Panelists discuss Christian faith in Dean's Dialogue

Natalie Johnson

Issue date: 11/20/07

At the Dean’s Dialogue Nov. 13, four panelists discussed the idea of religious pluralism and the Christian response.

In the nearly packed Robinson Teaching Theatre, assistant professor of sociology Jennifer Holsinger, associate professor of communication studies Jim McPherson, President Bill Robinson and assistant professor of physics Kamesh Sankaran each shared their views about how Christians can live out their faith while respecting others' beliefs at the same time.

The discussion was moderated by vice president for academic affairs Michael Le Roy.

Sankaran emphasized the importance of Christians having convictions they do not compromise. However, our religious convictions must be shared in humility, Sankaran said.

He said salvation and a relationship with Christ are gifts from God. Therefore, Christians have nothing to be proud of, he said.

Similarly, Sankaran said God is the only one who has the power to draw non-believers to Him and no human action will convince them to follow Him.

"Our calling is to represent Christ and bear witness to his truth in word, but also be humble and know that you don’t have the power to change anyone’s heart on this matter,” Sankaran said.

Holsinger brought a sociological perspective to the discussion.

She said one of the most important things to understand when dealing with others of different faiths is that many different factors determine what religious beliefs individuals hold.

“Most people think the central difference between religions is beliefs,” Holsinger said. She argued this is not true.

“Our religious beliefs are strongly tied to other characteristics about ourselves,” Holsinger said.

Holsinger said studies have shown that one large determinant of religion is social class. She said social class can determine how we view God, Jesus, the Bible, heaven and sin.

Another important factor is race, Holsinger said. This is evident in the common division of different ethnicities into different churches, she said.

“Some people argue that 10:00 on Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week,” Holsinger said.

Other factors that can determine religious beliefs are gender, age, level of education, parents’ income and level of parents’ education, Holsinger said.

Holsinger said that 90 to 95 percent of Americans say they believe in God and one third consider themselves to be Protestant Evangelicals.

She said religion is a good thing for people in that it gives us a sense of meaning and identity, eases our suffering and binds us together.

Holsinger said unfortunately, religion can also be a bad thing. Religion can also create boundaries that keep certain people out or in and breeds narrow-mindedness, bigotry or ethnocentrism, Holsinger said.

Holsinger said knowledge about people’s backgrounds and how that affects their religious beliefs gives Christians a good starting point when sharing their faith with those who hold different beliefs.

McPherson said when dealing with others whose ideas we do not agree with, Christians should “be nice, be open and be brave.”

He said Christians should realize that others are also created by God and deserve respect. The second greatest commandment Christ gave us is to love others, McPherson said.

“When you respect others... wonderful things happen,” McPherson said.

He said he continues to learns from those who have opinions and religious beliefs that differ from his own, including other faculty members. He suggests that students do the same thing.

“If we aren’t here to try and learn from each other and sometimes feel uncomfortable then we shouldn’t be here,” he said.

McPherson said part of following the greatest commandment Christ gave us, to love God, is speaking His truth the best we can to others. He echoed Sankaran when he said that this should be done with respect and humility.

“Being attacked for how you live isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” he said. “Attacking back is.”

Robinson defined pluralism as the belief that there is more than one right answer in religion, but there are also wrong answers.

“At Whitworth we find that we respect more than one answer,” Robinson said. "In this community we have identified some things as wrong.”

Robinson said Christianity defines itself as a belief that rests on faith.

He said though he personally finds truth in the Bible, he bases his belief in those truths on faith.

Robinson said he not only hopes that we can be people of robust convictions, but hold to those convictions in faith.

He said when he has taught in the past, he has always tried not to assume that every one of his students is Christian and teaches differently when he knows they are not.

“The most offensive tone we take is a presumptuous tone,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that in whatever he does, he never conceals his beliefs. He said he believes Christians should declare the gospel in work and deed to every audience they have.

The most effective way to reach people, Robinson said, is not to assert the best arguments about Christianity, but to “be assertive in the way we love one another and the way we express that love.”

Contact Natalie Johnson at natalie.johnson@whitworthian.com.

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