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Faith in Dialogue: Exploring Belief at the God? Forum
On Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, Catholic Campus Ministry and The On Discourse Initiative co-hosted their annual CLP, “God? Forum.” The event, held in the Younts conference center, was a discussion-based event, with a variety of representatives and students with different backgrounds. Approximately 50 students attended. Light hors d’ oeuvres were provided.
The event featured multiple religious figures, each representing a different faith. In attendance, Fr. Jonathan Duncan represented Catholicism, Rev. Dr. Helen Lee Turner represented the Baptist faith, along with an overview of Native American religions, Grayson Hiatt represented Mere Christianity Forum, a non-denominational group on campus, Bennett Brock represented Presbyterianism, associated with RUF, and Muhammad Mustafa, an Imam based in Greenville, represented Islam. Our rabbi representative cancelled at the last minute. Each speaker introduced themselves and their faith, then joined a table of students to talk more deeply.
The event, based around the discussion between the representatives and attending students, sparked a variety of conversations and questions. Each table was given a sheet of potential questions, including topics on the nature of God, how religion shapes humanity, and the speakers’ personal experiences within their faiths. Many students shared their backgrounds and understandings, interacting not only with the representatives, but each other as well.
At the conclusion of the event, many students mentioned that they had new perspectives and had particularly enjoyed the discussion-based format of the CLP. The commitment to communication and a curiosity clearly seen in each student led to meaningful conversations with the representatives. The representatives themselves reported that valued the time to interact with interested university students, as they guided them in knowledgeable and respectful discourse.