Non-Christians express beliefs in ‘Unorganized’

   Unorganized, a new registered student organization for non-Christian students, had its first meeting on Monday, Oct. 15.  The meeting attracted approximately 30 people, whose beliefs ranged from agnostic, atheistic, hermetic and disillusioned Christians.
     Unorganized is the brainchild of sophomores Carter Gillespie and Taylor Mills. They created the organization because they felt underrepresented on an overwhelmingly Christian campus.
     Students have responded positively to this new outlet.
     “I came here because I was looking for a group that accepts people for who they really are,”  Chris Hercules, sophomore English major, said.
     Other students viewed the group as an educational opportunity. Another draw was the appeal of an open forum, where issues could be discussed without drawing all the answers from religion.
     The informal atmosphere was palpable during one icebreaking activity, where people described their religious beliefs in terms of a metaphorical tennis ball. Some people questioned the form of the tennis ball, or whether the tennis ball existed at all.
     “We wanted to let people talk without people saying, ‘Well, if you turn to Jesus,’” Mills said.
     This open-mindedness is what Unorganized is all about. Its purpose is to create a safe social space and a sense of community for those who do not identify with a religion.
     But religious beliefs are not the only focus. Unorganized plans to create a forum to discuss political issues, spirituality and other topics. It is also planning social activities such as movie nights and informal get-togethers.
     “People who were not part of organized religion were invisible at GCSU,” Mills said.
     Christianity is the belief of the majority of GCSU students, and there are many Christian organizations. Almost any Christian subgroup is represented in some way, and several more Christian groups were recently approved by SGA.
     The campus sidewalks are covered in chalk publicity for Wesley, Baptist Collegiate Ministries and 180, images that linger until time or the elements erode them away, only to be replaced next week.
      Facebook also reflects the Christian atmosphere on campus. A Facebook search for agnostics at GCSU returns 40 results. A search for atheists returns 29 results. A search for Christianity returns more results than Facebook can count.
     So what is a nonreligious person to do on a campus where the top book is the Bible?
     In the past, there have been other groups at GCSU that have catered to students of other religions, such as Judaism and Islam.
     “There were other groups, but they were inactive,” Gillespie said. “I don’t want this to be past tense.”
     Efforts to keep the organization active are a large part of what Unorganized is doing. It has succeeded in spreading the word about its existence and mission. The Facebook group has 91 members, providing a good foundation for growth.
     “I want to show people that you don’t have to be Christian to be a good person,” Gillespie said.
     Sounds of assent followed this statement, a sentiment shared by all of those attending the group’s meeting.
     Meetings will continue on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in the MSU Lounge.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 18 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry