Campus Crusade for Christ Letter

I just emailed the following to ccc@ufcampuscrusade.com to attempt to start a cooperative dialogue between our group and UF CCC:

Dear Campus Crusade for Christ at UF Staff,

I am writing you to inform you of our group on campus, and to extend an invitation to interact with us for what I see (and hope you will) as mutual beneficence.

I'm thepresident of AAFSA, the Atheist, Agnostic & Freethinking Student Association at UF. As you may or may not know, the group has come and gone under various other names, acronyms, and leadership since the late 90's. Basically, our purpose is to provide a focal point for campus skeptics, atheists, agnostics, secularists, and nontheists to come together, learn, and advocate the use of reason and science as tools of inquiry into every area of human endeavor (including, but not especially focused upon, religion). We do not view you, or any other religion, as our "enemies". We of course come to many different conclusions in many areas of philosophy and politics, but we hope you agree that dialogue is the best way to deal with diversity, rather than conflict and hostility.

And that is why I am writing you -- to extend the invitation to dialogue with us.

In this sense, I think we share a mission, although we of course come to differing endpoints: to present ideas to those who wish to learn and allow them to form their own conclusions. We are indeed cultural competitors, but we both face other competitors in the free exchange of ideas, or the marketplace of culture and philosophy. From postmodernism, to Eastern philosophy, to New Age religions, to pseudoscience, to the paranormal (UFOs, psychics, magic)...there are many perspectives on our universe, and our place in it, which a secular humanist such as myself and rational Christians likely see eye-to-eye on. Of course, there are many areas where we do not, as well.

And it is in this sense that I think we can cooperate. I would be very interested in having forums on-campus and debates on-campus with the sole intent of displaying the differences in the worldview of Christianity with modernism/secular humanism. I'm sure you agree with me that the purpose of the university -- to learn and expand the boundaries of our horizons, is often not accomplished in a lecture hall, but in the dorm room, or the campus lawn. I'm also sure that we agree that learning/adopting a philosophy from popular culture, without critical inquiry, is a mistake. As a former Christian, I know that I can say I've interacted with a number of Christians who were not prepared to face the "tough questions", and had no "answer for the hope they have" (1 Pet 3), and as a result often left the faith or church. And as I'm sure you'll agree, these same ideas and questions will be presented to all of us at some time -- from the pulpit, from the professor in philosophy class, or from popular culture and media.

So the real question is -- is it healthier to dialogue with those with whom we find disagreement, and try to reach a mutual understanding, or to give each other our own "sphere of influence" and avoid discourse? Obviously you can benefit from presenting your own answers in rebuttal/response to these questions that your students will surely face, and my group can benefit from the same.

I sincerely find no logical argument against unfettered discussion and candor between groups. I find many logical arguments FOR such discussion, as evidenced by the growing polarization of our culture in politics, and the growing conflicts between secularists and those who wish to infuse religion and religious views into governmental function. The war in the Middle East is just the effect of these such root causes -- disparities in worldview. Could such conflicts be avoided through rational discourse? Could much peace be gained from simply following the Biblical advice, "come, let us reason together?" Perhaps we disagree on the answer, but I think we do agree that if there is even a remote possibility that they could, that it is worth expending effort to procure harmony in our diversity.

We have no choice but to tolerate each other, irrespective of condoning each others' views.

If you would like to invite me, or one of my group members, to a CCC meeting in order to dialogue, or hold an event such as, "ask an atheist" or an open forum in which we discuss our differing perspectives, I would be delighted and honored to participate. If you feel that such an event would be antithetical to your mission (as you may feel you'd lose the hearts or minds of someone in your group to a different philosophy), then I understand, and would ask if you would rather have a debate-style format? If neither of those seems suitable to you, perhaps you have a better idea, or something more palatable and amenable to your mission and goals?

I hope to converse with you in the future. I look forward to what I hope will be a long and fruitful cooperation. You may contact me via email or phone at any time.

With warm regards,
D

*revised formatting 6/20/07
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