Opinion

A meeting of beliefs

By Daily Bruin Staff

Sept. 23, 2006 9:00 p.m.

Read the thoughts of several students on the topic of
religion and education at UCLA. Video Speaks
Out of student opinions on religion. In
unique college climate, seek out personal truths Philosophical pursuits lend depth to education Amid religious diversity, belief an individual choice
Religious restrictions can impede academia
Faith provides necessary moral guidelines for
living

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In unique college climate, seek out personal
truths By Kai Pottenger This summer I got to see
spirituality through a different lens. I was able to spend five
weeks in Tokyo, interacting and making friends with dozens of
Japanese university students. Eager to develop strong connections
with the students I met, I intentionally asked them questions that
probed beyond the level of an everyday, surface conversation. I
inquired about their families, dreams, purposes in life,
definitions of happiness and spiritual beliefs. Most of my Japanese
friends didn’t have perfect command of the English language,
but whenever I inquired about spiritual things, I heard one phrase
that all of them had mastered and used to artfully avoid giving an
answer: “That is a very difficult question.” I then
explained how university students in the U.S. love to discuss these
“very difficult questions,” and consequently many of my
Japanese friends would indulge my desire to get to know them on a
deeper level. Being in Tokyo, where students rarely discuss
spirituality or religion, made me aware of the unique atmosphere we
have at UCLA. For a brief moment in our lives, we are given the
opportunity to learn and seek truth. And we are not alone in this
journey. We have thousands of peers alongside us to question our
assumptions and help us find truth. I challenge you personally, and
us as a community, to not simply settle for the prepackaged, easily
managed dogmas provided for us by our own experiences. Seek truths
that will last longer than your time at UCLA; truths that will
outlast your career; truths that will outlive you. Seek eternal
truths. At least look hard enough to convince yourself they
don’t exist. I am persuaded that if you earnestly seek truth,
you will find a God who uniquely crafted you to be the person you
are today. God doesn’t want to put your ambitions or your
dreams in a cage, but rather enable you to live your life to its
fullest potential. God wants to use your talents and passions to
impact the lives of others and do immeasurable good. Maybe you have
grown up in a family that forced you to obey strict rules dictated
by a religious tradition. Or perhaps you have never been exposed to
spiritual dialogue or gotten a chance to hunt for truth. You may be
entirely opposed to organized religion and the damage that has been
caused by people claiming to act in the name of God. Whoever you
are, whatever your views are, I encourage you to use your time at
UCLA to seek answers to the most “difficult
questions.”

Pottenger was the 2005-2006 Campus Crusade for
Christ’s men’s team co-leader. He is a third-year
undeclared student.

Philosophical pursuits lend depth to education
By John Gill The modern American university is an
amalgamation of many different academic disciplines, each with
their own goals and popular rhetoric. The student body of the
modern university is likewise made up of persons seeking education
for a variety of reasons: scientific pursuits, increasing job
skills, analyzing art and culture as well as a segment of students
who find themselves at college and are unsure of how they got there
or where they are going. This division between those with direction
and those who are unsure is one that can be repaired by religious
education. I’m not suggesting that education would benefit
from instruction in any particular dogma, however right or wrong,
but rather that the pairing of worldly knowledge with philosophical
principles informs knowledge with a moral dimension which gives
meaning and purpose to higher education. This pairing of science,
art and religion is found throughout antiquity. Classical European
universities, such as Cambridge, gave students preparatory work in
subjects such as logic, geometry and astronomy before pursuing
studies in Christian theology. In this type of education, a firm
understanding of the concepts of logic and harmony was seen as
essential to understanding religious ideas, just as religious
pursuits were seen as the natural culmination of study. Likewise,
when Buddhism was first introduced to China from India in 67 C.E.,
it was regarded by the Chinese government as an educational system
rather than a religion, similar to the country’s native
Confucian system in which monks were instructed in Buddhist as well
as secular Chinese texts. To Buddhists, the connection between
religious teaching and wisdom is even more intense; the Buddha
instructs his disciples that wisdom is impossible unless it is
grounded in virtuous living. When religion infuses knowledge with
ethics, religion on campus can become a uniting factor instead of a
divisive one. While it is easy to argue over theological
differences, the presence of religious groups on campus shows that
students see education as part of fulfilling their own religious
ideal and better serving their fellow man. Also, religious groups,
including groups that promote questioning and philosophy such as
the Undergraduate Philosophy Club, and Liberty, Objectivity, Greed,
Individualism and Capitalism, can help students who feel rudderless
to realize a goal and find enrichment in their education. Although
many come to UCLA to learn, it is not what you know, but how you
choose to use that knowledge that is most important, and though
those of religious traditions have many differences, the goal of
education is the same: to do what is good, and to do what is
just.

Gill is the University Buddhist Association president. He is
a fourth-year English student.

Amid religious diversity, belief an individual
choice By Karan Mistry Religion is a
controversial subject that has shaped the course of history in
every generation, and this trend is unlikely to change anytime
soon. Considering that we are all college students, the
million-dollar question is: What role does religion have on a
college campus such as UCLA? College years are a time of growth
““ academically, personally and spiritually ““ so there
is no doubt that religion should have a role on campuses. Despite
the religious diversity of our campus, awareness of religions is
not as prevalent as one might believe or hope. The more vocal
religions are sure to make their voices heard through events and
missionary work, but what about the religions that choose to
practice their beliefs quietly, and therefore, tend to go
unnoticed? Through organized forums and discussions, students can
learn about their religion and other religions. The often-practiced
politicizing and unsolicited campaigning of one’s religion is
not the answer as it can lead to hostile feelings from those on the
receiving end. But through civilized discourse, we can all learn to
better understand each other and the backgrounds from which we
come. Unfortunately, discussion of religion is rarely a simple
matter. An inherent problem with many religions is the idea of
“my way or the highway.” If one group believes its
religion is the only correct path, when they compare it with
others, there is the implicit, “I’m right, you’re
wrong” mentality, which leads to hostility on both sides. It
doesn’t take much thought to realize that with multiple
religions preaching in this manner, it is impossible to follow one
religion and not be damned by another. So which religion is correct
and how can a student make an informed choice? Religion is not a
science ““ there is no correct answer. There is, however, a
correct faith for each individual. Faith is a very personal thing
and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another.
Few will disagree with the notion that religion should build
individuals into better, stronger people. We turn to religion for
guidance in how to live our lives or for help through hard times.
As long as faith is helping us grow in this manner, it
doesn’t matter which teachings we follow. UCLA is dotted with
religions of all flavors, so there is no reason for an interested
student not to be able to explore. Perhaps the only ways to improve
the religious atmosphere at UCLA is for more people to learn that
religion is a personal thing; no one religion is better than
another; and it is a choice for each individual to make.
What’s important is that religion should improve the person,
and as long as one has a good character, others should not judge a
person based on religious beliefs.

Mistry is the Hindu Students Council president. She is a
third-year mechanical engineering student.

Religious restrictions can impede academia
By Derek Skolnik The principal benefit derived from a
university education is independent intellectual competence, not
future job training, not potential salary increases and not even
meeting girls, although there is plenty to be said of such perks.
An essential aspect of this pursuit is the convergence of students
outside the classroom for discussion and debate. Where do religious
groups fit into this pursuit? Do they foster discussion or
undermine it? Can different theistic groups coexist peacefully with
each other and with atheistic groups? We at the Bruin Alliance of
Skeptics and Secularists think these questions are of great import.
Is there a place on campus for religious groups? Yes. Students
should be free to examine everything, including their faith. I wish
to make clear that we do not specifically mean applying the tools
of science and reason to ideological tenets (e.g. the existence of
a deity), which lie beyond observation. But rather, we mean
applying the tools of science and reason to the claims that wildly
contradict our present knowledge. For example, in 1859, Darwin
published his theory of the observed evolutionary nature of
species: natural selection. Nearly 150 years later, his theory has
been held under excessive scrutiny and is now considered one of the
most well-established principles in the entire branch of modern
biology, if not all of science. Darwin’s theory also
contradicts well-known biblical episodes such as the Garden of Eden
and Noah’s Ark. People of faith who acknowledge evolution
must choose to either ignore the scientific community’s
consensus or reconcile their faith. We believe that an active
dialogue between a broad range of faith-based individuals and
freethinkers can help this reconciliation, and there is no better
place than the academic environment for such an endeavor. Does
religious activity undermine academia? Unfortunately, sometimes the
answer is yes. Religion can quite often draw a line between what is
acceptable to question and what is not. According to Stephen
Hawking in “A Brief History of Time,” in a 1981
Vatican-hosted cosmological conference, Pope John Paul II attempted
to censor scientific studies of the Big Bang: “It’s OK
to study the universe and where it began,” the pope said,
“But (scientists) should not inquire into the beginning
itself because that was the moment of creation and the work of
God.” This statement exemplifies the inhibiting nature of
threatened religious beliefs and the detrimental effect they can
have on the pursuit of human understanding: the goal of
academia.

Skolnik is the president and a founder of Bruin Alliance of
Skeptics and Secularists. He is a civil engineering graduate
student.

Faith provides necessary moral guidelines for
living By Sayed Naqib Shifa In a generally
tolerant atmosphere on campus today, it is pleasing to be among
considerably open-minded intellectuals. It is during this stage in
life that the future of humanity is most drastically shaped through
theories, inventions and sciences. Imagine, however, if we were to
survey the rudimentary questions of life. If we were to ask,
“Why do we eat?” We would get a straightforward
response: “We eat to gain energy and nutrition and to
continue living.” What if we asked, “What is the
purpose of life?” Immediate hesitations and confused gazes
would transpire, and we would have a vast array of answers from the
very same people who conclusively answered harmoniously to the
former basic question about life. Students generally delve deeply
into the fields of academia; yet, in regard to basic and
foundational questions, little thought is given. This is
unfortunately understandable given the overwhelmingly secular frame
of mind that is fueled by excessive superficiality and profane
thirst for power and pleasure. Thus negligence toward divine
guidance grows and materialism intensifies. As the predispositions
and vain desires increase, so do feelings of doubt and confusion
about the presence of a creator. Without the foundation of faith
and spiritual light, the individual is left yearning for
never-ending affluence and material pleasure. Research, development
and production are encouraged, but the missing foundational factor
is the necessity for compliance to moral guidelines. This ensures
that our material progress will not be detrimental to our spiritual
connection to the Divine and to developing society toward peace,
justice and harmony. The Islamic belief in the purpose of life is
simply to worship Allah (God). Life, knowledge and business are all
devoted to obeying Allah and His command ““ a message that was
conveyed by all the Prophets from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon
them). Likewise, as people witness the unfathomable order of the
universe, it becomes unmistakably clear that much is outside the
realm of human capability and legislation. Thus, the Muslim ““
or “one who submits” ““ is simply fulfilling his
or her role as a subordinate to the Creator and Sustainer of the
Worlds. Belief and obedience to Allah and following the example of
the Prophet is the true way of life in this world, and it leads to
bliss in the eternal hereafter. In spite of all the different
theories, justifications, rationales, refutations and ideologies,
all mankind draws closer to the same goal every day; that is,
inescapable death. Muslims strive to assume their natural
disposition and act in harmony to the decree of Allah.