Too many religious signs speak too loudly

As I begin this semester, my freshman mind abounds with thoughts of joining clubs, teams and other campus organizations. My eyes dart to any brightly-colored sheet, whether it be posted on a door, pinned on a bulletin board or even just dropped on the ground. My mission is simple: Find a club that fits my interests and that will make me feel at home.

But each club advertisement seems to be the same. “Catholic Bible study,” “Go to church this Sunday,” “The real Jesus,” “Baptist Student Ministries,” “Intervarsity Christian Fellowship” — all send the same message: not for me.

In the traditional secularist, socially liberal fashion, I must accept those different from me. However, I still cannot help but feel somewhat chagrined. It seems that there are dozens of different Christian groups represented on campus, but other beliefs from atheism to Zoroastrianism are scarcely found.

This perceived assault by Christianity does not stop at posters. I look for a place to sit in the commons, only to be slapped in the face by Bible quotes. I am amazed at how many people wear shirts that cite religious texts, none of which are from the Rig Veda. At every table, someone is advertising the words of Jesus. But remembering not to judge people before meeting them, I sit down and begin a conversation. Hey — most of my friends in high school were Christian. Maybe they just never wore their Bible quote shirts.

Nevertheless, disappointment strikes again as the topic somehow turns to gay marriage. Apparently, some believe that gay people have countless partners each year and that U.S. law should follow Biblical law because most U.S. citizens are Christian.

For those who have lived their lives surrounded by Christianity, such an environment is not only normal, but welcoming. For others, however, these attitudes make an uncomfortable and almost unwelcoming feeling that the Secular Student Society and other groups do little to assuage.

Indeed, in this seemingly Christian campus, I wonder how people would react to posters touting “There is no God, but there is free food. Join Campus Atheists.” Surely not everyone would be as accepting of this posted advertisement as they are of advertisements for Christian clubs.

Similarly, if I were to wear a shirt proclaiming “God is Dead,” I do not think it would elicit conversations about Nietzsche’s philosophical views, but instead an all-too-human confrontation.

As a non Judeo-Christian at Rice, I appear to be in the minority. This is not Brown University or Columbia University; this is Rice, and as an atheist in Texas, I have a duty to introduce my belief system — or entire lack thereof — to people who only know those like them.

For that reason, I will make an effort to discuss issues such as gay marriage and patriotism. If I am lucky, such conversations may even encourage people to question their traditional beliefs just as I questioned mine so many years ago. Instead of nailing posters to the wall or putting flyers on tables, I will engage people in conversation.

Personal interaction seems to work a lot better than a T-shirt or a Secularist Club — that fellow student with whom I disagreed about gay marriage later sought me out, admitting a newfound recognition of gay rights in America. That is one down, but many more to go.

Evan Mintz is a Hanszen College freshman.

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