God, the Bible, churches, religious doctrine: these are all issuesstudents deal with throughout their life, especially when they areyoung. Some embrace religion, others run from it. But, what makesreligion so appealing to some and so scary to others?
There are currently eight religious centers affiliated with SanDiego State University and more than 20 student religiousorganizations on campus.
Pam Howard, campus minister for the Lutheran Campus Center, saidyouth is a time when people question life more than usual and somestudents turn to practicing a faith or religion to find answers.
“Moral issues, family problems and situations with peers oftendrive young people to seek answers,” Howard said. “A person willreact one of two ways during college: either religion won’t work forthem or it will become even a stronger force in life.”
Howard said the reason students are judgmental of organizedreligions is because of the way some churches preach there is anabsolute right way and wrong way of doing things.
“Young people, especially students, are aware of social issues,”she said. “When churches are non-inclusive in addressing such issues,I can see why students don’t participate in church. (Churches) needto listen to young people.”
Howard said the issues some churches fail to address are towardhomosexuality and the oppression of women.
Some students said they agree.
“I think the attitudes toward religion at SDSU are very mixed,”said aerospace engineering senior Nino Abad. “I think that whenreligious individuals like the Christians speak out over by MontezumaHall and yell about what is absolutely right and what is absolutelywrong, it turns a lot of students off.”
Abad said it is frustrating to hear almost any religious group saythey are the correct one.
“If they are all the ‘correct’ religion, why don’t they all justjoin together?” he asked.
Howard, who describes the Lutheran Campus Center as “warm andhospitable” said churches need to find out what they have in commonwith one another instead of trying to decide which faith is “right.”
“Young people typically surround themselves with people fromdifferent backgrounds, so when churches isolate themselves from’different’ people to remain pure, this can turn students away,” shesaid.
Mariam Wakili, president of SDSU’s Muslim Student Union, saidstudents get confused when they hear about certain religions likeIslam because of what they have learned in school and from friendsand family.
“The stereotypical image of a Muslim woman is pregnant, barefoot,abused and in the kitchen,” Wakili said. “This couldn’t be furtherfrom the truth, for it is obligatory in Islam religion to educatewomen and give them choices.”
Wakili said every religion has its good points, and even ifstudents don’t want to join one, they should at least see what theyhave to offer.
Some students said it is hard to stay involved with church, orpracticing a faith while trying to have fun in college.
“Students this age are mostly concerned with school, their jobsand partying,” said communication junior Cindy Lehman.
“When I get older and have a family, I will be more concerned with(going to church),” she said. “It all sounds like kind of a bigresponsibility when you are this young.”
Wakili said there are only about seven active members in theMuslim Student Union this year.
She said students at this age think they are invincible.
“People here at SDSU want to drink and have fun,” she said. “Theydon’t realize nothing in life is guaranteed, and right now what youdo with your life is just as important as later.”
There are religious groups on campus?
Some students and on-campus religious organizations said anotherreason students don’t participate in their organizations is becausethey don’t know about them.
Some of these organizations promote themselves through booths nearMontezuma Hall, providing free lunches for the public, and by sendingout missionaries.
The campus needs to advertise its religious organizations more ifthey want students to participate, said communication junior BrittanyUmland.
“Even though going to church is not my top priority right now, Iwould probably go to church here if I knew more about it,” she said.
Abad said even if he knew more about churches on campus, heprobably wouldn’t go.
“I would rather go to the one by my house,” he said.
Wakili said she hasn’t advertised enough this year, but theorganization is growing fast.
“We are always looking for people, both Muslim and non-Muslim, toparticipate in our events,” she said. “The more, the merrier.”
The Lutheran, Mormon and Methodist facilities on campus said thenumber of participants in their organizations have increased over theyears.
Sister Wolf, a full-time missionary at the Church of Jesus Christof Latter Day Saints, said the reason more SDSU students have joinedthe Mormon Church is because of the world they live in. They want tohave more security in life, and they are beginning to feel they can.
“This age group is usually rebellious, but the members we havethat are secure in their testimonies don’t have a hard time stayingfocused,” Wolf said.
Rev. Beth Cooper of Wesley Foundation United Methodist said thereare anywhere from 12 to 100 active members of the organization.
“Our numbers (of participants) are starting to grow again,” Coopersaid. “I think it is because students this age are trying tounderstand life more and more at this time, and are seeing theimportance of having a god in it.”
For students interested in the Jewish faith, there are severalgroups on campus such as the Hillel, the Jewish Student Union, andthe Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies who frequently host eventsand lectures honoring their faith.
For more information about religious organizations and centers oncampus, visit http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/src/relig-centers.html
