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Dedicated to faith and learning: Non-Christians at Luther

Credit Pacific Service Union Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series exploring the life of non-Christian students on campus.

According to the Luther College Student Handbook, Luther's mission statement says, "As a community of faith, Luther College is committed to the Christian vision of service." This vision encourages the entire community to deal reflectively with challenges facing human beings in the world. Students, faculty and staff together seek the significance of learning for responsible human life."

Credit First Service Union Luther College, as a liberal arts institution, has students take a wide variety of courses in a variety of disciplines to broaden thinking skills and fulfill Luther's motto of "learning how to learn." Included in this list of requirements are three religion courses. One Introduction to the Bible or Biblical Story class serves as a prerequisite to all other religion courses, and the only set in stone required religion course.

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Card Credit Mobile Service Either route students take, they will be steeped in the Christian tradition, and many later classes that are options later are courses in Christianity, allowing students to take only courses within this religion. This poses a problem at two levels: first, non-Christians are subjected to a class about a religion they don't believe in, and second, Christian students are not made to take a class in another religion.

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Card Credit Discover Service Taking a basic course on the Bible is not a bad thing at a Lutheran school, and Terry Sparkes, Ph.D., head of the religion department, says that most non-Christian students still find this to be a positive experience.

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Credit Public Service Union "I think that all students at Luther because of Luther's identity as a college of the church ought to take a course in Christianity," said Sparkes.

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Card Credit Processing Service Like Christians taking courses in other religions, it is another way to expand the mind and step outside of the comfort zone of thought that most people have grown comfortable in.

Center Credit Service Union Alpa Palicha ('01), a Hindu student, says, "It was a great introduction and a polish for whatever little knowledge I had of the Biblical Story, and the religion courses that are required at Luther stand for the right of a Christian school to have those in their coursework."

Card Credit Service Wireless But as for making a class in another religion a requirement, there are strong arguments against it. Some Christian students may not be ready faith-wise to take a class in another religion, or feel that it is not Luther's place to require that. But, Sparkes says, she "encourage[s] students to take courses in other religions, but not make it a requirement...not all students are at a place where they can face that challenge."

Credit Security Service Union Jawad Niazi ('02), a Muslim from Pakistan who has lived in Europe and the U.S. most of his life, was not thrilled to be in an Introduction to the Bible course. Niazi said he was lucky to have David Weiss, who "went out of his way to make me feel comfortable in the course."

Credit Report Service Those who aren't so lucky end up stuck in a Bible course that means nothing to them, and while it can be a positive experience, it does not always work that way.

Blogspot Com Christian Dawn Loudermilk ('02), an American non-Christian who identifies with Buddhism, but does not consider herself a practicing Buddhist, hated the class, because, as she says, "It was taught towards Christians, as if it were the one true view," making her feel very out of place. She agrees that a religion requirement is a good thing, but wishes there were more of a choice.

Christian Counseling Credit So does Houda Abadi ('03), a Muslim from Morocco, recalls her experience in Introduction to the Bible as not a bad one, but one she felt very left out in.

Credit Federal Service Union According to Abadi, "A lot of times they would talk about stories and everyone would talk, and the professor just assumes that everyone knew what they were talking about." She didn't.

Credit Monitoring Service Pastors Mike Blair and Deanna Langle, Sparkes, and others in the faculty all place a high value on Luther's mission, and believe the college does a good job of living it out.

Credit Division Service "I do think that the faculty takes seriously the intent.to make sure that the curriculum we offer students helps to push and to translate their own assumption of faith," Sparkes said.

Card Credit Online Service Looking reflectively at faith is something that Luther certainly strives toward.

Consumer Counseling Credit Inc Pastor Blair agrees: "I think it's very much in the interest of the college to lift up a vision of Christianity and Lutheranism that says 'Yes, there is room.' Our Lutheran and Christian identity are best expressed when we also affirm and welcome those of diverse faith traditions."

Card Credit Fleet Service Some students agree. As Cori Jaeger ('02), SHINE Outreach co-leader, says, "I think it's important to expose people to other religions. We all have things to learn from each other."

Card Consolidation Credit Deacon of Outreach Leslie Dybdahl ('01) agrees that "I would love to incorporate people of non-Christian religions."

Credit Free Online Report With that in mind, it comes down to the students who must take responsibility. They are, after all, the community. Mission statements and the values of the faculty will only translate so far. Students need to take responsibility for their actions and their education.

Credit Federal First Service Some Christians believe it would be beneficial to learn more about other religions. But have they made any strides toward overcoming the stereotypes that pervade minority religions in our society at large? Or has the Christian community as a whole failed to recognize and embrace minorities on campus, satisfied to stay at a level of ignorance and tolerance?

Consumer Credit Service Luther's liberal arts focus does a decidedly good job of preparing students for life after college. Its commitment to developing critical thinking extends into the realm of faith, and more students than not say that their faith has been positively encouraged and expanded.

Center Credit Family Service Pastor Langle said, "Here we set aside time every day for worship, which is always the heart and soul of a faith community." Because worship is such a vital part of any religion, where does that leave those who can't worship?

Credit Reporting Service Luther offers eight different opportunities for Christians to worship; because this is a Lutheran school and there is limited funding, facilitating worship services in other religions does not seem like a feasible option. But where does that leave minority religions? Completely lost in a world where the spiritual community is accessible only to those who subscribe to Christianity? How are their spiritual needs being fed?

Cca Credit Division Service One place to start is in the classroom. Despite the problems, more classes in world religions are being offered and encouraged.

Credit Free Report Service Outreach leaders, for the most part, seem to encourage getting to know more about other religions. Jaeger thinks it would be great if we could incorporate learning more about other religions, at least at the Outreach level, but admits that nothing has been done so far. The transformation starts from within, and no one is willing to start that, nor do they see anything wrong with that.

Card Credit Customer Discover Niazi says, "I haven't really been approached by any Outreach teams or anything to explain my beliefs." He is there, he would be willing to talk, and he has friends in Outreach-but they aren't reaching out.

Credit Repair Report Service One way Luther has attempted to reach out is by instituting the interfaith, or Shalom, room in Larsen. This room is the size of a large closet, with bare floor, bare walls, and about six prayer pillows in the closet. It contains no holy scriptures, chairs or other things that one would find in most prayer chapels.

Credit Legal Repair Service Palicha says, "It seems that the room was made for the 'international religion' group of students who have been taken as one big group!"

Cic Credit Monitoring Service They are not one big group, but range from Buddhist to Hindu to Islam to "others," as the break down in the catalog.

Ccs Credit Division Service Dybdahl says, "We recruit international students and need to give them a place to worship, but they're of such diverse faiths, that it would be difficult to offer that."

Credit Service Union Worker Pastor Blair, however, thinks that it is "a statement to students that persons of other faith traditions are welcome here and we make some provisions for what needs they have that can be met within reason. The interfaith room is only a beginning in the efforts to address the spiritual needs of students of faith traditions beyond Christianity."

1st Credit Service Union Niazi, on the other hand, was not even aware that it existed. And as far as campus ministry is concerned, he's not sure they'd be as welcoming of his faith as some would claim.

Card Chase Credit Customer "It seems they segregate themselves off...there's a sort of mutual ignorance. Sometimes, one gets the impression that a lot of it is just for show, and from what I learned in my Introduction to the Bible course, that's not the way it's supposed to be," said Niazi.

Card Chase Credit Service Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists-they are not asking to be ministered to or included in Christian activities. But being understood would be nice. It would be a first, small step.

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Credit Plus Service Union Erica Lamm
Chips Guest Columnist

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