Religious clubs gain popularity on campus

It was revealed in an article in The Catalyst by Barry Lumsden and Rodney U. Garrett that community college students are among the most open-minded and curious individuals, ready and willing to soak up every ounce of knowledge or information thrown into their path. With at least seven recognized religious clubs on campus, it can be said LBCC is more and more becoming a Petri dish of theological ideas and the perfect place to feed students' sponge like minds.

In an article in the Wiley Interscience Journals it is presented that across the globe religion on campus is becoming increasingly prevalent and varied.

According to pbs.com, only 20 percent of college-aged students maintain the same religious activity they had in high school, yet nearly 60 percent see it essential to follow religious teachings in there everyday life, only 42 percent of the students are secure with their core religious beliefs.

The numbers mean that theoretically more than half of the students on campus value religion, but they don't necessarily have a specific doctrine they follow.

Several studies by higher education research institutes (including The Barna Group and UCLA) have come to the conclusion that a lot of students are searching to find something bigger than themselves to believe in and college is becoming to perfect place to find that.

In a study by the higher education research institute at UCLA, it was recorded that 39 percent of Los Angeles college student religious or spiritual beliefs have been strengthened or formed by new ideas encountered in school. People walking around campus are bound to be introduced to a new religious idea, whether it's being invited to a Simple Truth meeting, seeing a Campus Crusade or Anthropology Pagan Association flier, or meeting a member of the SGI Buddhist club.

With nearly all of the religious clubs on campus being linked and supported by well-established outside organizations LBCC is equipped with clubs that are able to give students knowledge about religions. The need for these varied religious clubs became blatantly aware at the Join a Club day on August 27 when the four religious clubs with a booth (Simple truth club, SGI Buddhist club, Campus Crusade for Christ, and The Anthropology Pagan Association) were flooded with 30-50 interested students each.

When talking about the large turnouts Anthropology Pagan Association member Juan Diaz said, "It's because students need explanations. The need for spirituality is a global phenomenon."

"We're doing this for the glory of God," says Darlene Tourn of the Campus Crusade for Christ.

As for the competition factor that comes with clubs that have similar goals, at LBCC, it is nearly non-existent, though the views and opinions or spirituality can differ greatly. Diaz puts it simply by saying, "Every perspective strengthens each other."

Representative for the SGI Buddhist club, Teruko Kawaai further explains Diaz's statement, "The purpose is world peace with a human revolution."

The Higher Education Research Institute's study also said 71 percent of students find religion to be personally helpful and 73 percent say religious beliefs helped them to develop their identity. The goal for all the religious clubs on campus is that they can be a venue for students to learn about the practice of religion and discover what they believe.

Deysi Maldonado of the simple truth club explains, "If fueled by faith, we as youth have the opportunity to change the world" When students graduate and go into their field of choice, the religious clubs have a common hope that not only have they been prepared educationally, but that they also are prepared with a clear definition of who students are and what they believe.

Because it is the beginning of the new semester meeting dates for the religious clubs are still being decided. For more information on the clubs mentioned or to find out information on clubs that weren't due to inability to reach them you can email student life clerk Paulette Marshall at pmarshall@lbcc.edu.