Thinking freely

In a meeting of about 50 people packed into a basement classroom in the Armory last night, sparring participants could agree on at least one thing: the need for intellectual discussion about religion.

The group was present for the weekly meeting of UMD Freethought, a university club that hosts discussions on matters of atheism, secularism and faith, which last night focused on objections to Christianity.

Ben Trettel, the group's vice president, said the meetings often involve impassioned discourse but are meant to facilitate communication between groups.

Self-proclaimed atheist Kevin Garcia, a sophomore mathematics major, said he likes that the meetings are more intellectual than most interactions between adherents of different faiths.

"I would much rather people come to me with arguments than just throw their beliefs at me," he said.

As with last night's meeting, Trettel opens the meetings to people of all faiths to gain a number of perspectives but often focuses on Christians. In return, he receives a number of invitations to Bible studies and similar events.

"I send out invitations to the leaders of all the religious groups on campus, but the Christians are the ones who respond most," the senior mechanical engineering major said. "It seems like Christians are the only ones who defend their faith. Plus, Christianity permeates the whole society. That is why we reach out to them."

For Christian participants, the UMD Freethought meetings encourage thoughtful discussion and examination of their faith.

"Normally when I go to a Bible study or another overtly Christian meeting, the leader will say something and everyone will be in agreement," junior Amber Marsh said. "But hearing these arguments from people who think the opposite of what I think leads me to really evaluate why I believe what I believe."

Eric Morris, a member of Montgomery County Church of Christ who is involved in campus ministry with Disciples of Christ, said the university is a good venue for such interaction.

"I think that the university is the perfect context for dialogue and discussion," Morris said. "This time in peoples' lives is pretty formative, and for people to be at least wrestling with these questions is a good thing."

Among the topics discussed last night were Jesus, the end of times, divisions within Christianity and the accuracy of the Bible. On several occasions, the room erupted with several voices at once, forcing the group's vice president to try to direct the debate.

"If what the Bible says is true, then you'd want to know, right?" asked one student during a heated exchange.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here," Trettel said.

news at umdbk dot com