By Debby Kenfield
I’m a Christian and a member of Campus Crusade for Christ.
My involvement in CCC has been a positive experience and
instrumental for growth in my faith, social relationships, purpose
and life.
I am committed to this group because I value its purpose. Many
of my friends are also involved in CCC because we share similar
interests. While I have devoted a great deal of time to CCC, it is
because I am dedicated to my faith in God ““ not my Christian
group.
I came to UCLA indifferent to my religious convictions and
virtually ignorant as to what I believed. With my interest in
Christianity low, the religious groups certainly didn’t
allure me.
During my freshman year, God brought me to CCC because I wanted
to figure out what I stood for. I decided if I was going to believe
Jesus died on the cross for my sins, then I was going to live as if
it mattered; if I was going to call myself a Christian, then I was
not going to live a life of hypocrisy.
After all, if Christianity were merely a childhood tradition
passed on from my parents to me, CCC might as well have been a
basket-weaving club.
To the casual observer, Christian groups may seem to be
overzealous clubs, imposing large time commitments and confining
rules. Some might say once a person joins a Christian group, he
only spends time with those people involved in the same group.
Others would argue they’re intolerant to different
worldviews and make their members conform to the group’s
perspectives on partying, dating, relationships or even issues such
as abortion. This stereotypical view leaves Christian groups
seemingly restrictive on personal freedom ““ but this is only
to the misinformed observer.
A perspective concerning Christian groups should be based on
what Christianity genuinely represents, not on rampant
misconceptions.
God does give us commands and instructions, but not in order to
restrict us. God loves us and wants to know us. As a perfect
sacrifice, Jesus died and rose again so we may have eternal life
and experience freedom from sin. Simply put: it’s for freedom
that Christ has set us free.
People see limitations in dating, sex, alcohol and time as
burdensome restrictions. This is because when most people think of
freedom, they think of the ability to do whatever they want.
For the Christian, however, true freedom is finding God’s
absolute best for his own life. God’s absolute best is given
to us through His commands, which protect us from the consequences
of our own imperfect choices.
So I ask, how can a Christian group possibly negatively impact
our personal freedom? Christian groups should exist to promote
spiritual growth ““ a life of increasing freedom ““ not
to take up our time nor make our decisions for us.
My involvement in Christian groups does not dictate what I can
and cannot do. Instead, I make decisions based upon what pleases
and displeases the God of the Bible.
Essential to Christianity is living in freedom by obeying
God’s commands; this is what Christian groups ought to
represent.