For most students who were raised in religious households, arriving at Tufts represents a unique fork in the road. Gone are the watchful eyes of parents and the familial pressure to attend religious services and live devoutly. We are left with a newfound freedom in which we encounter troves of new ideas and new people. We can abandon the ideas we grew up with if we come to the conclusion that they were imposed on us. On the other hand, some of us might realize at college that our faiths are more than just rituals and we might become more interested in deepening our understanding. Students who don't come from religious backgrounds might find that college raises a new set of questions about life, and they too might be interested in exploring faith.
It can seem a bit unprogressive to deepen our faiths at Tufts. How can we learn about neurology, the laws of physics and chemistry and the religious conflicts burning around the globe, and not become disillusioned with seemingly outmoded religious myths? Whether we are philosophy students or engineers−to−be, we're here to learn about knowledge, not about superstition. There seems to be a contradiction in carrying both a Bible and a biology textbook in the same backpack.
Many solve this dilemma by putting academics and religious beliefs in different halves of their brains. Sunday mornings may be time to pray but Monday mornings are time to study the real world. For students who find inherent contradictions between academia and faith, this compartmentalization may be the only way to retain both. But, in my opinion, to see such a dichotomy between religious faith and "real knowledge" misses the essence of both.
For me, knowledge about the world and religious faith go hand in hand because both are based on our intellects and observations from life experience. The 4.6 billion−year history of the Earth is explained by geology, and economics and sociology offer compelling explanations of human interactions. But underneath all of those answers lie more unsatisfied questions, most of which begin with "Why?" Why did history happen the way it did? Why do humans make the same mistakes over and over again? Why do money and power leave people perpetually unsatisfied? Why did time begin anyway?
Of course, the sciences have their own theories to answer these questions, but for me, it's hard to find convincing answers that do not involve God (or a god) and His relationship to humankind. But God is not just an idea used to plug metaphysical gaps. Instead, the concept of God is a lens through which the entire world is transformed. Suddenly molecular biology becomes a fantastic display of unfathomable genius. History becomes the narrative of inherently good people who are lost and searching for fulfillment. For me, faith in God does what no science can do: It takes the vast wealth of information and facts in the universe and makes them intensely personal. It turns the story of the world — with its physical machinations and social structures — into the story of humanity. My story. Our story. A story that predicts a mind−boggling ending in which justice, goodness and love prevail.
It is also important to let our academic knowledge inform our faiths. When reading a religious text, it is crucial to understand the historical and social context of its writing — otherwise it's true meaning will be lost. We can compare different belief systems around the world, observe their commonalities and challenge ourselves to expand the horizons of our beliefs. If we take the time to study the awful mistakes made by religious leaders in the past, we can look more critically at our own faith communities and resolve to transform them into agents of peace and justice.
I'm glad that dialogues about such issues already abound here on campus and I'm excited about two events being held this week. Tufts' Freethought Society (TFS) tonight will host its Humanist Forum in which a panel of representatives from TFS and different campus faith communities will address state regulation of religious traditions. The Tufts Christian Fellowship on Thursday will host a forum on human rights in a pluralistic society, in which Sri Lankan activist Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra and Political Science Lecturer Katrina Swett will come together to discuss ethical issues around the world. I hope the dialogues will be engaging, fruitful and challenging.
Most of us came to Tufts because we wanted to learn how to think and how to develop a worldview. The worldview that I'd like to develop is an integrated and coherent one; that is, one in which all my beliefs support each other in some way and there is no need for compartmentalization. Critical thinking means connecting ideas in my head and rigorously testing each one. If I ever come to a point where I learn uncontestable facts about the world that are incompatible with my religious beliefs, I'll have to let go of those beliefs. But I'm not expecting that to happen. I'm confident that like many other students here, I'll continue to be able to draw wisdom from my faith that gives true meaning and depth to what I learn in the classroom.
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