian Students Unite, one of over 10 Christian clubs or organizations
on campus.
Though an increase in any religious group would be expected as the campus population
grows, Lockmer attributes the rise in participation for meetings and events
to improved communication among the Christian groups.
With so many organizations for the same faith on campus, the groups have begun
to spread out their meetings and events, so if a student can’t make a
meeting for one Christian group, they have a chance to catch a different one,
Lockmer said.
“
I think using the school’s facilities to share their faith is a part
of it,” Lockmer said. He said different organizations requesting larger
rooms for their meetings is a sign of the growing Christian participation.
While some may worry a prevalence of Christian advertisements could lead to
alienating other religious groups or non-religious students, Lockmer does not
see a problem.
“
Christian groups welcome everybody,” he said. “[Religious groups]
are a minority to other secular groups.”
While Christians have the overwhelming majority of recognized organizations
on campus of the practiced religions at
CSULB, Lockmer said they still play second-fiddle to the Greeks, among others.
While the leaders of fraternities and sororities can hold their higher-ups
to specific requirements—generally class
standing and membership within the system for a number of years—Christian
organizations on campus are not allowed to require its leaders to practice
a certain religion for the organization they are leading.
“
Why can’t Christian groups have the same thing [as fraternities and
sororities]?” Lockmer asked. “I don’t know of any group
that doesn’t do that on some level.”
“
The moment you have an absolute, you’re discriminated against,” he
continued. “I think it’s healthy to have different views even
if you don’t agree with them.”
Because”privacy rights prevent the school from asking a student’s
religion, there are no statistics for the religious affiliation of students
at CSULB, said Brett Waterfield, associate director of Student Life and Development.
No one can say with any definitive certainty the Christian, Jewish, Muslim
or any other religious population at CSULB.
Even those outside of the Christian organizations notice an increased presence
in Christian groups on campus, along with a general increase in religious curiosity.
“
I’ve seen quite a bit of advertising,” said Nadia Chohan, president
of the Muslim Student Organization. “I have seen more stakes and more
posters.”
Danielle Allison, president of Christians on Campus, said recent world events,
including Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami and the Iraq War, contribute to a
rise in a more spiritual outlook on life.
Any social organization, religious or not, can serve as a place to “just
have people to talk to,” Allison said. “There’s a lot going
on in the world that really causes people to rethink the being and value of
human life.”
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