Is College Bad for Religion?

In the Huffington Post article "Is College Bad for Religion?" Rev. Dr. Lucy A. Forster-Smith challenges Rick Santorum's claim that "62 percent of kids who go into college with a faith commitment leave without it." Forster-Smith, as a university chaplain, takes offense at this claim. She feels that the wider spectrum of religious views found in college life can enrich faith, and that dedicated university chaplains and religious leaders help student's faiths to mature. Religious college students are "so earnest, so convicted, so ready to step into a cultural crossfire between absolutes and steady their eye on cleaning up the mess," says Forster-Smith. Perhaps college education helps religious students see past the narrow, strict faith they might've been raised with. Education encourages students to think deeply and critically about what's important and meaningful, which can expand and deepen a student's faith.

In my personal life, I've observed a trend opposite of the one Rick Santorum describes. My roommate and friend has become more religious since coming to college. Back at home, her family wasn't particularly religious in the sense that they believed in the Christian faith but didn't attend church or study the Bible. Now that she's come to college, my friend has found  many opportunities to practice her faith. She attends Bible studies, meets with a religious counselor, and attend's a women's prayer group. In this way, the religious opportunities in college have allowed her to encourage her faith in new ways.

A friend who attends Baylor University experienced a different series of events but with the same result of enriched faith. This friend is a middle ground Christian: she's not super conservative but neither is she liberal. She searched for a church in Waco, TX where Baylor is located, but found them too conservative for her liking. My Baylor friend felt a little lost without a church; the church she attended in Colorado Springs (where we're both from) was like a second home to her. This church fit her like a glove and nourished her faith. But at Baylor, she had to work on her relationship with God on her own. Being religious without her church challenged my friend and forced her to learn how to be religious on her own. The wave of conservativism at Baylor also encouraged my friend to think about her own personal beliefs.

I think how college affects a person's faith depends on the student and how they approach religion. Those who come to college questioning their faith or those who were forced into church by their parents may find that college allows them the freedom to discard religion. But I think college challenges faith in a positive way for those who came to college truly believing in the joy of their religion.

Link to the Huffington Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-forster-smith/is-college-bad-for-religi_b_1310788.html

A.J. Jacobs' Year of Living Biblically

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically.html

I couldn't figure out how to embed this video onto this page (those technologically more advanced than I should explain how to do this so I can stop looking dumb), but the link will lead you to a TED video called "A.J. Jacobs' Year of Living Biblically." Jacobs had a positive experience overall, but realized that many issues emerge when one interprets the Bible literally. Should we stone adulterers because the Bible tells us to? Should scientific knowledge be ignored because it conflicts with the Bible? The issues Jacobs encountered made him wonder if interpreting the Bible literally is truly productive. Jacobs suggests a new law, the "law of pick and choose" which suggests for individuals to decide which Biblical rules are important to follow and which are impractical. But when you pick and choose which laws to obey, are you still following God? On the other hand, is it necessary for literalists to stay confined by rules which were proposed many years ago for a very different world? Jacobs' dedication to the laws of the Bible sparks discussion of how to interpret the Bible.

Lilith, "Evening on the Ground," and "The Dinner Party."

Iron and Wine's "Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)" is not only interesting for the ear, it's also interesting for the mind because it encourages discussion of the story of Lilith. To understand how the song connects to Lilith, we should first look at her story. Here's a link to Lilith's tale as found in the Alphabet of ben Sira:

 http://jewishchristianlit.com/Topics/Lilith/alphabet.html

The text describes Lilith as a fiercely independent woman who refused to obey Adam. Lilith felt she and Adam were equals and that she had no obligation to submit to Adam's will. This version of the legend portrays Lilith in a negative light: she spawns demon children and disobeyed both Adam and God. Though Lilith is generally seen as evil and full of sin, some view Lilith more positively, as a passionate rebel and feminist. "Evening on the Ground" interprets Lilith's story in such a way. The song's lyrics are as follows:

Evening, evening on the ground

And there is no one else around
So you will blame me
Blame me for the rocks
And baby bones and broken lock
On the garden
Garden wall of eden
For the spider bites
And all your love as we were
We were born to fuck each other
One way or another
But Ill only lie
Down by the waterside at night

Hey man, tiny baby tears
I will collect a million years
And you can blame me
Blame me, I will wear it
In the empty, hollow part of my garden
Garden wall of eden
And the clamour as they raise the curtain
You will, you will never make me learn
To lay beneath the mountain
Cause I'll only lie
Down by the waterside at night

"Evening on the Ground" is found on the album Woman King. Each song on this album is dedicated to a female spiritual figure. Though Sam Beam, (whose stage name is Iron and Wine), is not religious, he finds spiritual figures intriguing and sparks discussion of these figures through his music. Beam interprets Lilith's story as that of a feminist who necessarily rebelled against Adam. He almost portrays Adam as the evil one in the story rather than condemning Lilith as sinful. Lilith is instead portrayed as a sort of victim who rebelled against Adam ("you will never make me learn...I'll only lie down by the waterside at night"). However, the lyrics also parallel the text. Notice how Lilith refused to "lay beneath" in both the song and in the legend. Furthermore, both the song and the text describe how Lilith fled to the sea after leaving Adam. The line "We were born to fuck each other one way or another" is also interesting and inspires further insight into the story of Lilith. In my interpretation, this line has a double meaning: it refers to Lilith's role as Adam's mate but also foretells their stormy relationship because Adam was unable to concieve of Lilith as his equal. In this way, Iron and Wine's "Evening on the Ground" leads to discussion of Lilith and challenges the traditional view of Lilith as a sinful and evil creature.

Sam Beam is not the only one who views Lilith as a powerful feminist; the artist Judy Chicago incorporated Lilith into her controversial artwork "The Dinner Party." In this piece, Chicago and her colleagues constructed a massive triangular dinner table with 39 place settings, each of which represents a notable female. The floor space inside the table (also known as the Heritage Floor) is inscribed with the names of 999 additional females of great worth. Lilith doesn't have a place setting, but her name is one of those inscribed on the Heritage Floor. "The Dinner Party" is a feminist masterpiece in that it pays homage to females who made valuable contributions to the world. I also like to think about the conversation that might have occured if 39 brilliant women sat down to dinner together. What ideas might have been born? By including Lilith in "The Dinner Party," Judy Chicago, like Sam Beam, saw her as a courageous feminist and not as an evil demon.

For more information about Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" visit:

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home.php

The site also talks a bit about Lilith and her place in "The Dinner Party":

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/heritage_floor/lilith.php