FCCU: Another reply
Lois Cross also speaks out on FCCU
Dear Christis,
In issue 95 there were several articles that I found both interesting and challenging. I certainly don’t agree with all the views expressed, but that doesn’t mean that the writers don’t have a valid point to make, and we should be able to listen to them. I would like in particular to express, as a private member of CU, a personal response to James Porter’s article, and maybe dispose of some of the wrong ideas and prejudices some people have about the Christian Union.
James’ article raises some genuine concerns that I would like to address. Firstly, there is his concern that the CU’s mission title ‘one way’ sounds arrogant and exclusivist. This is true of any group that claims to have absolute truth, and this was thought about when planning the mission, and maybe should have been taken more seriously. But we should not be afraid to assert what we believe to be the truth. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” To have a relationship with God we must get to know his Son. But being confident in our beliefs does not mean being arrogant. We should be tactful about the way we express our confidence, especially when talking to non-Christians. Shouting our views without backing them up with evidence is worse than useless, and will only produce animosity. The T-shirts produced were intended as a witness of our good news about Christ’s better way to live, not as a provocative declaration of arrogance.
The CU exists to challenge and deepen members’ faith, and to encourage them to reach out to other students. Obviously no organisation is perfect and the CU cannot (and does not) please everybody. It should be a welcoming and open organisation, so that students coming for the first time, whether Christian or non-Christian, feel comfortable and able to learn more about Christianity without feeling pressurised. However, both as an individual and as one of the CU’s leaders I am well aware that this is not always the case and that some people, Christian and non-Christian, are put off by the CU’s attitude.
Many of those within the CU are also uncomfortable with some aspects of the CU. However much we may disagree with people, sometimes we have to agree to disagree and put up with one another so that all sides can get on with the real work of God’s kingdom. I believe that we need to think carefully about how those both within and without the CU view it, and that efforts should be made, without compromising the Christian message, to be open and accepting of people. If they view the CU as in any way like FCCU, then what chance is there of them coming to its meetings or to events that it runs? If this article represents how some people actually view the CU, there is a definite problem which cannot be ignored. If we want people to come to CU events, and to look on Christianity as a positive thing, we need to be very careful that we give out a positive impression. I don’t believe that this is necessarily the case at the moment.
It is not necessary to be a member of the CU to be a Christian, and I hope that no one thinks this. Of course, it would be wonderful if all Christians could share the CU’s aims of developing their own faith and spreading the gospel. But it is equally possible to do this without being an active member of the CU. It is certainly not the CU’s intention to create a cult on campus, or to use fear and pressure tactics to control people and force them not to question what they are told. There are varying opinions within the CU on many issues and I believe that this diversity is healthy. The Doctrinal Basis is there not to test who is and who isn’t a true Christian — I believe that is a matter between God and the individual — but to ensure that false doctrine is not presented as God’s truth. It is not necessary to sign the DB to be a CU member, and the notes on the reverse of my copy of the DB state that “we realise some Christians may not fully agree with the Doctrinal Basis.” I personally know several people who I am sure are Christians, but who would be unable to sign the doctrinal basis. Like all such statements, it is neither comprehensive nor perfect.
It might also be useful to point out that the DB does not say that “all scripture is the inspired and infallible Word of God” (as the characters in James’ story recite) but that “the Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God.” I’m not an expert on this, and I don’t want to argue about infallibility and inerrancy, but I do believe that accepting the Bible as God’s word to us, whether or not you think every word is infallible, is very important. If it is not God’s word, why should we believe or obey it? However, the issue of the exact way in which Scripture is trustworthy is certainly not something that all Christians agree on, nor is it in my view necessary that they should.
What is necessary to Christian life is faith. Without it, life and Christianity are both meaningless. Sarah Harris’ article in the same issue makes the case for this. Only through faith can we be rescued from the consequences of our disobedience to God, and only through faith can we live in a way that is pleasing to him, in peace and unity with our fellow Christians, whatever their particular views on side issues.
As Keith McKillop says in his editorial to that section, I believe that we should think carefully about what James has written, rather than disregarding it as a result of believing ourselves to be above criticism. I hope that much of what James seems to accuse the CU of is not true, but on other points, I’m not so sure. Whichever is the case, the very fact that this article has been written shows that there are problems that need to be addressed, especially in the way the CU presents itself and is seen by others. I hope that people will base their views of the Christian Union on their own evidence, rather than on someone else’s opinions, and would urge anyone who is interested to come to a CU meeting and find out for themselves what it is like. We’re certainly not perfect, but I hope we’re not as bad as FCCU!
PS: If you’d like more information, or have any other comments, visit www.uycu.org.uk or email socs25. We can’t promise that everything will become just how you want it, but if we don’t know what the problems are, how can we deal with them?