Thursday, January 16, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 5
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Spiritual attitudes are changing, religious leaders say
By Janis Lovitt
Staff Reporter
A need for security, the Reagan
administration and a desire to share
has brought students back to church,
UNL church officials say.
In the last year, several campus
churches and religious groups have
experienced an increase in church par
ticipation, say UNL's religious leaders.
This, they say, may suggest changing
attitudes among students.
For example, Mark Schubert, a youth
pastor for the Baptist Student Union,
whose group doubled in size last sem
ester, said he thinks students are
returning to religion to find "a sense of
security."
Schubert said he expects his group
to continue growing this semester.
James Bauer, campus pastor for the
UNL Lutheran Center, said he thinks
students' renewed spiritualism is a
societal movement. Returning to church
is part of the conservative attitude
President Reagan encourages, he said.
Although attendance at the UNL
Lutheran Center plateaued last semes
ter, Bauer said, church attendance has
increased 85 percent in the past three
years.
Tim Walton, campus director for the
Campus Crusade, said the swing toward
conservatism is the alternative approach
for students.
"People are realizing that the avenues
pursued in the 60s and 70s aren't work
ing," Walton said.
Young people realize that spiritual
strength is needed to withstand the
pressures of the world, said Richard
Coolidge, representative for the Chris
tian Science Organization.
Coolidge said he thinks students are
turning to religion to regain traditional
values.
Because of this, CSO has grown sig
nificantly in the last year, Coolidge
said.
Unlike many churches, attendance
at the Berean Fundamental Church has
not increased, said Dan Lehman, the
church's college pastor. Instead, stu
dents already attending the group have
been more active, he said.
Lehman said students are looking
for something absolute, and religion
seems to be the answer for many.
Among the students who have re
turned to religion, junior and senior
college students show more interest in
religion than other students, said Father
Don Hanway, chaplain for St. Mark's on
campus. The older students feel the
need to make a choice so they begin to
ask themselves where faith will fit into
their lives, he said.
Students at UNL are traditional in
comparison to other universities, Han
way said. Because of this, the trend
toward spiritualism may be less obvious
here than it will be on other campuses,
he said.
Even "scientists oie becoming more
religious," Hanway said. "About every
thing is pointing back to God."
Church is not the only place stu
dents turn for traditional values. Many
are volunteering for social programs.
For example, Jan Walters, a member
of the Servant House staff, said most of
its volunteers are students working on
class assignments.
This has created an increase in Ser
vant House volunteers in the last year,
she said. Walters attributed the increase
to students' new awareness of what
they have and their need to share.
The number of volunteers at the
People's City Mission also has increased,
said Gerry Ann Ortega, community
relations assistant. In 1984, the mis
sion had 200 volunteers. In 1985, 521
people volunteered.
Ortega said she had not noticed any
significant increase in student volun
teers. However, more students have
been using the People's City Mission in
their class assignments, she said.
"I don't think there is a need for
students to share," Lehman said. "We're
all selfish by nature. If we do some
thing it is because it is going to help us
in some way."
Dave BentzDaily Nebraskan
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