A Biblical Perspective

The following paper was research done for my Anthropology class... Take that, Evolution!

The subculture of Reno, that I interviewed, is one that is not easily recognized. They do not dress in any particular attire or stand out as being “unusual” or “different” in any way. This subculture may very well be one you can only recognize by having a conversation with its members or by watching the way they interact with one another. Those interviewed were very helpful and did not mind being singled out as a minority. I interviewed eight members of this ever growing subculture, three males and five females. All were from different walks of life and they could not be easily picked out in a crowd as being of the same subculture. The informants I interviewed spoke mainly of their belief systems and not of ethnicity, background, or of anything else that might separate them from Reno’s majority. I set out to interview a subculture commonly known as Christians. I desired to know who they were, what they believed and what they practiced.

The Christians I interviewed ranged in age from eighteen to twenty-three. They cover the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus from freshman to second year seniors. Their majors vary from general studies, speech communication and therapy, math, biology and psychology to civil engineering. Many of them came to the University of Nevada, Reno from other parts of the country; as near as Reno itself, to Las Vegas, Florida, Colorado and California. Five of those interviewed have jobs as well as go to school full time and are involved in multiple clubs and organizations on campus. All informants in my study are involved either in Campus Crusade for Christ or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Five of those I interviewed grew up with a majority of their families being Christian. Informant B grew up in a non-Christian family, but says that all of his family has recently become Christians. Informant G grew up with only grandparents who were Christian, and informant F claims to be the only Christian in her family. The informants interviewed, expressed that though most of them had grown up in a Christian home, they did not become a Christian until middle school and early high school; although, informant C explained that he had accepted Jesus into his heart at seven years old. (See Chart 1: Age Informants Became Christians). From the ages my informants became Christians themselves, in comparison to how many members of their family were Christian as they grew up, it is apparent that family influence played a huge roll on the child and they accepted Christ at a much younger age than those who were not raised in a Christian home.

All of my informants attend local churches throughout Reno. When asked why they attend church, informant D stated, “I love the connection I have with other believers. It makes me feel at home.” Informant A said he enjoyed the fellowship that a church could offer. However, informant E expanded from fellowship and added, “I want to grow in my faith and knowledge of Jesus and to worship Him, and this is one way I am able to do so.” Though most of my informants grew up in churches outside of the ones they are now attending in Reno, they all seem to have similar occurring traditions. It seems that most churches have some form of musical worship whether through hymns or worship bands; churches also have prayer, sermons or messages, readings from the Bible, and fellowship. Likewise, all of my informants are involved in at least one Bible study, either on or off campus. When asked why they attend Bible studies, informant B smiled and said, “It keeps me accountable and I like to hear other people’s thoughts on Biblical issues… it helps me broaden my views.” Informant F added that she liked learning about Jesus’ teachings and applying them to her life. Six of the informants mentioned fellowship as a reason for attending Bible study. When asked about what drew them to fellowship, informant B replied, “The people are really cool, we usually have a lot in common.” The most general traditions of a Bible study is as follows (in no particular order): prayer, Bible reading, questions and discussions, encouragement, accountability, and discussing ways of practical application in a ‘secular’ world. Informant D happily added that there was usually food, as well.

When my informants were asked how they live their lives being a Christian at a ‘secular’ school, the main reply was that it took a lot of focus not to conform to the world around them. Informant B told me, “It is difficult at times, to watch the hopelessness of so many people.” Informant D explained to me how she tries to live like Jesus would, and be a light to a world of darkness, “I just hope others will see something different in me compared to the average person.” Informant E added that she thought being a Christian in a ‘secular’ school would be easier than being one in a private Christian college. “You have to be real about your faith and who you are, and you have to seek God on your own here,” she told me. However, all agreed that it took a lot of hard work to constantly live out being a Christian at a ‘secular’ school. “You really have to have a lot more faith and be able to support what you believe in, especially when you’re in classes that teach evolution and are ‘anti-Bible’ and ‘anti-Christian,’” informant H stated. They also informed me that most of the time they do not end up living out their Christian life as they had originally planned. “We’re not going to ever be perfect, that’s not the point,” informant G explained, “But it’s all about grace and second chances.” Those I interviewed also informed me that for the most part, a majority of their friends were Christians, anywhere between fifty percent and approximately ninety-five percent. (See Chart 2: Informants Approximate Percentage of Friends who are Christian). When I questioned my informants about how they share their faith with their non-Christian friends, informant C said, “I try not to push the topic. You can be a ‘living Bible’ when you are living by the Bible’s instructions. Actions always speak louder than words.” Most of the other informants added that they would invite their non-Christian friends to Christian events and will often try to start “meaningful conversations” about life and just try to reach their non-Christian friends at their friend’s level.

Next, I asked this subculture of campus Christians if they were currently involved in community service. Most of them shied away from the question with a statement about how they enjoy helping out with church projects, and informant A said that he was involved in “Big Brothers of America.” Informant E expressed her desire to get more into community service stating, “We are called to serve others and I should be involved in community service projects more often.” However, when I asked this question, seven of eight informants mentioned they had been on at least one mission project in their lives. These missions were widespread, from Reno itself, to the inner cities of California, Arizona, Washington, to Mexico and Argentina. Most mission trips for youth teach Vacation Bible School (VBS) to the country’s native children; work with inner-city youth and homeless people in the cities.

Following this question, I asked my informants if they worked while they attended school. All of my informants are full time students at the University of Nevada, Reno and five of the eight, work part time. When I asked them how many hours a week they spend doing work and homework, their responses ranged anywhere from 30 to 70 hours a week (doing homework, going to classes and working combined) Five of my informants said that they spent about 30 minutes a day praying and/or reading their Bible. The other three said they spend about and hour to an hour and a half per day in devotions. Informant B informed me that he had to plan his day to fit in time for his devotions and that there were lots of times he’d rather be doing something else. One informant said he likes to get up early and do devotions before he starts his day and another said that they would rather do theirs at night just before bed. Informant D said that she liked to pray while walking to and from classes or while driving. Informant G added that she always tried to make sure her devotions came before homework, “Sometimes things like social life and homework just have to take a back seat. Eventually everything will get done, but I’m not going to sacrifice my ‘quiet time’ for anything else.”

Finally I asked them what it meant to be a Christian and how it affected them in their daily lives. “Being a Christian has given my life purpose and hope,” Informant H replied, “I have gained a closer relationship with [God], guidance, love, eternal life and it has helped me to trust God and His plan for my life.” Informant F said that since she became a Christian she has been more patient with people and that she can understand and love them on a more meaningful level. “It’s like I can see people the way Christ sees them.” Informant E said, “Being a Christian means you believe that Jesus is Lord, that He died for the sins of the world and was resurrected so that anyone who believes in Him could have eternal life with Him. Following Jesus gives me hope, purpose and joy that I can’t explain.” Informant D proudly said that since she started following Christ, she feels a sense of forgiveness and hope, when there seemingly is none. Informant B said, “I have a personal relationship with the living God. He gives me hope and joy when times are bad and a greater joy – that I can not explain – when times are good.” “When I became a Christian,” informant A reflected, “I was into drugs and parties and girls. I had some bad addictions, and from the day I declared Jesus my Lord, my addictions disappeared. God healed me and freed me from things that were holding me to this world. I can’t explain it, but I just have this joy that seems to come from the deepest part of my soul. I know I’m forgiven and I know I have eternal life.”

In my research, I found that there are more Christians on the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus than I had imagined. They were very welcoming and supportive about this research project, and were also very open about who they are and what they believed. I believe that Christians are a step above the ordinary non-Christian student in their personal beliefs and ideals, as well as their overall outlook on life. Not only are they trying to keep up their grade point average, but many of them are working in jobs around the city, attending and helping out with their churches and trying to spend personal undisturbed devotion time with the Lord. Their world view is seen from a Biblical perspective, and they tend to be more focused on eternal reward and treasure, than on things of this earth which the majority of mainstream American culture holds dear. Christians are living for God and doing their best to serve Him before they serve themselves. They appear like everyone else, and it would be a challenge to pick one out as they walk across campus to their classes. But what makes them different, are their beliefs and ideals. They care about others and have an “unexplainable” joy deep within themselves. Christians may be living in the world, but they are not of the world.