godIssue
The campus community is home to a wide variety of faith traditions. Here's an inside look at a few.
Christian groups 'love people where they are'
"I promise I'm not going to steal anything," said the visitor, standing in the middle of a room of friends from Campus Crusade for Christ. "I promise."
Hindu: Tradition points to tolerance for other faiths
If any examination of American religions writ large (or Virginia Tech's religions writ small) it would be easy, though a serious oversight, to look over the Eastern traditions that inform the worldviews of many international students.
Islam: Diversity, education hallmarks of local Muslims
Goma Makhlouf sits quietly at his computer, a tablet of Christian writing in Arabic script perched to his right. An Egyptian, Makhlouf received his religious education at arguably the world's greatest Islamic university, Al-Azhar in Cairo, and is now completing his Ph.D. in translation and comparative religion at an Egyptian university. He's a full-fledged Imam, a Muslim spiritual adviser and scholar. Except, he's not taking on his craft from the crowded crush of Cairo. Rather, you can find Imam Makhlouf right next to Kids' Heaven: His new mosque, Masjid al-Hadaya (Mosque of Guidance), is adjoined to a child daycare center in Blacksburg.
Judaism: For Blacksburg's Jews, life is 'Israel-ly good'
When associate professor of Judaic Studies Ben Sax moved his wife and newborn child to Blacksburg from Chicago in the fall of 2008, he was a bit daunted about relocating from a thriving Jewish community to Southwest Virginia. And then he went to the DMV.
'Detectors' in hand, Freethinkers discuss tough issues
Jonathan Graf is not afraid of complexity. A Ph.D. student in computer engineering, Graf works predominantly with IT security. But there's a much simpler tool he's honed during his time as a Freethinker.
Baha'i: Small group works for 'unity of mankind'
On a quiet Sunday afternoon in Baha'i youth education, retired Tech professor Cosby Rogers is calmly encouraging five-year-old Amelia Lester to offer her interpretation of the day's Baha'i prayer. After several false starts, Amelia sings: "Oh my Lord, oh my Lord," and then, with a broad smile, "I love everybody!"
Religious studies professors strike balance
Some of Blacksburg's most notable religious scholars aren't leading the faithful in prayer on Friday afternoons, reading from the Torah on Saturdays or standing at pulpits on Sundays. Their sacred space is the second floor of Major Williams, their crumbling cathedral, Newman Library. The six religious studies faculty members at Virginia Tech provide a particular service to the university community in maintaining the careful classroom balance necessary for contending with some of the day's most heady questions.
Jennings: Getting personal with Christianity, senior leaned on faith in tough times
I've lived in Virginia Beach my entire life in a family where my parents were always together. I didn't have a lot of responsibilities or do many chores or anything, and we were always financially stable, but I was always asked to perform well in school. Up to middle school I hung out with the guys in my neighborhood whom I had grown up with. I went to church maybe a couple of times when I was younger, but I have no knowledge as to why we went. I was always fidgety on the hard, wooden benches, and I hated it. I remember vaguely saying that I was a Christian, but I wasn't in any sense of the word.
Belief: Dealing with evangelical upbringing through research
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We all know it - Religion is a powerful entity. It fuels hope and promise just as much as it encourages wars and taints the honesty of political leadership. Religion is at its best - in the state it is intent to exist when we each honor the faith we choose individually while respecting the rights of others to worship in their own ways through their own religious beliefs. Religion becomes a terrible and destructive tool the moment any one of us attempts to impose it/convert on others counter to their beliefs. Regrettably this is where the world finds itself today. We would each be wise and far more 'honorable' of the concept of faith if we would respect these differences and stop trying convert the world to one faith or another. Let's honor the lessons of compassion and dignity and turn our backs on the dark side of religion - divisiveness, hatred and violence.
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