Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSharing personal faith provokes thought, doesn't dictate what others must believe
By Jonathan Han
Posted: 3/29/07, 1:11 AM EST Section: Opinion
A football game is rarely complete without some guy waving his homemade John 3:16 sign behind the end zone. The cameras catch it. The commentators maybe crack a joke. Those around him barely notice. Everyone watching at home turns the channel.
For the record, I agree with Craig. If you don't, that's OK, too.
Some have expressed their unease with public displays of personal faith. Understandable? Yes. Reasonable? No. Every day each one of us is faced with uncomfortable things, religious or otherwise, but we accommodate. While studying abroad in Beijing, I reminded myself that "this is not America." Back home I hold my tongue because this is America and I respect the right of others to have a different opinion. See, that's the beauty of our freedoms. You can agree, disagree, agree to disagree or even say nothing. And that is perfectly fine, even on our own campus, which prides itself on diversity, tolerance and being a marketplace of ideas.
So is my agreement with Craig and our shared faith unacceptable? Is our expression thereof on generic green T-shirts and in The Daily Orange arrogant?
Perhaps much of the discomfort lies not with what's being done but what's being said. I am not a member of Campus Crusade. But yes, I believe in Jesus Christ. Yes, I believe the Bible "is first and finally a text to be lived, not just studied and understood." Yes, I believe my faith is perfect but humans imperfect; otherwise we wouldn't need God. Yes, I believe Jesus is the only way, truth and life and nobody reaches eternal life except through him (John 14:6). Jesus said that.
In declaring himself as the only way to heaven, Jesus constantly shared but never forced anyone to follow him. Our sincere hope this week is to humbly follow Jesus' example by sharing what we are convinced is true without forcing you to do anything. Ultimately the choice is yours. Whatever decision you make is your right and we respect it. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft finished Tuesday night's Q&A saying, "As a Christian, it's against my religion to impose my religion." I wholeheartedly agree.
For the record, I agree with Craig. If you don't, that's OK, too.
Some have expressed their unease with public displays of personal faith. Understandable? Yes. Reasonable? No. Every day each one of us is faced with uncomfortable things, religious or otherwise, but we accommodate. While studying abroad in Beijing, I reminded myself that "this is not America." Back home I hold my tongue because this is America and I respect the right of others to have a different opinion. See, that's the beauty of our freedoms. You can agree, disagree, agree to disagree or even say nothing. And that is perfectly fine, even on our own campus, which prides itself on diversity, tolerance and being a marketplace of ideas.
So is my agreement with Craig and our shared faith unacceptable? Is our expression thereof on generic green T-shirts and in The Daily Orange arrogant?
Perhaps much of the discomfort lies not with what's being done but what's being said. I am not a member of Campus Crusade. But yes, I believe in Jesus Christ. Yes, I believe the Bible "is first and finally a text to be lived, not just studied and understood." Yes, I believe my faith is perfect but humans imperfect; otherwise we wouldn't need God. Yes, I believe Jesus is the only way, truth and life and nobody reaches eternal life except through him (John 14:6). Jesus said that.
In declaring himself as the only way to heaven, Jesus constantly shared but never forced anyone to follow him. Our sincere hope this week is to humbly follow Jesus' example by sharing what we are convinced is true without forcing you to do anything. Ultimately the choice is yours. Whatever decision you make is your right and we respect it. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft finished Tuesday night's Q&A saying, "As a Christian, it's against my religion to impose my religion." I wholeheartedly agree.
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