Religion strikes chord in students

By MICHELE MARCHETTI
Collegian Staff Writer

He spoke softly, but his words rang loud and clear.

Speaking with amazing intensity, Bruce Baugus (junior-geography) attempted to recreate that day in the woods. His story was powerful, but susceptible to the rationale of science.

Skeptics may question the validity of his experience, yet those who have heard him speak cannot dispute one thing -- Baugus believes he was saved. And this is how he said it happened.

A year had passed since he started his journey at the University. Like most school days, Baugus and his friend fled the dry, stagnant classrooms for the open air of the woods and an afternoon of hiking. But despite the company of his friend and the serene surroundings, Baugus was "clueless" to the outside world and completely focused on himself. Searching inward, he looked at his life and what he had become when an unexplainable feeling engulfed his body.

Realizing the woods did not have the answers to life, Baugus walked back to his car unable to utter a word to his companion. When he finally could speak, he turned to his friend and said, "You know, there's always God." And all his friend could say was "Huh?"

The time was ripe for a spiritual transition. His life consisted of the simple desire to follow the Dead and live out of his pocket, Baugus said, adding that an average day meant nothing more than smoking marijuana, a hobby which was interrupted by meaningless classes.

"I lived very loose and that's not freedom at all," Baugus said.

But now he said the drugs are gone -- as well as the long hair and bearded hippie appearance. Classes that seemed dry in the past, suddenly became interesting as his grade point average improved. Material objects were thrown away, tossed aside as spiritual arousal became top priority. A period of discovery emerged as Baugus found the meaning he was searching for in the Bible.

"I took myself off the throne of my own life and put God there," he said. -- -- --

As thousands of students embark upon the four-year adventure called college, a number of new opportunities, experiences and ideologies fill their minds replacing the doctrines of high school. They are able to freely exercise their freedom of speech, thought and debate -- as well as their religion.

"It's an environment that has autonomy," said Ed Messersmith, chaplain at Eisenhower Chapel for the Episcopal ministry.

But for many students, it is not until their junior or senior year when the "awakening" occurs, Messersmith said. The familiar path of academia and social activities has not given them the answers they are looking for, leading them to alternative ways to seek meaning, he said.

For Lani Daubenspeck, a Penn State alumna, this transition occurred in her senior year. She recalled the rowdy weekend parties when she often could not remember where she was or what she had done.

"I made such an ass out of myself," she said.

Guilt and unhappiness drove her to look in the mirror. And when she did, she did not like who she saw nor the future that followed. With thoughts of graduation in her mind, Daubenspeck questioned the traditional paths of happiness -- a career, spouse and kids.

"I was saying there's got to be something more to life than that," she said.

Daubenspeck turned to God and found what she was looking for. She found people that had quality relationships and friends that she could trust. She found people that lived by God's ideas instead of the ideas of society. And she no longer feared the future.

"I started to like myself again," she said with a confident smile.

As students like Daubenspeck exercise their right to choose their own religion, others have chosen to not practice one at all.

Michele Barrar (junior-human development and family studies) said people who are that serious about religion are wasting their time on a phenomenon that cannot even be proven. Instead of praying to an abstract God, people should help others that are here on earth, she said.

"Live in the now and do something more concrete," Barrar said.

Ann Swinburn (sophomore-women studies) said people can have a spiritual experience without anything to do with God and religion. Such experiences help people create goals and focus their lives, she said.

And although Swinburn believes in spirituality, she questions religion. Despite faith people continue to suffer, she said.

"If I was God, I don't think I'd let that happen," Swinburn said.

Margaret Downey, co-founder and president of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, said people with strong beliefs in religion lack self-confidence. Instead of making choices based on rationalism, these people need to be led.

"They need the fear of hell and the reward of heaven to make logical decisions," Downey said.

The Bible, which is based on delusionary, contradictory accounts, threatens logical decision and freedom of thought, Downey said. "We have always thought that the Bible was written by people eating bad mushrooms," she said.

Downey is currently on a mission to get her message out to more college students. Members of the society are placing advertisements in college newspapers and encouraging administrators to expand their religious studies curriculum to incorporate the non-theistic point of view.

"I think minds are ripe and ready to accept world views and visions of logic," she said.

"It's always a joy when you can share with people," Bruce Baugus said. "But you can't share Jesus, you can only point the way."