“The only way we can judge if someone’s feelings are hurt
is if absolutes of right and wrong show why feelings shouldn’t be hurt.”
See Campus Episodes (Part One) here. See Campus Episodes (Part Two) here.
Episode 1 Academics
We had just been discussing how various Christian groups share the gospel. My young friend expressed her reservations about randomly sitting with someone she had never met to talk about Jesus. We both agreed that building friendships was best for us.
“So how do you share your Christian commitment on campus?” she questioned.
My response made her eyes go wide.
“I try to write really good academic papers.”
She shook her head. She needed further explanation.
“You know that I continue to take grad classes on campus. I believe the best way to tell people about belief commitments is to show beauty, do good, and perhaps then they will want to hear the truth.”
Yes, there had been numerous times I was able to tell folks that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose again to defeat death, lives today, and is coming again.
But faculty and my fellow students appreciate academic excellence. After all, that’s why we are in university education.
Episode 2 Research 
We were discussing an engineering problem over lunch. His latest experiment application in the tech world.
“Do you know anything about this field of math research?” he wondered.
I smiled. “I know about research. And research is the same, no matter the subject.”
He cast a questioning look in my direction.
“After listening to your explanation about some troubles you were having with your experiment, I wonder if you have considered these assumptions.”
I offered four or five questions to consider for his task.
The next week we continued our discussion. “I had not considered these starting points before. Even my prof talked about the importance of these questions as we worked through the experiment. Your questions helped me think in different directions I would not have considered.”
I smiled, “I’m glad they were helpful. God made His world to work in a certain way. The order of the cosmos is implanted in every creational process. The subjects we study may vary but the creational laws never do. God’s order is imprinted everywhere.”
Episode 3 Judging 
Students at the lunch table were concerned about how they should respond in a class where attacks were being clearly leveled against Christians.
“What was the topic of study?” I began.
“We were discussing how judgmental attitudes hurt peoples’ feelings,” they reminisced about the class. “The prof specifically called out absolutes coming from the Bible as a source of hatred.”
“If there aren’t any absolutes, then why would anyone’s feelings be hurt?” I offered.
My young Christian friends looked perplexed.
“It’s like this,” I started the explanation. “Why would people be ‘hurt’ if there were no standards to judge that they had been hurt?” Their eyes brightened as I continued, “People like to say ‘don’t judge’ but the fact that folks think someone has been hurt shows a standard of conduct has been breached. ‘Hurt feelings’ is the same as saying ‘the way you have treated me is wrong.’ But if there are no absolutes, no standards by which we can evaluate wrongdoing, then how can feelings be hurt?”
“Oh, I get it,” one student responded, “You can’t hurt someone if there is no right or wrong to judge whether or not they were hurt! And the only way we can judge hurting someone’s feelings is if absolutes exist in the Bible!”
Exactly.
I LOVE talking with Christian young people at college about their studies and what they are hearing in the classroom. If you know of a Christian college student in Indianapolis who could benefit from these kinds of discussions, let me know.
Dr. Mark Eckel is President of The Comenius Institute (website), spends time with Christian young people in public university (1 minute video), hosts a weekly radio program with diverse groups of guests (1 minute video), interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video), and teaches weekly at his church (video).
Picture credit: snappygoat.com