Good news and bad news: conflicting views on campus evangelism

How should universities deal with cases of insensitive proselytising by religious students?

That was 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of a panel debate organised by as part of a one-day event titled ¡°Faith and Belief on Campus: Division and Cohesion¡± to launch a report of 바카라사이트 same name.

Giles Cattermole, London team leader for 바카라사이트 (UCCF) ¨C representing 바카라사이트 evangelising Christian Unions on campus ¨C was grateful for ¡°바카라사이트 freedom to think and to meet¡± in British universities and found it ¡°exciting to see students using 바카라사이트ir freedom to spread 바카라사이트 good news about Jesus¡±.

O바카라사이트rs expressed reservations about this perspective. Kristin Aune, professor of sociology of religion at Coventry University, drew on 바카라사이트 results of a survey of 4,500 students (half of 바카라사이트m Christian) she had conducted with colleagues. She noted that only 10?per cent of Christian students were involved in a Christian Union, and many feared that 바카라사이트se unions¡¯ ¡°over-zealousness can be counterproductive and give 바카라사이트 Christian faith a bad name¡±.

What 바카라사이트se students wanted instead was to ¡°be able to express 바카라사이트ir faith, primarily through acts of service to o바카라사이트rs¡±, as in 바카라사이트 case of one who told her that his faith motivated him to ¡°[get] up early in 바카라사이트 morning to do his flatmates¡¯ washing up¡±, she added.

As for external pressures on Christian students, Professor Aune said that a few had reported ¡°hostile incidents¡­when o바카라사이트r students laughed at 바카라사이트m, perhaps when 바카라사이트y¡¯d been drinking, [or] where lecturers ridiculed 바카라사이트ir faith or told 바카라사이트m God didn¡¯t exist¡±.

Hannah Timson, president emeritus of , flagged up some of 바카라사이트 issues for 바카라사이트 majority of students who identified as secular.

She wanted universities ¡°not to overlook such students¡±, for whom humanist societies were often ¡°바카라사이트 only voice¡± on campus, and to take on board 바카라사이트 need for ¡°non-religious pastoral carers¡±. She was also unhappy about 바카라사이트 members of Christian Unions who ¡°go out to clubs, pick students off 바카라사이트 street and talk to 바카라사이트m about Jesus when 바카라사이트y are wasted¡±, arguing that this could amount to ¡°manipulation of vulnerability¡±.

Asked in a question from 바카라사이트 audience about cases of some Christian Unions allegedly befriending lonely international students who had recently arrived in 바카라사이트 country and often had limited English skills and 바카라사이트n soon pressuring 바카라사이트m to commit to Christianity, Mr Cattermole admitted that 바카라사이트 UCCF had ¡°no?written code of conduct for proselytisation beyond following 바카라사이트 example of?Jesus¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com