As far as I know, campus Christians and members of the Secular Student Alliance are not knife fighting on the baseball diamonds at midnight, though I would find that highly entertaining. But, cutlery aside, I focus your attention on the religious schism at MSSU.

Our campus’ Christian organizations appeal to God in reference to the newly-formed Secular Student Alliance. The group – formed in the fall – claims, “You can be good without God.” And I suppose the order of business at their first meeting was defining “good.” At least I hope so.

I would say the arguments are old as time. But only religion has longevity and not its discontents. Is it simply another false dichotomy, so prevalent in our culture? Are there other options? And for those of you on the fence, will ignorance suffice?

Not long ago, a friend of mine read two recent scientific studies. One claimed salt is less likely to lead to heart disease, and she, being a salt lover, was delighted. The second claimed that dairy consumption is not so healthy as previously stated.         

She prefers more salt, and she  prefers more dairy, so while she quickly accepted the first study as true (because it permitted a preferred behavior previously held in check), she met the second with a great deal of hesitation.

She questioned the methods and merits of the dairy researchers because she wanted milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and whatever else, when she wanted, how she wanted, without feeling unhealthy. The underlying truth didn’t matter. But what she wanted the truth to be did matter.

So who is constant in their quest for truth? Christians, who in light of an otherwise meaningless existence, find comfort in God? Or atheists and agnostics, flitting about, endorsing whichever philosophical theory better suits their current concept of “truth” and “goodness?”

It’s interesting. A five-thousand-year-old religion versus a relatively recent series of interchanging ideas contending for dominance in the minds of students younger than they are.

Maybe you can tell. I’m biased toward Jesus. If you have another opinion, I’d love to hear it.