danyellie1913

I'm trying to decide about transferring to Cornell. I go to a SUNY school right now, and I love it. I love god, and I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about the spiritual life on campus. There's a great community and fellowship where I go now, and I don't want to leave it. What's it like there in terms of christian groups/god?

thanks for anything you can tell me.
=]

JollyStNick

Please don't go to Cornell, there are already more than enough irrational religious people.

RenTheSecond

Ahem... <=P

Why transfer out of anywhere that you're very happy? If you're well-matched with your college, and have already found (and invested in) a community in which you're very happy, you should count your blessings and enjoy yourself.

lianri

All the religious groups seem very self-contained to me (I respectfully avoid the word "cult," but if this were any other kind of club...). Nonetheless, there are many of them and you could probably find one you mesh with easily.

CayugaRed2005

I agree with Ren, but if you are serious about considering Cornell, you can look into the following resources. Cornell has many very active and supportive religious communities, from Wiccan to Jewish, Christian to Hindu:

I'm assuming that you are a Christian of the non-Catholic persuasion:

Home | Chesterton House
Cornell Navigators
Cru @ Cornell - cornellcru.com
Cornell Christian Fellowship
Measureless

I would email these groups and ask them about the strength of their communities.

You should be aware, however, that Cornell is a very diverse and energetic university, filled with all types of people from all types of backgrounds. And people tend to be a bit vocal -- expect your faith to be challenged in one way or another, and don't always expect people to be polite to you about your faith. JollyStNick, case in point.

The campus this semester has been in uproar over a couple of religiously sensitive issues, including the ouster of a gay student from a leadership position in a Christian organization and a memorial for Palestinian victims of Israeli aggression.

theslowclap

danyellie1913: I don't think you should be discouraged by people who challenge your faith. In fact, it leads you to a better understanding of what you believe in.

JollyStNick: Your comment is very rude, not to mention false. Go take an introductory philosophy course or go read a book. There is a lot of rationalization that goes into religion. Just because others try to make sense of the world from a different point of view doesn't necessarily make them wrong.

applejack

I'm going to go out on a limb that you're probably living in a pretty homogenous bubble in a relatively rural SUNY school. I derive that assumption from your statement "I love god" and an intrinsic connection to a specific religious belief and fellowship experience.

One of the values of an education at a place like Cornell is that you will find there are many who love God, and they think, act, and "worship" nothing like you do. I think it's an incredibly rewarding experience if you're ready for it, but the previous posters are correct.

Just like any idea in an intellectual hub, no one is going to accept your faith at face value. They will challenge you. You could retreat to a bubble of like-minded people, of course, but you'd be wasting half the value of your tuition and time with that choice.

So, if you are ready for that kind of growth and expansion of your worldview, then maybe you'd like Cornell. If not, it might be best to stay put, especially if you're happy.

JollyStNick

My Imaginary Friend Bob

I have an imaginary friend, I call him Bob. Bob goes everywhere with me, to school, to the store, to work; Bob is always with me. I talk to Bob all the time, however Bob is mute, so he never talks back. Bob fills me with love, supports my decisions, and guides my actions. I love my imaginary friend Bob. Oh, and did I mention that Bob knows EVERYTHING!!!11!1! Unfortunately, he is mute, so he can't tell me any of his vast knowledge, but it's ok, because I know that he knows and that he is there for me.

I sound a bit irrational (if not downright crazy) don't I?

theslowclap

No, you sound ignorant more than anything else. Obviously, you're not here to have a constructive debate on the existence of a higher being (or add anything constructive to the OP’s concerns), but rather to mock the rationale and beliefs of other individuals.

I don’t think I need to define what rational means. I’ll assume that you know the definition. Now, do a simple search on google: “god philosophy.” Point proven. If you’ve studied philosophy, you know about its ties to the Enlightenment. A lot of philosophers were in fact believers themselves. These guys were brilliant to say the least; all of them had very logical arguments. Look, I’m not telling you to believe in a higher being. I’m telling you that it is actually a very rational way of thinking about the world. But hey, guess what? You don’t have to agree with it! And what I find funny is how you appear to be so openly dismissive and pejorative about everyone who thinks otherwise. At the least, you come off as immature.

And I will counter your statement with this: I would actually say that it is irrational for you NOT to believe that Bob is there. You see him, you talk to him, and you sincerely believe he is there. How much more proof do you need? In fact, people around you may very well call you crazy or “illogical”. But hey, what if Bob is real? All of your senses and emotions tell you he’s real. Where’s the logic in not believing? This topic also touches on what you believe is reality. But that’s a whole different beast.

Hey, I’m going to stop here because this can go on for millennia (literally). If you’re seriously interested in exploring the subject, then I advise you check out “Letters to Doubting Thomas: A Case for the Existence of God” by C. Stephen Layman. It’s a good place to start. It presents a very logical and philosophical treatment of the subject. Richard Dawkins’s “The God Delusion” is also an interesting read (probably a philosophy you agree with a little more). Good luck.

theRealVIP

@jollystnick
by berating her religion, you are just as bad as the religious zealots who try to push their beliefs on people -- which she did not do, mind you.

and @OP
you do sound pretty happy at your SUNY, why transfer?

collegehopefull

@ OP: As CayugaRed said, there was very recently a very ugly incident involving bigotry against a homosexual by a Christian organization on campus, met with the intrusion of the 'state' (school's government) into students religious affairs, so right now, you can expect your post to be met with both extremes.


As applejack mentioned, Cornell is a place for convictions (or lack of them) to be 'challenged'. No polite Cornellian is going to notice a cross hanging from your chest, tackle you, sit on your chest, and proceed to talk to you about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. (Likewise, no polite Cornellian will invite themselves into a dorm room to tell anyone they're going to Hell)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My addition:

I feel like Cornell (simply because of the things that make it so awesome, ex: massive size) offers everyone the best of all worlds:

You can explore your own faith, challenge your own faith, get to know other people's points of views.....but also reaffirm your belief in god; There are a BUNCH of religious organizations on campus, some of which seem overly specific to me (ex: Christian Veterinary society.. lol, wut?)

Someone hinted you shouldn't transfer because you're 'happy' where you are. I feel that a student should provide themselves as many opportunities to challenge themselves constructively as they can, and there's no school better for that (in all areas) than Cornell (again, this place is massive...LOTS of diversity in thought/other things).
Someone else mentioned that it would be a waste of tuition for you to transfer, and then stay in the same "bubble" that you're in.

I'll be clear here: I think your belief in God is irrational. However - it's not for me, or anyone else to say what you can and can't think, and there are plenty of ways to grow intellectually that don't necessarily involve debating theism. (Though I would qualify that by saying debating theists is extremely satisfying to me)

I don't think you'd be throwing money away if you did transfer to Cornell and did stay in your 'bubble', because that's not the only aspect of intellectual life at Cornell.

@ Jolly St. Nick/ Slowclap: Much to the purpose, elsewhere?

gsiddarth

@JollyStNick: This is why people tend to dislike atheists.

Speaking of atheism, how tolerant is Cornell about it? I'm nonreligious but don't mock others for their beliefs like some others do.

AnbuItachi

@gsiddarth, in my entire ancient life, ive yet to meet one person who dislike atheists. so i dont know where you got that from.

atheismis 100% acceptable in cornell and im pretty sure 99% of the places on earth. much more accepted than religions.

what i dont understand is that when people say they are christian or they believe in this god and this god it is okay! but when someone says they believe in some religion/god that he made up/or friend made up but believe in, they think he/she is crazy or mocking religion.

danyellie1913

wow guys, didn't know this was going to get into such an argument.
it's okay if you don't believe in God. i do, and He's a big part of my life. Thanks for all the helpful input.
i don't know what to do. i'm happy at my SUNY school and i can't imagine leaving my friends. Cornell has always been my dream school, and I also can't imagine giving that up.
i'm okay with challenges. i was just wondering if there was any kind of community like that on campus. it doesn't really have anything to do with reaching out, or changing my views. i have plenty of friends who aren't christian and i'm okay with that too. i'm not perfect. honestly, some of your comments and attitudes are kind of turning me off to cornell.
just because my SUNY school is pretty much a "homogeneous bubble" that doesn't mean I don't know anything about diversity. it's pretty rude to judge and decide what i've experienced and known just from where i go to college.

anyway, thanks for the help.
sorry for asking.

danyellie1913

and thanks Cayuga Red - the links are great. just what i was looking for.