Club discusses origin of Bible
Allowing open discussion among students on campus is a focus for Aggies for Christ, and they held a four-part discussion series on Friday and Saturday to allow more open discussion.
“What I really want to foster on campus is open discussion,” said John Schadegg, campus administrator for Aggies for Christ before the start of one session.
Aggies for Christ brought in Mike Schneider, minister in Laramie, Wyo., to present this series’ topic, “How we got the Bible.” Schnider’s congregation in Wyoming has similar core values to Aggies for Christ, Schadegg said. The two groups often get together for conferences, and this time, students from the University of Wyoming came to the discussion at USU, Schadegg said.
Schnider’s presentation was broken into four different sessions, the heart of the Bible-eye witnesses to the Bible, claim of inspiration, canonization, and transmission and translation of the Bible. At the end of each presentation, students were able to ask questions, opening questions among the entire group.
“I really enjoy presenting things about the Bible, talking to people about it and fielding questions,” Schnider said.
Words were defined and numerous scriptures quoted in Schnider’s presentation, but he also kept it light-hearted with jokes about his hair and “The Simpsons.”
University of Wyoming and USU faculty and members of the Logan Church of Christ also added their thoughts.
“I get answers to questions I had before, how the Bible was put together in collection of books,” said Wington Brito, a USU freshman in computer engineering from the Dominican Republic.
Getting questions answered was also a big plus of the discussions, said University of Wyoming student Jessica Szwast. She said she decided to go after being in a Bible study class that was using a textbook written by Schnider and wanting to know more. Schnider’s style of teaching was another reason Szwast said she went on the trip.
After the last session, the students traveled to Salt Lake to deliver hand-tied fleece blankets, provided by the Wyoming students, to children in a hospital, Schadegg said. In his second year as administrator, Schadegg said he hopes to have these open discussions yearly and allow students of any religion to share their ideas.
“I would really like to be a catalyst for open religious discussion for atheists to the LDS faith,” Schadegg said.
Aggies for Christ is nondenominational and is part of the Logan Church of Christ, which uses the New American Standard Bible, Schadegg said. There are currently about 10 USU students involved in the program, but Schadegg said he thinks more will become involved after he spoke with students on the Taggart Student Center patio last week and asked them to attend some part of the discussions.
The next activities Aggies for Christ will hold are a Thanksgiving dinner for students not going home during the holiday and a conference retreat in West Yellowstone, Mont., in December.
-alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu