Weekly Blog #8

The main theme in my mini-ethnography that I see myself addressing will be the stereotypes that Cru receives because it is a Christian organization. For example, some people think that in order to hangout with people from Cru, they have to be a Christian, and if you are not a Christian you are looked down upon, which is totally wrong. As a Christian, I have plenty of friends who would say that they are atheist. I also don't have a very diverse group of friends. They are either Christian, Atheist, or Agnostic. No Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or Jewish friends to speak of. That is just one of several stereotypes that Cru gets. Another stereotype is that Christians will try to force their beliefs on you, which actually isn't far from the truth. There are definitely Christians who do that. Cru, on the other hand, does not do that, at least on this campus. If given the chance, they will tell you about Jesus Christ and the Gospel, and if someone isn't buying it, then that is fine. That theme is definitely a part of the field sites of Cru. 

The mission of Cru is to spread the news of the Gospel. They are about Jesus Christ. When members of Cru try to tell people about Jesus Christ, a majority of the time they get shut down due to the stereotypes Christians have received over the years. These stereotypes are in the way of their mission. I hope to address these stereotypes as well as possible and try to get people to understand to put their stereotypes aside, and listen to what a Cru member may have to say to them, and seriously consider the Gospel.  

I would say I am definitely a part of the sub-culture now. I have made quite a few friends, and I am a part of one of the many bible studies on campus, and I also attend their weekly worship session at Pruis. This is somewhat similar to my position in Cru eight weeks ago, but not exactly the same either. I had a couple of friends from Cru in the beginning, and now I have a bunch of them. I was a part of a bible study, and I attended the meetings. The only difference is that now I feel a part of the group. That is all that changed.