Members of Hillel and Campus Crusade for Christ gathered yesterday in Baker Center to discuss sex, love and religion in an open forum.
Those attending the event were treated to free pizza and the opportunity to talk about sensitive issues in a comfortable and understanding environment.
Rabbi Danielle Leshaw, director of Hillel at Ohio University, organized the forum after Hillel members expressed an interest in such an event last quarter.
Leshaw said the forum makes sense because it addresses topics that students are inherently interested in.
The discussion panel consisted of Leshaw; Brian McCollister, director of Campus Crusade for Christ; and Bethany Fulton, associate pastor at the Athens First Presbyterian Church.
Each panelist discussed their own backgrounds and how these shaped their faiths and their own ideologies toward sex. Students were then invited to ask questions of their own.
Questions ranged from stances on pre-marital sex to other topics like homosexuality and sex education in schools.
While the panelists agreed on many basic ideas, such as the sanctity of sex and the importance of loving relationships with both family and sexual partners, some of the questions provoked differences in opinion. An example came when a participant asked about the panel's stances on sex education. While Leshaw and Fulton were both in favor of strong safe-sex programs, McCollister said sex education was, ideally, better left to families and not the schools.
The turnout for the event was fairly low -about 10 people attended -but participants said they enjoyed the program.
Hillel member Rachel Friedson, a junior, said she came to the forum to learn more about religious views on sex. She also wanted to hear about Jewish traditions and beliefs about the topic in comparison to other faiths.
Jason Hoffman, a first-year intern with Campus Crusade for Christ, went to the forum to hear different viewpoints, particularly from Hillel. Overall, Hoffman said good questions were raised. He said he would go to similar forums in the future if they were offered.
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Ben Saylor
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Brian McCollister, Director of Campus Crusade for Christ, opens the discussion of Love, Sex & Religion with his thoughts and experiences.
