Youth organization finds way to share faith without alienating others
By Charles Haynes
Senior scholar, First Amendment Center
08.21.00
At a time when proselytizing often triggers conflict and confusion, a new policy by an evangelical Christian youth organization offers a model of how to share one’s faith with sensitivity and respect.
The group is Young Life. And its mission “affirms that salvation comes solely through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Of course, there’s no question that members of Young Life or any other evangelical group have the right to promote their faith in the public square of America.
The First Amendment guarantee of “free exercise of religion” would mean little if it didn’t include the freedom to evangelize. After all, the obligation to bring others to salvation is a core conviction of many faith communities.
What usually sparks a fight isn’t the proselytizing itself, but how and where it’s done. From the schoolyard to the workplace, what one person calls “sharing the faith” may be perceived by another as “pushing religion.”
That’s why Young Life’s new position statement is a helpful and important model. Entitled “Relating to Kids from Other Faith Traditions,” it outlines how to evangelize while simultaneously respecting the rights and sensibilities of others.
The policy is based on an agreement first worked out between the Jewish community and local Young Life leaders in suburban Philadelphia. The dialogue began more than two years ago when a number of Jewish parents became concerned about the involvement of their kids in Young Life events at the high school.
Representatives from the Jewish Community Relations Council and a local synagogue sat down with Young Life leaders to seek some common ground on what is a very delicate and emotional issue.
Tackling this conflict is never easy. Many non-Christian parents are upset by what they perceive as undue pressure on their children to attend Christian clubs or activities. And many evangelical students feel that they are unfairly attacked for simply inviting others to share their faith.
But when people come together and get to know one another, it’s possible to build trust and understanding across deep differences. It may take a while — two years in this case — but the process works.
The core of the agreement reached in Philadelphia, and the basis for the position statement from Young Life nationally, is that “whether or not a student should attend Young Life events rests ultimately with that student’s parents.”
In practice, this means that Young Life will make sure that parents are notified and informed when their children are interested in attending Young Life events.
This approach won’t satisfy everyone.
Some will continue to object to any and all evangelization. These are the folks who mistakenly define freedom of religion to mean “freedom from hearing anything about religion” in the public square.
They should remember that the First Amendment is only intended to keep government from interfering with religion. Every citizen has the right to promote his or her faith in the marketplace of ideas.
Others will persist in using very aggressive or even deceptive tactics to make converts, arguing that the end justifies the means. They should remember that such strategies undermine liberty of conscience and do a disservice to authentic religious faith.
The Young Life policy is on the mark. It strikes a needed balance between the First Amendment right to proselytize and the civic responsibility to respect the rights of others.
Your questions and comments are welcome. Write to:
Charles Haynes
The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center
1101 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
E-mail: chaynes@freedomforum.org