1) No one else is interested
1.People on my campus are too intellectual and aren’t interested in God or religion.
“The time for thinkers has come.” (Science and Health, p. vii) That is common ground. And no matter who we’re exchanging thoughts and ideas with, the shared ground is always there. WHO as a student ISN’T a thinker? And who wouldn’t improve his or her study skills? The “reason” side of Christian Science will demand a rigor of thought that will surprise them and sharpen them. Ask any student—ask anyone—how long we actually do focus on what is going on now—the real and continuing present. It challenges us to no end—well, some end—to stop our thoughts wandering into the past or future and worry or speculate about what might happen or did not happen. That is where our application of Science begins to make a huge difference. And that is only a starting point! What more exciting “new thing” could we entertain than to open up new possibilities?
John Scott, CS, Helensburgh, Scotland —People may not be interested in the God they think religion offers. But I’ve never met anyone not interested in truth, love, and intelligence. There’s a headiness about the human intellect in the university setting, kind of a grown-up version of little kids saying “look how far I can jump.” This leads to competition often centered on defining problems with little light on solutions. But the university is a place for thinkers and there are always those who break loose from the typical traps of intellectualism. A former CSO president at Yale was a divinity student and found some medical students who were interested in how spirituality could impact medicine. They formed the “theo/ med group” which co-sponsored with the CSO a lecture at the divinity school.
Dave Stevens, CSB, California, USA Alum, Harvard U. and Principia College CSOs —“The time for thinkers has come.” (Science and Health, p. vii) What better challenge to the perception that religion must be “anti-intellectual” than this line from the first page of Science and Health? You might sum up the demands of this textbook on Christian metaphysics as “Thinkers Wanted.”
Since college and university students are actively exploring systems of thought and bodies of knowledge within their coursework, it’s natural to engage in deep discussions on ethics, morals, and values in and out of the classroom as they determine career paths and life goals. But with a lack of consensus on what will make people both happy and fulfilled, many students feel a tremendous anxiety about the choices they face. They’re searching for answers that satisfy the heart as well as the head.
Christian Science presents a practical definition of God that appeals to the most rigorous intellect and at the same time offers better health and relationships and a profound sense of worth and purpose. And that will be welcome on any campus.
