Cru members host an event of pizza and of religious philosophy

By Alejandro Arcos | Published by March 23, 2020

There are many questions that the average person may come to ponder over their lifetime. Is God real? How could God allow such suffering to exist? What kind of pizza topping should I get for dinner? What happens when people pass away? All of these questions and more were answered and will continue to be answered in the future by Kean’s own Cru chapter, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ before their name change.  

On March 4, Cru hosted an event named Pizza and God, where Kean students were invited to engage in an open discussion over the mysteries of religion and the nature of god over food and drink, namely pizza as the name of the event advertises. Hosting the event were members of the organization, President Catherine Gutierrez, Vice President Sarah Fedak, Secretary Maria Russo, and Johanna Garcia, who all did their parts in moving the discussion forward, as well as personally deliver and bake the goods for the event. 

The studio was met with dozens of student participants, some new, but many already well familiar with Cru, ready to debate over the nature of religion and what it means to have faith. To encourage personal discussions, participants were separated into groups of five and told to use their provided notecards to propose any questions they may want to discuss and submit them anonymously for a chance at having them read aloud for mass discussion. 

Seven compelling and philosophical questions arose, all announced by Catherine Gutierrez as the meeting went by.  

1. Does God truly love everybody? 

1. Why would God allow natural disasters to occur? 

1. What motivates you to continue forward in your life? 

1. How could God be real if you cannot see him? 

1. What is the difference between spirituality and religion? 

1. Does one always believe in God, or is there a turning point where one starts to believe? 

1. What happens when people die? 

Answers to such questions vary wildly on a person to person basis, shaped by personal philosophical views and life experiences. Some participants believe that natural disasters are God’s way of testing human compassion, while others believe it is divine retribution. Other opinions state that heaven, hell, and the material world are all real and plausible, while others believe in alternatives in death such as reincarnation or oblivion.

Furthermore, some believe that God does not require a physical, corporeal form to exist as a divine force much like the wind, whilst others believe God is everyone and everything made physical and omnipresent. Opinions in environments such as this are naturally split into a healthy discussion, however, there were two points of common belief held that night: God loves everyone equally and without prejudice and the pizza ordered that night was very good.  

Cru will continue to organize similar meetings and events on campus for the foreseeable future and meet every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Room 238 in CAS, accepting all who are interested in their program. 

---