Keeping the faith
Are you bright, curious, maybe a leader? If so, congratulations - you are a prime target for a cult recruiter and we're not talking Arthur Anderson here! Young people have been joining far-out religious movements in droves during recent decades. Current rates in the US stand at tens of thousands of people a year. But then again, that's Americans for you. Having the devoted scientologist Tom Cruise as a role model must have serious repercussions.
No set of beliefs seems too weird or wonderful to attract a herd of followers. Five stars out of five go to the 'Blue Star' cult, dedicated to establishing an intergalactic 'iconsphere' in which humans and dolphins will live in perfect harmony. Several cans short of a six-pack? Maybe. But individuals from all social and educational backgrounds can be sucked in with terrifying ease. Simply being approached by someone you trust, especially at a time of vulnerability, is enough to prompt a lifetime commitment.
Carolyn, 34, recalls how she lost 17 years of her life after getting involved with the United Reform Church while studying at Berkeley. After just two months she had moved in with other cult members, was attending daily services and providing free labour between studies. Marriage or any intimate relationships outside the group is strictly forbidden, and when Carolyn did marry another member she was immediately sterilised, so the 'curse' of children would not distract her from reaching divine perfection. "I was paranoid - a nervous wreck," she recalls. Her close relations suffered with her. The cult leader's regular purchase of flash cars and snazzy apartments cast the first seeds of doubt in Carolyn's mind. It was not until family exposed her to talk shows, videos and eventually a professional therapist that Carolyn got her life back. Many are not so lucky, remaining trapped psychologically, economically and sexually.
In the UK, new-age cults are undoubtedly less common than in the States. At our own universities, extreme forms of the major institutional religions pose a threat. In the wake of September 11th, the media is keen to emphasise the activities of Islamic fundamentalists. 'Al-Muhajiroun', which aims to create an Islamic state in the UK, targeted Freshers' Fairs this year. Leaflets reading 'as America declares war on 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, what is your duty?' were distributed at Manchester University. Recruitment has been effective. Around 1500 students are estimated to have taken up 'military service' since September and have been sent to 'holy war' training camps in remote areas of Pakistan.
Extremist views, however, are by no means exclusive to Islam. In Oxford, the most cult-like threat comes from student-based Churches. Specially hired 'student mission workers' walk the thin line between sharing and enforcing. So called 'lonely' and 'confused' students are targeted in what can often be an overwhelming manner. One fact is saliently clear: there is no such thing as a free lunch. Making new and exclusive friends is the unabashed focus of events. St Ebbe's seems to confuse itself with an airport arrival hall, having a large welcome desk in one corner. Welcome to what exactly? Believers are invited on mission weekends in Devon: the Christian equivalent of Bin Laden's mountain hideouts? Sure: the method is different. The Christian Union hardly indulges in weapon's training, but is the madness not the same? One undergraduate reports how being damned by a 'friend' for not attending Bible class. Another explains how a flat-mate hit heavy depression after she was ousted from her cell group for confessing to having had sex with her boyfriend.
To be spiritual is to be human. But cults and extremists have very little to do with the fostering of peace and understanding and everything to do with power and manipulation. If anyone fancies themselves as a bit of cult leader, on the other hand, I think Oxford is quite a sound niche for the establishment of the USKK (the 'Universal Struggle for the Kebab Kingdom'). Devotees reach higher spiritual plains through continued consumption of Mehdi's specials and copious amounts of alcohol. Sounds more fun than putting sea creatures into space at any rate!
Everyone believes in something. There is no one who believes in absolutely nothing. Agreed? Across the university you will find a real plurality of views about life. One person will be a moderate Muslim, another a convinced Christian, the next a committed materialist and so on. There are nearly as many different perspectives as there are people.
Very often the most articulate representation of people's beliefs is not their words but their actions. There are subtleties in actions which no words can express. For it is our actions, often in ways we don't consider, which reveal our basic assumptions about life. Take, for example, the fact that the average student spends time in the library or the lab and tries to get work done well. Why? Why should we want to do our work well?
Take, for example, the fact that most of us really enjoy spending time with friends, over a drink or a meal or just chatting. Or even the fact that a lot of us put energy and time into sport or theatre or some special hobby. Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours in these pursuits. Why?
I suggest that we spend time doing these things because we believe - we have faith - that these are good things to spend our time on. Some of us believe that they are good because God made them. Others believe that, since there is only matter, we might as well make the best of it. This belief is not often verbally articulated but rather assumed without much conscious thought.
This is the deep faith that underlies much of the Western 'thought' that underlies much of our university life: that work, mates, beer and skittles is all there is. There is only matter and the only reasonable position to take is the materialist position. The interesting thing about materialism is that, because the logical conclusions of the faith are so horrific, it is seldom discussed or even challenged. Rather it is assumed to be correct. Materialism is the great leap of faith.
Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Bah'ai and Hindu students - among others - at Oxford reject materialism. Each faith has a presence in the university, some are more active in sharing their faith than others - depending on their beliefs. What is certain though is that only one of these faiths can represent the whole truth about reality. Religious relativism dictates that either they are all correct or that parts of each are correct. This is not a sensible thesis.
First, it is historically impossible to reconcile Islam and Christianity. The crucial historical point they differ over is whether Jesus was crucified or not. Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Christians believe that he did. Any attempt to reconcile these two accounts of history is bound to fail. Muslims and Christians are agreed on this.
Second, any attempt to take bits of each faith and stick them together is intellectually bankrupt. The separate faiths say that they are true on their own apart from any relativist attempt at 'reconstruction'. They prefer honest debate rather than dishonest relativism.
At university we have an enormous opportunity to question why we do what we do. Is materialism as good as it gets? In 3rd and 4th week the Christian Union are laying on a few events in order to tell you what we believe the truth is. We're doing this because we believe God is passionate about life. We believe that Jesus is the personal God and that it is possible to know Him personally. Is this true? Can we know? Come and find out. What have you got to lose?
<ul><li><a href="http://www.oiccu.org/">The Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union</a></li></ul>
31st Jan 2002