The Pull of Christianity at UC Berkeley

I recently read an article from a local newspaper about how many UC Berkeley college students are increasingly drawn to evangelical Christianity. It was a rather long article (around 5000 words) but quite informative.

from the article…
It's not a story you might expect to hear on a campus more famous for its Nobel Prize winners, tree sitters, and free-speech advocates. And yet, Cal has increasingly become a place where Asian-American students like Chiu are finding God. Their Christian faith is having repercussions on how they approach their studies, how they think about science, and what careers they pursue — perhaps even the future of academia. In some cases, the changes are already underway. (Richards, K., 2008)

Considering the stereotype of UC Berkeley (and the town it resides in) being a bastion of liberal thought and greater social & environmental awareness, this may be surprising to many. The article provides quotes and analysis for why this influx of Asian Americans is occurring. One proferred theory is that it may be cultural: “Culturally, Asian-American students may relate to the Christian mentality easier than others, scholars say (Richards, K., 2008).” Another suggestion indicates that it may be message-related: “Perhaps most importantly, fellowships preach a message of acceptance. For many Asian-American students who face intense pressure from their parents to succeed academically, Christianity provides a shelter (Richards, K., 2008).”

In part, the way these Christian ministries reach out to attract students has modernized. The fellowships have developed “a pretty marketed approach” undertaking activities such as “give(ing) away candy or gift baskets to incoming freshmen, and stage(ing) skits (Richards, K., 2008).” One group (Intervarsity Christian Fellowship) conducted a survey with clipboards querying passing students ‘What are your issues with Christianity?’ (Richards, K., 2008). Maybe the ministries have learned lessons from advertising and marketing on how to best package their product.

But the increasing involvement in Christian ministry does not come without ancillary costs in other areas. One leader tacks up more than 15 hours officially with his group; the tally doesn’t include his outreach and ministry duties (Richards, K., 2008). So changed by his experience with a Christian ministry group, another student (Matt Huang) left his pursuit of a medical career and is currently unemployed while he searches for a “nonprofit or government sector” position (Richard, K., 2008).

The Christian ministries must also find ways to confront the apparent conflict between some the foundational tenets of Christianity and the realms of academia and science. According to the article, the Veritas Forum

sponsored a high-profile talk by Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project and a devout Christian. The event packed Wheeler Hall, plus two overflow lecture halls. Collins eschews intelligent design arguments in favor of a more science-embracing notion of "theistic evolution," or what he calls "BioLogos." In essence, evolution happened but God started it all(Richards, K., 2008).

And while many of the ministry groups don’t posit official positions on the evolution issue, they do offer alternative views on how current things came to be. The students themselves often adopt their own stances on evolution. According to Professor Kevin Padian—curator of the Museum of Paleontology—student “don’t feel it’s relevant” to identify their disagreement with evolution in class or adopt the approach “you teach me science and I’ll believe what I want to believe (Richards, K., 2008).

So I don’t really have a great deal of comments about the article. I am curious as to whether people believe this type of movement in a secular, public university is a good, bad, or non-eventful thing. An in-depth analysis of my previously expressed viewpoints probably indicates where on the spectrum my opinions lie. But I do find it interesting to see how Christian organizations are adapting secular business marketing & advertising techniques to connect with their target audience. Outreach evolved from simply posting flyers to conducting surveys, skits, and giveaway contests. As separate as Christian ministries may desire to be, is it possible that the only thing separating them from secular social groups is subject and material content?

Is Peace the Natural State of the Planet?

I don’t really have an answer to this question, but I find myself wondering this more and more as each year passes. I have heard friends and colleagues answer this question differently. For the most part, it seems their answers have more to do with their individual personalities than with the actual state of the world.

I never bought the adage “Those who fail to learn from history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them.” It makes complex societal behavior far too simplistic, while simultaneously attributing ignorance as the cause of failure. As if smart knowledgeable people don’t make mistakes.

For some people, it seems more understandable to ascribe a sort of benevolent impetus to Nature; for others they attribute a naturalistic progression/development of planets and species from simple to complex, then ultimately to disorder. Regardless of which position one is closer to—the caring overseer that wants the best for us, or the impartial system of evolutionary progression and descent into physical chaos—it is the question of ‘What next?’ that all humans are left with.

Do we have some sort to leave the planet and society in a better state than the way in which we found it? If so, then is it better to pursue an achievable improvement in the individual time each of us has before we die, or is it better to strive for the long-term improvement which may not be achievable in any one life-time?

Having a peaceful planet is a goal that appears to be much longer-term project than can be accomplished in any one lifetime. The cyclic nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from cease-fire to armed conflict illustrates a true peace must outlast the generation that starts it. If the accords made that settled the IRA-UK conflict last another few decades, then that situation can serve as an example of the establishment of modern-era peace.

It may well be that while peace is the natural state of the planet, it is not the natural state of society. In other words, the species on the planet will come to a homeostatic balance of creation, propagation, and destruction. It could be the establishment and maintenance of societies that disrupts that balance, since each society competes with all the others.

Competition between societies can be civil until one society begins (or attempts to begin) the destruction of another. At that point, the conflicts almost always include some level of violence. The attempt during the 20^th century by democratic societies to destroy communistic societies spilled into violence repeatedly, particularly in the Middle East and SouthEast Asia. The establishment of Western Society in the Americas, led to conflicts with the existing native societies once the Native Americans realized that the intent of the incoming settlers was to replace the current American societal models, with ones from Europe.

I think there is something intriguing to this idea, that I’ll have to address in more depth at another time; but suffice to say that while I don’t have a definitive answer to the post-initiating question, my current working answer is “Not exactly. Sans society, peace can be the natural state of the planet; with society, peace cannot.”