More ‘Food for Thought’ on Bullying, GLBTs, Faith & the Campus

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I don’t have too much new to say, nor do I have a lot of time to say it, but I’ve run across a few new items related to bullying, GLBT students, faith and the college campus that I wanted to make sure I was passing along, especially for those who have been tracking with my most recent posts:

I’d love to for you to jump into the conversation!

As far as new items go:

  1. About 20 minutes after my post addressing bullying (among other things) went up yesterday, I noticed a new event pop-up in my facebook feed — it was promoting a day for ‘straight’ students who have been victims of bullying to wear the color blue on a particular day.  My initial thought was that this might be some form of protest AGAINST the call for GLBT students (and supporters) to wear the color purple yesterday — but I quickly remembered that bullying is not a crime only perpetrated against members of the GLBT community — bullying impacts us in SO many ways and in SO many areas of life — including Christians in an increasingly pluralistic and post-Christian world.
  2. This point was backed up by a news story that ran last night on our local station 0n bullying.  The lead-in stated that 73% of students today claim to have been on the receiving end of bullying of some form. 73%!  That’s outrageous!!  While most of this bullying happens during the middle school and high school years, we can be sure that it likely starts for some in elementary school, and continues on for others into the college years.  THIS SHOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON HOW WE DO MINISTRY!!
  3. Finally, this morning I ran across this article in The Spectator at Seattle University: LGBTQ students take refuge in school clubs.  Of particular interest is the “It Gets Better” YouTube project that is mentioned towards the end of the article.  This is a link to a YouTube search that includes The Trevor Project – It Gets Better: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22It+Gets+Better%22+YouTube+project&aq=f.  This is definitely worth checking out and spending some time listening to the stories being told.  If we’re not familiar with this, it is time we become so.

That’s what I’ve got today… But I know there’s more out there?

So, what would you add to this list — specifically to assist those of us who are reaching out to college students during some of the most formative years of their lives?

Thanks, in advance, for helping to educate, equip and inspire!

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About the Author

Guy Chmieleski

Guy is the Founder of FaithONCampus.com. He is also the University Minister, at Belmont University, located in Nashville, TN. FaithONCampus.com is designed with campus and college ministers in mind, and is here to serve as: a resource, catalyst for conversations and encouragement for our shared work with today’s college students.

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  • Anonymous

    Totally Confused by this post! How can anyone ever bully me when as a Christian I am dead in Christ and alive to him. Can you ever imagine Christ complaining that he was bullied. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. As a Christian I can never be bullied. A person who is alive to themselves can easily be bullied. If I am missing something in the Christian life help me. I am not saying that I am not to show compassion to people. But there seems to be a fundamental flaw in the way these people are being disciplied. If these people continue to live out of their emotions, other people will eat their lunch for the rest of their life. The righteous shall live by faith not by feelings.

    • http://faithoncampus.com Guy Chmieleski

      Hey Tim! I hear what you’re saying, but I guess I would argue that the kind of Christian you are talking about sounds very mature in their faith if they are able to associate with the suffering of Christ. 

      I think most (close to all) Christian college students would not be in a place where they could see their “bullying” in that light. Yes, it speaks lackluster discipleship of our young people combined with a slowing rate of maturity — but it’s the reality of a lot of college students in America. And while talking with hurting students about the suffering of Jesus will be beneficial, I don’t think it can be the only path we walk down with them. Do you know what I mean?How does fit with what you see in the UK? 

      • Canterbury Joe

        As a campus minister, I found my way to this page.  As someone who is also trained in anti-racism and anti-oppression awareness, it sounds like there may be a lack of awareness on “Tim’s” part of what it is like to be the “other.”  Jesus was fully cognizant of the marginalization of those who were considered “other” in his time, and acted with compassion especially toward those who were outcast from society.  This compassion arose from an understanding that society was bullying/excluding them, and that was counter to the proclamation and reality of God’s kingdom.  So, the idea isn’t if we have Christ, we can’t be bullied; but rather that as followers of Christ, we are called to be Christ to others.  Following Christ’s example then, we recognize that being bullied/excluded is part of society today as it was then and we are called to walk alongside, be compassionate toward, and take the risk of standing with those who are being bullied.

        • http://faithoncampus.com Guy Chmieleski

          Joe! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and perspective. It sounds like your training has set you up well for serving with compassion and confidence alongside those who are marginalized. Is there any further insight you would share with those of us walking with students?

          • Canterbury Joe

            Thanks Guy!  Further insight?  Well, listen to the stories of the young people.  You have to advertise the fact that your ministry is open and welcoming to lgbt students; build bridges w/ the Pride Center which most schools now have; and connect with groups like PFLAG and other organizations that are working to overcome society’s prejudice.  Many glbt students have been “spiritually abused” either at home by their families, or by religious communities, so they have not even had an opportunity to experience Christ’s redeeming love because they’ve been on the receiving end of some pretty extreme vitriol at the hands of his “followers.”  I marvel at the fact that they’re even willing to meet with me sometimes, or that they are still searching for a way to have an authentic faith, given the stuff that has happened to them.  So, becoming an Ally is important.  It takes time.

            For students who struggle with accepting glbt students for scriptural reasons, you can study the “clobber” texts used to justify homophobia, and teach them how they can be overcome.  You know: women are no longer considered the property of their husbands (as they are in the Ten Commandments); the earth isn’t flat (pointing folks to the 38th chapter of Job, where God apparently thinks it is, can be helpful); slavery isn’t an acceptable part of God’s plan for humanity (point to the proof-texts that support slavery and then study the Exodus account as a good example of how isolated passages taken out of context can be used to thwart God’s overwhelming passion for justice); how throughout much of early Hebrew Scripture (I’m recalling Joshua specifically) the existence of other gods besides YHWH is presumed (polytheism) and it isn’t until 2nd Isaiah that monotheism is articulated; and then help them to understand that when scripture was written there was also no understanding of same-gender orientation; i.e., everyone was presumed to be heterosexual and people who acted differently were therefore abnormal; and that those passages from Leviticus are buried in cultural norms NONE of which we follow or adhere to today.  Oh, pointing out the difference between cultural abominations and moral abominations is VERY helpful.  Moral abominations (haughty eyes, arrogance, lying and deceitful tongue) are still as applicable today as then; whereas today we don’t follow any of the cultural abominations (shellfish, mixing fibers of cloth, and so on) where the same-gender prohibitions are found.

            Are you still glad you asked?  ;-)

        • Anonymous

          I am other. I am from the US living in the UK. My daughter is adopted from China and was bullied on her playground. I would come along and cuddle her and love her and cry with her but not for her. Ever though she was little she knew that Jesus loved those people and she needed to live out of Gods love for her not the acceptance of other people.

          Do you think Jesus ever had his feelings hurt, or felt sad because people did not like him. We are dead. How can you hurt me if I am dead. This is the reality that Christ calls every disciple to live THROUGH Him. 1 John 4:9

          If I am living FOR him, I can be crushed and discouraged by what people say or think or me.
          If I live THROUGH HIM I am never a victim. I am loved by the Father and my life is hid in Him. I did not invite Jesus into my life, he invited me into HIS life. Christ is my life.

          In my work with uni students this is what I tell them, they are dead to themselves and alive to Him and affirm their identity in Christ. The biggest challenge I find with people wanting to follow Christ is this, they have added Christ to life life instead of surrendering their life to Christ. Walk alongside these students and love them into the presence of Christ, but do not tell them they have any right to be hurt or offended by what anyone ever says to them. They don’t! They have the privilege of being the love of God to those who hate them.

          • Canterbury Joe

            Tim, I appreciate that you are very secure in your faith and will not be shaken, indeed, believe you cannot be shaken, by words.  That is a very powerful witness.  My formation and training differs greatly, but (or “and”) I believe we can still be in loving dialogue with one another.

            My training teaches that words are very powerful, and God’s word in the Bible was used in this country (the U.S.) for decades to uphold the institution of slavery and exclude and oppress women. Similarly, it is now used against lgbt people.  So, would we tell a devout Christian slave who was being mocked and ridiculed as less than human that words cannot hurt them as long as they are living through Christ?  Or an lgbt student who is being told that God’s word excludes them from God’s kingdom, (especially when they are being told this by people who actually believe they ARE living through Christ)?

            Lastly, I also understand and agree with what you are saying.  Were I to find myself subjected to the kind of situations I described above, I would certainly have my life in Christ as my strength – in fact, as Jesus promises in the Beatitudes, it would make me even stronger and more blessed, because my suffering would bring me closer to the heart of God.  But I do not believe the logical extension of that is to dismiss the notion that words do not hurt people.  Your position does not address the effect of words on people who do not yet know what it means to be living through Christ.  And, as I said, often those words are hurled at them by people who believe they are.

            Thanks for responding and opening up this dialogue.  It makes me dig deeply, which is never a bad thing.

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