Today was my first day at York University. I must say that after only sitting through two introductory classes I know that I’m in for what seems to be a lot different of an experience. I don’t know what I expected considering I am switching from a five hundred person Christian university to a forty-thousand person secular one. My first class that I started was sex and violence in the Hebrew bible. This is going to be my favourite class, I can tell already. The second one was Introduction to Religion.
These classes take on an entirely new spin when you are supposed to look at all faith objectively, including your own. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and every other ism are all studied in this class and each one is given equal amount of time to state its case. It’s a class of over four hundred and I wouldn’t be surprised if every religion was represented in the class.
Now I’m faced with a dilemma. I’m going into a class where the professor is going to take this ‘religion’ that I have grown up with and grown attached to and stand outside of it and then dissect it. Am I ready for this? The professor said he can usually tell who is what religion by the end of the class because those people get really angry when their own religion comes up. For some reason we are unable to step away from our own beliefs for a while and take an objective look at our faith. Is it because we are scared of what we will find? Is it because we are comfortable and we don’t want to be disrupted? I don’t know what it is. I just know that I want to do this.
For too long I have been huddled up in a Christian bubble at church, school and friends that I am completely oblivious to what most of the rest of the world believes. There are millions of other people that are more passionate about their faith, and their faith is completely different than mine. Why should I be so naïve to think that maybe they are on to something also? Maybe they have something to teach me.
This next year will be somewhat of a challenge for me. It won’t be the typical challenge like what my thoughts on predestination are or have I memorized a certain amount of scripture. Instead, this is something that is going to challenge the very core of everything I believe. Is Christianity even worth it? Does God care? Is Jesus really the Saviour of the world? Those are the kind of questions whose answers are being challenged now.
So pray for me. I don’t want to be so naïve as to think that I can come out of this without scars. I know that this will hurt in some things but I will not stop seeking truth. Truth hurts but I got to suck it up sometime.
Nathan Colquhoun…those are the questions and thoughts I have been srtuggling through all summer. I’m excited to hear what you’re going to be learning this semester.
You’re right, it will be hard…but more worthwhile than any of us could imagine I assume.
jump into it with both feet my friend.
have a good week! I’ll see you after I see BC.
hey buddy!!! Glad to hear from you!!!
It’s awesome to know that you are giving a new look into a different university!! that is soo awesome! and a different adventure at that.. Hey i miss you too man..
I’m gunna look into coming up there for a couple of days later on.. either the end of this year or the next..
anyways.. i have to go pooh.. have a good one
Nathan
I dont like this idea of you going to another school. Its upsetting to see that you will be studying other things and putting God on the side line. Damn you. You think your so cool learning things other than God. He will smyt you for your evil!
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Bro, I love it. I am more concerned with how you are going to get there over how the class will be. I think it will be awesome for you to see others cultures. I am going to laugh when you tell me all the weird things other people do in there religions. It will make ours not look so crazy. When you think that its weird when they do something in there faith, just think about how silly ours looks to an outsider. I will see you next alter call.
Ron
Nathan,
Just remember, that while iron does sharpen iron, and you faith can definitely be hardened and strengthened through a kind of battle with others, that no one can be “objective” when it comes to these matters. Everyone has committed their life to answers to religious questions. No one really goes around undecided about whether the most important religious issues were solvable.
Be careful to realize that someone who sets up 30 different religions beside each other, and pretends to stand over and above them all, as if he could transcend religion, or else remain blissfully agnostic, is a liar. Plain and simple. Your professor is not unbiased when it comes to teaching religion, even if he says he is and pretends to analyze all these religions that way. You can’t respond to a claim like, “Worship me only” or “He who is not for me is against me” in a morally neutral way. That option is not open to any human being.
personally,
I don’t think it’s a big deal at all man. we’re all just people, everyone at york are people. they may have different beliefs than you, but christians among christians have different beliefs than each other..that’s what i’ve found in the church. so who the hell cares, maybe they’ll be more interesting.
I second Andrew’s comments, Nathan, and I’ll be praying for you this term. Peace.
Hi Nathan,
what u said about the christian bubble is so true. i have always had christian parents, grandparents and ,mostly friends.
this is my second year at tyndale, and i am praying about where God wants me to be for next year. i want to break out of the bubble and see what else is out there.
praying for u in this semester.
God Bless