Can College Make One Atheist? A Few Thoughts

[sanctamaria17]

I think part of it is being responsible for spiritual growth.

I’ve had crises in faith, questions on sexuality, and frustration due to different things, but I have NOT lost my faith in God.

But then, my parents used every thing as a teaching moment, didn’t really shut out different viewpoints growing up. Also, when I had questions on Church teaching, I studied it myself, through Bible, Catechism, and resources like here. Or I’d ask my priest or anyone else who would at least know resources.

In my opinion, it’s whether the parents raised their kids to be discerning, not whether they raised them Catholic.

Trust me, the kids who came out of Republican households are still strong conservatives on my liberal campus. Same with the Catholics. Though we do have an orthodox chaplaincy and active Catholic presence.

Honestly, I’ve been able to show the social justice, environmental aspects of both pro-life and NFP to people. And I’ve been able to link human rights declarations to aspects of Church teaching. My university education prepped me to use my Catholic faith in the world and my background of faith gave me something to fall on when I needed support.

I’ve had several friends decide to enter the seminary or convent. One of them is entering her postulancy this summer.

Catholics need to know how to live in the world, not of it. I don’t think it’s college as much as how much the kid studies their faith, really gets into it, and what kind of resources there are for college students. We have an involved chaplaincy and the parish I’ve been attending has a young adult ministry. I also live in a large city with a huge archdiocesan young adult network. We also network with Catholic campuses nearby. Our pro-life outreach group is another resource (since most of us involved are also Catholic ).

One of my professors, who’s become a mentor to me, is also Catholic. I told her about my plans to study abroad in Latin America and she gave me pilgrimage site ideas!

I didn’t choose my school for faith or lack of faith. I chose it for its international relations program. Trust me, we NEED more solid Catholics in IR, business, and politics!!! NOT LESS!!

 

[Lutheranteach]

The last line of my post was chopped which was when college is over you should have an understanding of yourself and the role faith is going to play in your life.

 

[LotusCarsLtd]

I was Baptist when I went into college and had given a lot of thought to the idea of becoming a missionary (I’d just gotten back from a mission trip from Mexico). I took the required Introduction to Biblical Literature class at the “Catholic” college that I attended. The professor (who was interesting, funny convincing and went on to become the head of the theology department at this college from what I’ve since heard) spoke constantly about how Jesus had never said that he was the Son of God, that it was simply an invention after his death and that the teaching of an afterlife was completely absent in the Bible (the prof also happened to be a former brother). I didn’t know what I believed by the end of the semester. After a few more classes with my super liberal professors I didn’t believe in anything at all (except maybe communism).

That’s disturbing, but particularly as someone who wants to study theology and attend a Catholic university.

My husband is currently attending another “Catholic” university (in the Master’s of Theology program) and he is constantly penalized and even personally insulted for being a faithful Catholic.

At a CATHOLIC university? I want to be a theology professor in a secular university…I expect to be heavily persecuted in a university as a professor, but he’s being persecuted in a CATHOLIC college? I’d say contact the Bishop, the trustees, and the wealthy alumni donors…

It’s been a eye opening experience. I should have given more thought to the bad feeling I had when he asked a priest in the program if the professor’s were loyal to the teachings of the magesterium and he started to laugh. Instead we let the generous scholarships override our worries and have another year and a half to pay for it. I will be so happy when he’s out of this liberal school and onto an actual Catholic college for his next degree.

That’s disturbing too…

I think college professors can definitely influence students as they teach and with so many liberal, atheist profs out there this sort of thing is bound to happen.

I also believe that college does make many atheist 1) because of the large amount of misinformation students are fed about the Faith and 2) because of the atheism being taught in the universities directly or indirectly.

 

[Angels_Heart]

I knew several people that became athesists after attending college.

 

[Jay82]

Just read a thread about how two youngsters had gone away to college, after being raised in a strong Catholic home, and had come back as atheists.

Some people had commented in the thread that probably it wasn’t the college experience that made kids atheists, but something else, and college may have fueled the fire, but the fire was already burning.

I’m not so sure.

I attended college for nearly eight years in an attempt to acheive my Master’s degree. I remained Catholic - in fact, my religion was strenghtened during the last semester I attended - and I remained a virgin (by God’s grace alone).

Do I, who have, through God’s grace, retained my integrity, think that the college experience can create atheists? I’d say darn right.

I suppose it can, but I don’t feel like college life in general is the specific reason and I think you painted a very negative picture of college life. I believe that the college environment only fuels the fire. Students are tested in various ways outside of the classroom in college – their faith, their morals, ethics, etc will be challenged by those around them, regardless of the university they attend (catholic or otherwise). If you have strong values/morals I feel like you will do just fine in keeping your behaviors in line with what you believe and the way you have been raised. A child who has been ‘kept in line’ over and over by super strict parents and had their parents views forced upon them will probably act out and do immoral things because they don’t possess the strong morals within themselves.

The overall attitude of professors on secular campuses is that you have to encourage kids to think “liberally,” meaning getting them to stop thinking about religion as a solid, God-given way of experiencing the Creator, and get them to think of it as a man-made construct. In science and math classes, this is to prevent kids from having thoughts that are “contrary” to science, such as having them protest that Evolution is “just a theory,” or what have you. Catholicism informs our everyday lives, including what we think about math and science. We Catholics can see God in all things. We’re encouraged not to, if it interferes with what science teaches (or if science profs think it inteferes).

A quote I find applicable here: “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still function.” – F. Scott Fitzergerald.

Anyway, a Catholic (or anyone) can attend class where a different line of thought is presented, study it, learn about it, and still stick to their own beliefs.

But those aren’t the classes where the big guns are drawn. The teachers there are mostly trying to get people to leave their philosophy outside the lab door, and pick it up again on the way out. Anyway, that was my experience as an English Lit major, where science wasn’t at all any sort of focus for me. Perhaps kids who majored in science had different experiences.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree and religion was not discussed in any of my courses.

In English Lit classes, however, pushing the notion that religion is man-made is important, or you get a lot of people either protesting what was written by some of the “great” authors, or you get students who are uncomfortable with the sexualized writings of authors like Virginia Woolf, and then there are all those Native American stories that you delve into, etc.

Discussing sex in novels starts way before college. If you read Catcher in the Rye in high school and discuss/analyze it, Holden Caulfield brings a prostitute back to his h/motel in the book. My honors English class analyzed this scene in the book.

Then there’s the on-campus culture. I lived at home with my parents, so every day after class I missed the “great” parties where they gave away handfuls of free condoms (in case you wanted to slip off to your boyfriend’s dorm room or something), and I missed the dances that were such a big deal. I did, however, see some of the aftermaths. People are encouraged to have “safe sex.”

When they get girlfriends who are so excited to be out and “free” for the first time in their lives that they want to spead their legs to anyone willing, because they’re too young to understand the consequences…

Living at home makes it a lot less likely someone will stray from their faith. Their parents will know if they are out all night, they can’t have an overnight guest without their parents knowing, and the parents ‘sphere of influence’ is always there.

I lived in the dorms for my first two years at a big public university. However, just because parties happen at school, doesn’t mean you have to attend them or participate. I never had a drop of alcohol until I turned 21. I never attended a party in college where I thought there would be a risk of being in the presence of alcohol as an underage person and where the conduct wasn’t inline with my morals. The repercussions were just too high. I made friends (some catholic, some not) who had similar values and interests as me. We played sports, games, went to the movies, and did other things on Fri/Sat nights to keep busy. You can’t always control what others do, but you can always control your actions. I just tried to lead by example. Despite avoiding the parties I still had some girls throw themselves at me, very overtly and inappropriately too… I had to politely turn them all away. Fortunately, I remained a virgin/chaste throughout college.

My college experiences were based on my choices, values and morals. I did not let anyone compromise them.

 

[Kindness]

College can be the first place that some young people have ever been challenged about their faith or even been mature enough or interested enough to think about the challenges. What I mean is due to natural youth and immaturity they weren’t even consciously making a decision for or against the faith at high school. A jump in intellectual growth and maturity happens in the late teens, early 20s which also normally coincides with college. They also get a lot of personal freedom at the same time and some can’t equate fun with Catholicism so they opt for hedonism.

I feel very uninformed about this as I was a convert at the time I went to a secular college. Coming from an atheist background I knew how thin on the ground active Christians are in most environments so college was pretty much what I expected in that regard.

 

[Litcrit]

You see all of those kind of experiences just serve to strengthen my faith because they show me what life without God is like. It always seems that it is atheists who have done more to convince me to remain Catholic and the Catholics who are the biggest stumbling block.

Me too.

*I agree with Havard’s comment. I don’t think that anyone or anything can ‘‘make’’ someone an atheist. Maybe influence, but on some level, I am not sure if the person’s faith was altogether that strong if going to college, and hearing the views of a handful of atheists, could turn a person from being a practicing Catholic. As a parent, it’s my job to help my kids prepare for what they will undoubtedly face in college, at the workplace, in life (as best as I can) …that Christianity **will be ***met with opposition, more often than not. Jesus told us…that the world hated Him first, so it will hate us. I find those words to be disconcerting yet comforting all at the same time.

I completely agree.

I think part of it is being responsible for spiritual growth.

I’ve had crises in faith, questions on sexuality, and frustration due to different things, but I have NOT lost my faith in God.

But then, my parents used every thing as a teaching moment, didn’t really shut out different viewpoints growing up. Also, when I had questions on Church teaching, I studied it myself, through Bible, Catechism, and resources like here. Or I’d ask my priest or anyone else who would at least know resources.

In my opinion, it’s whether the parents raised their kids to be discerning, not whether they raised them Catholic.

I think that’s very important to remember. The truth is the truth is the truth. It will out. If you teach your child to honestly search for the truth whenever there’s a differing opinion / difficult question / crisis of faith, through prayer and discernment and obtaining information, they will find it, and it will eventually be God’s truth, because it’s the truth.

And Virginia Woolf - sexualized? What is that in reference to? Of all the English Lit there is, the poor lady who couldn’t even bring herself to have sex with her husband because she loathed and feared it and may have had this dreadful sexuality vaguely mentioned several times altogether in her many novels is objectionable? Can you quote what you found disturbing (I find her fear of men and sexuality disturbing, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what you meant)?

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I was never tempted to abandon my faith as an undergraduate, but coming to the UK to do a postgrad degree was a completely different thing. I’ve been surrounded by atheists for years now and for some time was convinced that their point of view and belief system was equally valid to mine. Just like the OP, I had a massive crisis (got very close to a nervous breakdown) because of this desire to reconcile my faith and secular values. At one point I decided to trust God and that changed everything.
This experience has made my faith stronger and more mature. I see it as a great blessing now but the struggle was very difficult for several years.

I guess it all comes down to seeing the world for what it is and trusting God. It is extremely difficult for many young people to do that and to be critical of the secular environment they find themselves in when they go to university. I have several friends who have abandoned their faith when they went abroad to do their PhD (to the UK in all cases), and they are all in their late 20s and early 30s. The temptation of secular lifestyles and hedonism is truly great and it it not just college kids that lose their direction.

 

[Kindness]

Yes I am from the UK and it is extremely secular. Christianity is ignored or mocked and that’s pretty much it.

 

[Luke_K]

My physics professor last semester made a couple of jabs at the Catholic Church for the Galileo affair, but that’s the only overt anti-theism I’ve experienced from faculty. Then again, I’m in engineering so it may be worse in liberal arts.

The most secularized issue on my campus though is sexuality. Deviant sexual practices and “safe sex” are very strongly promoted, particularly in the campus newspaper.

I think the tendency is that people who were strong and enthusiastic with their faith before college will continue to be, and even grow in it. However, any lukewarm believers (those who built their houses on sand instead of rock!) will likely get swept away by the overall secular culture, especially with all the new-found freedom they’ve gained.

 

[crazzeto]

I agree, College is an Athiest breeding ground… Unfortunetly I’m starting to feel that apologetics is a necessary part of good formation of faith. Hand in hand with this, finding ways to expose (before your child is out of your home) to a good repersentation of the arguments that will be brought against them and their faith. So they’re prepared.

I think this is the reason why athiests form in college. I’m guessing few parents, if any really expose their childeren to the fact that there are people out there that will challenege their faith. Rather I’m guessing more often than not most parents probably try to create a protective little bubble for thier kids, where issues like Athiest evangilism can’t touch them.

If a child is unprepared, then I think they will be easy pickings for athiest evangalists.

 

[Jay82]

I’m guessing few parents, if any really expose their childeren to the fact that there are people out there that will challenege their faith. Rather I’m guessing more often than not most parents probably try to create a protective little bubble for thier kids, where issues like Athiest evangilism can’t touch them.

If a child is unprepared, then I think they will be easy pickings for athiest evangalists.

I think being over protective or extremely strict can be harmful to children when it is time to go off on their own. Either they are dying to rebel and experience ‘freedom’ or they are just too naive and don’t understand there are varying view points/cultures and can’t really stay true to their morals without their parents support or watchful eye to keep them in line or shield them.

The handful of guys and girls I knew in high school and in church every week that had parents that raised them in the way I listed above… all ended up behaving very immorally during their first year away at college (binge drinking, partying excessively, pre-marital sex with 1+ people, etc). I still see them in church when I return to my home town.
Since they still attend church regularly I won’t say they strayed from their faith per se, but they did conduct themselves in a manner they probably regret now.

 

[sanctamaria17]

Unfortunately, apologetics are a part of faith???

Fortunately!!

Look, we live in a BROKEN WORLD! If you don’t KNOW your faith, if you’re not STRONG, or DISCERNING, you are PREY! Apologetics are vital, anyway!!

We NEED more intelligent, knowledgeable, strong Catholics in academia. We NEED them in medicine. In politics. In the media. In business. In the arts/entertainment. In law. In science. In research and development. In education. In foreign relations. In economics. EVERYWHERE!

You have to prepare kids for the world, not shelter them from it. What happens when their boss isn’t Catholic? When their coworkers aren’t? What happens when they have to defend their faith?

And wouldn’t it be good to know it, just for the beauty of it? How many people don’t even know the beauty of their Faith, the mysteries behind the Mass, the devotions that we, as converts, reverts, and cradle-to-grave Catholics place such a high value on? WHY wouldn’t we want to know WHY we do that?

God gave us intelligence and curiosity. Let’s learn, not to hide it or fear it, but to use it for His glory. And let’s teach our young to do likewise.

 

[LongingForLight]

I found my faith was greatly weakened while I was in college. Then I learned about the Catholic Catechism (because I grew up a cradle-Catholic and never learned that it existed), and used the reasoning skills I was learning it college along with the Catechism . . . and ended up a much stronger Catholic. Yet I would be hesitant to say that college “makes” people atheists. I think it’s weak catechism, ignorance, or weak character that are the real problems - and that avoiding college isn’t an appropriate way to solve these problems (although supporting and encouraging kids to attend faithful institutions might be helpful).

I do think college tends to precipitate a crisis of faith for many people, and many will convert to atheism or agnosticism. It’s a stressor on people’s faith, but I also think that if they avoid college, the same flaws would lead them to question their faith anyways, just maybe a little later in life.

I think that parents can help prepare their kids for college by teaching them what the Catechism is and how to use it, and by helping them find resources to answer their difficult questions during college (such as encouraging them to start hanging out here at CAF starting around 16 or 17 years of age ). Most kids know about the Bible and read it, but I found that the Catechism and its logical, rational arguments for the church’s positions (and clarification on those positions) were what really helped me stand against the misinformation about the church and what it means to live a “good” life.

A good grounding in the Theology of the Body also comes strongly recommended by me This is such a big area of attack from the Enemy right now - false feminism, false sexual freedom, and so many other perversions. So many kids think the church believes sex is evil, but something inside them says that is wrong. The resulting confusion naturally weakens their defenses. The idea that sex is holy goes a long way towards protecting a person from abusing their sexuality, IME. It’s the idea that sex is unimportant, or is just a tool for a relationship, or a physical experience, that undermines. But to think of it as participating in God’s act of creation? To think of it as a manisfestation of God’s trinital nature in the beings whom He created in his image - two beings united together and a spirit of love coming from them? Wow . . . that’s a little . . . intimidating. Not something to do casually, that’s for sure. KWIM? It also changes the whole way we view women and their fertility . . . their special role in creating life with God truly is a gift. Not an opressing burden, as society tells us it is.

 

[crazzeto]

Unfortunately, apologetics are a part of faith???

Fortunately!!

Look, we live in a BROKEN WORLD! If you don’t KNOW your faith, if you’re not STRONG, or DISCERNING, you are PREY! Apologetics are vital, anyway!!

We NEED more intelligent, knowledgeable, strong Catholics in academia. We NEED them in medicine. In politics. In the media. In business. In the arts/entertainment. In law. In science. In research and development. In education. In foreign relations. In economics. EVERYWHERE!

You have to prepare kids for the world, not shelter them from it. What happens when their boss isn’t Catholic? When their coworkers aren’t? What happens when they have to defend their faith?

And wouldn’t it be good to know it, just for the beauty of it? How many people don’t even know the beauty of their Faith, the mysteries behind the Mass, the devotions that we, as converts, reverts, and cradle-to-grave Catholics place such a high value on? WHY wouldn’t we want to know WHY we do that?

God gave us intelligence and curiosity. Let’s learn, not to hide it or fear it, but to use it for His glory. And let’s teach our young to do likewise.

I don’t disagree with any particular point, except for this… It’s a difficult subject for most to approch. Particularly when one considers most Catholics don’t even know what Apologetics is. In fact over Christmas I told my Dad I was now involved in Catholic Apologetics and his response was “why are you apologizing? you shouldn’t have to do that!”

I had to say “no no no, Apologetics comes from the greek Apologea or to make a case. Such as an attorney would”. This is why it’s unfortunate, because so many Catholic parents are so ill equipped. Which is why I’m involved in the way I am, trying to get my fellow Catholics motivated as well.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

I attend a secular college and can now attest first hand that it DOES affect your faith. After my first semester I had many times when I seriously questioned my faith, it was a war zone of anti-Christian practices, heretics, and Catholics that made fun of their faith and even committed Blasphemy to their Heavenly God on a daily basis.

This experience strengthened me, before I was quiet about my faith. I never stood up for what I believed in. Now I have thoroughly studied my faith. I know the arguments for abortion and how to respond to them, Gay marriage, contraception, and beliefs of the Church. It has made me a stronger Catholic, and my vocation to the priesthood has grown.

I realize that life is short, you only live once. Salvation is the message that people need to hear or as I like to say “Salvation is at hand, do you accept?” people NEED to hear Christ’s message of Divine Mercy, it is essential to ALL of mankind.

We are in a war for our souls, and this is what I have realized by going to a secular college.

Pax Christi!!!

 

[RACJ]

Tabitha, God bless you for your heartfelt posting.
Just try attaining tenure on any college campus as a Bible believing Christian of any stripe. Universities remind me of Pleasure Island. Everything seems fun and comfortable, and you become very popular, as long as you are willing to surrender your mind and morals to the secularists. Of course, the other shoe WILL drop, but teenagers don’t believe this. Anyone who does not believe that the radical campuses have been effective need look no further than the 2008 election, when a candidate who refused to wear a American flag lapel pin and never spoke of God-given human rights won the preponderance of the youth vote. The vast majority of young people, even those who remain Christian, have come to believe in moral relativism. Well, the other shoe IS now dropping, tragically. Rob

 

[Onegin]

Most secular universities (and a lot of so-called “Catholic” ones) are HORRIBLE environments for young people who want to retain their faith.

I have to roll my eyes at the comments that essentially say "yeah, but their faith must not have been that strong if they lost is so easily!

Imagine being bombarded DAY AND NIGHT by views that are 100% in conflict with your own. You don’t have to seek out atheism or agnosticism on a uni campus - it will find you and then it will assault you until you either give in and reject your faith or leave.

Trust me, I went through several agonisingly long years of it. Some were at a so-called “Catholic” institution that had such anti-Catholic professors that they might as well have been atheist anyways. Some of my friends lost the faith, others were weakened, some kept it.

The point is that we are unnecessarily forcing young people into these environments which are damaging to the faith. Why would we take such a risk? Shouldn’t we be encouraging young people to go to a university that will strengthen them in their faith? The world is hostile enough as it is, and the university environment takes this hostility and magnifies it to an almost unbearable degree.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

Amen Onegin!

I had a little revelation and realized that my soul was on the line. Satan was the head of the secular college movement, and I wouldn’t give in to his malicious temptations. God Bless college students!!

 

[RACJ]

Amen Onegin!

I had a little revelation and realized that my soul was on the line. Satan was the head of the secular college movement, and I wouldn’t give in to his malicious temptations. God Bless college students!!

  Congrats to you, HXC!! I too realized what the dirty game was all about in college, when at the Jesuit "Catholic" U of Scranton, my g/f (now wife) talked about how her philosophy prof was proselytizing for atheism! I thought, "How sick!" 
  One cannot underestimate the powerful influence that the theory of evolution has on young minds as well. Never is this nonsense challenged. You'd never know that there are a million questions challenging its veracity if you come to trust the faculty. You'd never glean that there are myriad disagreements among those scientists who eschew intelligent design as to HOW evolution actually occurs. They circle the wagons in public, and are satisfied to know that a young person comes to view himself as just another animal that appears randomly on the scene. Why not reap the sexual fruits on the vine when there is no objective morality? Why not cheat? We have seen this evolutionary logic accepted so widely that 40% of American children are born out of wedlock today, as opposed to 6% 40 years ago. :blush: Blessings, Rob