By Maya Minwary
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
In the midst of chapel, Care Group, University Ministry, Young Life and the other various on-campus ministries, Christian students at Pepperdine find themselves surrounded with people who can hold them accountable and help their faith grow. For them, going to a Christian college is an added bonus.
But to those who are non-Christians, how do they deal with the overwhelming Christian environment at Pepperdine? For those who practice Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and other non-Christian religions, can they live out their faith when the majority of the student population is Christian?
Living out one’s faith is not an easy task, especially when it’s not the norm. Since one of the most fundamental beliefs of Christianity is to preach and spread the Gospel to non-Christians, sometimes students of other faiths feel like Christianity is forced upon them.
“Most of the time, I’d say 99 percent of the time, going to a Christian school is not an issue,” said sophomore Partha Bhattacharwa, who practices Hinduism. “But sometimes, I feel that Christianity is thrust upon me and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Instead of understanding the way I feel, some people try to give me the logic on why I should be a Christian.”
Bhattacharwa isn’t the only non-Christian at Pepperdine who has experienced the awkwardness of trying to explain his faith to other students.
When sophomore Febrina Wuisain, a devout Muslim, puts on a white linen tunic that covers her entire body besides her face and hands, and she kneels down on the mat laid before her, facing southeast toward the Mecca, bowing her head on the mat to pray, some of her friends question her.
“When they see me praying, (they’re) interested and look at me like “What is she doing?’” said Wuisain, who went to a Christian high school. “I understand (their curiosity), and when I explain to them what I’m doing, they’re cool about it.”
Understanding a different faith requires compassion and tolerance toward other beliefs. While sometimes it may seem like some people at Pepperdine are conservative and close-minded, non-Christian students find their Christian friends accepting of their different beliefs.
“The students here are very friendly,” said senior Ali Dewji, a Shiite Muslim, “Religion is not a barrier. We discuss about the different aspects of religion and the problems relating to it. In the whole we acknowledge each other’s faith.”
When religion doesn’t become a barrier, students find themselves tolerating one another better.
“My friends are accepting and willing to learn about different beliefs, just like anybody interested in learning something new,” said Caliyane Keo, recalling her days as a little girl when her parents would take her to a Buddhist temple, while her uncle and grandmother would take her to church. Keo is a sophomore who describes herself as a Christian living a Buddhist lifestyle. Her background in Buddhism and Seventh Day Adventist allow her to see both sides of the faiths.
“There shouldn’t be a difference in beliefs because they’re all alike,” said the sophomore. “Some Christian students find people of different faith offensive toward them, when it actually should be the choice of students who are practicing it.”
In a university where the majority of the student and staff members are Christians, and the teaching of Christianity is prevalent throughout campus, one might wonder why a non-Christian would choose to go to Pepperdine.
“First of all I like the location, and since I went to a Christian high school, I’m used to (the Christian teachings),” Wuisain said. “Also, Muslim teachings have a lot of similarities with Christianity.”
Many of the non-Christian students, said that they were aware of Pepperdine’s commitment to its Christian roots, but it just wasn’t a factor.
“Religion was never an issue with my decision to go to Pepperdine,” said sophomore David Allweiss, who is a Reformed Jew. “My parents have supported me, and they’ve been very active in helping my stay at Pepperdine.”
Through the broken barriers and support from parents of non-Christians, some frictions between Christians and non-Christians still arise.
“One of the problems that I’ve encountered is dating and religion,” said Allweiss over the stigma of Christians dating those outside of their faith. “I’ve noticed that the girls (at Pepperdine) will not date me because I’m Jewish and they’re Christians.”
There are also students who have come to Pepperdine as non-Christians who exit having embraced the Christian faith.
Sophomore advertising major, Nicole Ho, came in as a person who acknowledged God but didn’t really live out her faith. Her mom is Buddhist and Ho had been to a Christian church a couple of times in her hometown in Hong Kong, but didn’t consider herself a part of any religion.
“ I didn’t expect to become a Christian and be as devoted as I am today,” Ho said. “I came to Pepperdine doing my own thing, and didn’t know that God was going to call me.”
For Ho her change of faith came last year when her friends brought her to Westside Oikos, a non-denominational Christian church in Santa Monica. During the altar call, Ho raised her hand and accepted Christ.
“It’s been a process,” the advertising major said. “I’m still struggling, (Christianity) is still quite new to me. But overall, God changed me a lot.”
Ho attributes her change to the friends and professors she’s met at Pepperdine.
“The people I encountered at Pepperdine influenced me,” Ho said. “Pepperdine is special because it is a Christian school, but (moreover) it’s a good thing that no one here bashes non-Christians.”
Religious Affiliations at Seaver College (2002):
7th Day Adventists 18
Assembly of God 46
Baptist 182
Buddhist 30
Catholic 482
Christian Church 294
Christian Science 2
Church of Christ 620
Church of God 14
Congregational 10
Disciples of Christ 5
Episcopal 54
Evangelical Free 42
Hindu 16
Islamic 21
Jewish 32
Latter Day Saints 20
Lutheran 108
Mennonite 3
Methodist 57
None 100
Orthodox 17
Other 53
Other Christian 187
Presbyterian 197
Protestant 128
Sikh 0
Undeclared 282
Unitarian 2
United Church of Christ 18
United Methodist 41
TOTAL 3,081
October 03, 2002