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?

Work in Progress?

Here is an older photo. (Click image to see larger picture) It actually doesn't directly relate to the post title so much. The title more relates to what to do with old digital images that have the potential to be good (with significant amounts of photoshop work) when I don't wish to work on them. For example, there are still probably over 100 Agora II images (nearly half of them include some form of unclothed, undressed, nearly naked, or nude performers) that I've reached my saturation point for dealing with. In addition to all the other projects consuming my time, I do not know if I want to spend additional time on such an old one: particularly since I was dissatisfied with my photographic endeavor at the time. (I didn’t utilize the best photo-chronicling techniques, didn’t attend enough of the performances to get all the pictures I wanted, and didn’t have the best equipment to maximize my efforts) If I am already unhappy, does it make sense to spend more time and energy on something with which—at best—I’ll only be partially satisfied?

Right now I am in a place where the majority of my discretionary time is spent trying to push out the remaining chapters on my Batman novel. I am in a rush for several crucial reasons. I want to finish the 1^st draft before the new Batman Movie (The Dark Knight) comes out, specifically so I can turn the novel into a screenplay (targeted for a TV miniseries). As the TV show ‘Smallville’ is winding down to its likely last season (2008-2009), the period is approaching where a new vision of the DC Universe—as it relates to television and film—has the potential of being seriously considered. My vision (led by the Batman, Superman, and WonderWoman characters) is groundbreaking, intriguing, and most-of-all sustainable for a period of 5-15 years.

Another reason for the rush is that the transition period I am in for my career path will soon close. Once the new work begins in earnest, I will not have the luxury of devoting time and energy to this project except in dribs and drabs. If I cannot get the ball sustainably rolling before that time, it may be over 10 years before all the personal and external factors align again.

The proceeding two paragraphs lay out, in part, my reluctance to work on older photos I am already dissatisfied with. Whatever efforts I make in photography over the next while, I really want to devote my energies to finding a collaborative model who is willing to work with me to develop our skills and both our portfolios, despite my current lack of finances for that endeavor.

Finding the Simple Beauty of Nature

Last week, I had a couple spare hours to visit the UC Davis Arboretum. Though my camera battery was almost dead, I was able to get some decent images. The following thumbnail (click here to see large image) is the first of the images. Over the next week more of them will follow.

While I was walking, I was again struck by how much of noticing the beauty around me was a matter of perspective. The flower pictured here, was away from the rest of the similar type flowers, close enough to the walking path that I was surprised it hadn’t gotten trampled. It looked rather dismal, until I got down on my stomach and looked at the flower from ground level.

If I may anthropormorphize for a moment, the change in perspective altered the flower from the solitary loner who just didn’t get that the best place to grow was back with the rest of the pack; it altered the flower to the trailblazing maverick that demanded attention from the passerby by separating itself from the common and declaring this is where I will grow.

There is an old colloquialism about how it’s not the circumstances in our life we control, it’s only our reactions to them that can be controlled. The greater truth is that often our initial reactions are not even under our direct control. But we can change our perspective: get down on the ground and look at the circumstances from another viewpoint; or climb up high and try and look at the bigger picture of life.

One Sacrifice Too Many

How Much is Too Much?

I heard a news report on the radio a few days ago about a large number of highschool students, their teachers, and families staging a walkout of their local highschools because the budget proposed by the California Governor and legislature proposes large across-the-board cuts in all areas of state spending, including education. The students were irate because they claim their districts are already suffering from overcrowding, not enough resource funds, and not enough teachers; further cuts would make the situation worse.

The protests by the students is only one of many vocal complaints being heard in California. The public airwaves are full of protest ads, supermarket parking lots staked out by special interest devotees intending to use ballot and propositions to protect their particular corner of the budget pie.

My question for you isn’t whether or not any particular group is justified in their demand to keep their budget from being slashed. My question is when faced with overwhelming deficit projections, and an economy in recession, what is the responsibility of the individual and special interest group to help rectify the damage? As a society, we seem more than willing to ask the richest amongst us for even more help, but does that mean the disadvantaged have no responsibility to change?

I ask this because despite all the research indicating how beneficial after-school programs in athletics and the arts are to helping kids, the entire idea of beyond-basic preparatory education is relatively recent. When the nation was founded, the majority of the citizens didn’t receive education past the early grades: and extra curricular sports and music being offered at school was unheard of. If we are going to ask people to pay more taxes and require city service workers to take pay cuts, should we just allow the children and youth to continue in blithe ignorance of the current state of the nation? That would be like parents who wear rags, so their kids can dress in the latest designer fashions.

It's All About Sex... Apparently.

Time Magazine published an online article citing a report that just came out saying French people are doing it sooner, more often, and later into life. The report, based on survey data, also indicated that women’s data has caught up or surpassed men on various factors such as age of first intercourse experience, percent of sexually active 18-35yr olds, etc.

Ignoring for a moment the problems intrinsic in survey data, even when one assumes that data is accurate, it is not good science to postulate on reasons for the data obtained. Because the Time magazine didn’t provide a link to the actual report, I cannot be certain if the researchers actually proposed reasons, or just reported the aggregate responses from those survey. Either way, it really isn’t good for Time to repeat it.

The question more interesting to me than the science (or lack thereof) undertaken by the researchers is whether or not more people, having sex sooner, more often, with more people, and later into life is actually a good thing? I would be curious to see if the data for post-intercourse contraceptives, abortions, and/or sexually transmitted diseases has also correspondingly increased. In China, where attitudes and practices about sex have become more liberal, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of high school-aged girls going to abortion clinics to terminate unplanned pregnancies.

If people are going to have sex, they should be smart and plan ahead. There are more consequences to sex than just pregnancy. If 36% of French women and 21% of French men are reporting experiencing frequent or occasional sexual disfunction, maybe quantity doesn’t always trump quality.