How Does University Affect Our Christian Faith?

New research has revealed that the world view of Christians is increasingly affected the longer that we spend at university. On key issues such as abortion, gay marriage and rival religions, the opinions of Christian university students shifts noticeably from the time that they first arrive on campus.

According to the study, the reason for this isn’t indoctrination by the university itself, but by the more powerful influence of fellow students – who are more often than not non-Christian.

The research also showed that:

1. sixty per cent of first year university students said that they support legalised abortion, up from 52 per cent before beginning their university career.
2. the percentage of university students who said that they support legal marital status for gay couples rose from 54 to 66 per cent.
3. the percentage of university students who said that they support increased defence spending fell from 34 to 25 per cent.

Studies dating back several decades have noted the trend of university students to shift their views to the left during their university careers. This is just as true for Christian as it is for non-Christian students.

For this new survey, 15,000 students in 136 universities in the United States were interviewed. The questions were asked of the same students when they first started university, then again after they’d completed their first year.

The research also revealed that:

1. the percentage of university students who support laws to prohibit homosexual relationships fell a full 10 points, from 31.5 per cent to 21.5 per cent after three years of university.
2. the percentage of university students who never attend religious services nearly doubled to 37.5 per cent. Sadly, this statistic included Christian students.
3. a majority of university students continued to support the death penalty, although the percentage who said that it should be abolished rose 5 points to around 37 per cent.

The researchers found that the percentage of students who call themselves ‘liberal’ or ‘far left’ rose from 24 per cent to 29.9 per cent, six years after their graduation. The percentage of university students who call themselves ‘conservative’ or ‘far right’ increased from 28.1 per cent to 31.6 per cent. These figures include students who identify themselves with the Christian faith.

The years spent at university can so often determine the course of the rest of our lives, which is why it’s important for Christians to actively work out their faith while studying. University programs run by Christian students for other Christian students are an excellent way for young people to stay connected to their faith when confronted with a mosaic of different world views.

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