Several professors at John Brown University have agreed that doubt is more frequently and openly discussed among today's Christians as compared with in the past.

However, as open and honest as discussion about doubt has become, unanswered questions remain to be answered such as what does doubt look like, is it a good thing or is it not, does JBU, as a Christian community, encourage or discourage discussion and how should it be done properly?

Firm stances on either side of this topic are taken at JBU.

Dan Lambert, professor of youth ministries, described one possible cause of doubt being the lack of a daily or weekly influence in a student's life when they come to college and get out from under their family's influence.

However, moving away from the family and into an authority-free environment such as college is not the only cause of doubt mentioned by professors.

Rod Reed, University chaplain, said, "The culture of Christian college campuses has changed over the last 20 years in terms of openness with which people can express doubt about faith. This is not because the institutional policy has changed, but because of one of the advantages of postmodernism."

He said it is easier to be a person who struggles with doubt about faith on Christian campuses now because the culture is more accepting of honesty than it has been in the past. However, he doesn't believe that the level of doubt is higher, but that people are more open.

This openness and honesty has been attributed to the consent granted by several leaders in society today.

Tracy Balzer, director of Christian formation, said, "I think there is a rising tide of dialogue about it, and much of that is due to the 'permission' that's been given by authors like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. But there's no question that postmodernism and the relativism so present in pop culture has made people question the presence of absolutes in religion and everything else."

Books such as Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Alvin Plantinga's "Plantinga Trilogy," a philosophical series that puts atheism on the defensive, are used in a few classes here at JBU.

These books were monumental in allowing senior Adam Mackall to consider and reconsider his beliefs about God while at JBU.

Mackall grew up in an evangelical environment in a non-denominational, charismatic church bordering on Pentecostal. At the age of 15 he had a religious conversion experience and became very dedicated to his beliefs.

"I would witness to a bunch of friends in high school much more than previously. I owned it," he said.

He came to JBU as a graphic design major, but later changed his major to biblical and theological studies.

"That's what I loved," he said. "That's what I still like to do. I had no clue."

It was during this time in his life when he took New Testament Survey and discovered a passage in Mark that was not in the original texts of scripture. He then decided that the Bible was not infallible; it was possibly inspired by God, but not error-free.

"At the time, that rocked my world. That was a hard leap," he said.

He had also become immersed in JBU culture at this time, and while meeting people with different religions, he realized he was an outlier fundamentalist.

Along with this, Mackall also took another class in which he realized that there was very little archaeological evidence to support the history of the Bible. One research paper later and he came to the conclusion that "there is not scrap that there is evidence."

"That was the point where I cut myself off from mainstream JBU culture," he said. "Emotionally I felt like I was beginning to detach myself. I felt like an outlier."

Several classes and research papers later, Mackall decided what he was going to do.

"The end of my junior year 2008 I was sure where I stood. That summer I made the switch," he said.

He said there was a bad storm in Northwest Arkansas that summer. A tree had fallen on top of a family's home while two girls were sleeping.

"When I found out that had happened I stopped believing in God, at least a God that I had been told existed, one that is all-powerful and all-good. It was futile to believe in such a God," he said.

"[Christians] have it good," he said. "But billions upon billions of people are suffering right now. God has no involvement in human affairs, and that's why I'm agnostic."

Mackall describes his experience as lonely, but only in the sense of not having anyone to say "Let's do this together." He said that most JBU students are nice to him, except for the fact that "people want to drop their seed of 'believe in Jesus' and run away," he said

Lambert said, "The worst feeling in the world is loneliness, and that's where we can step in."

JBU has, in several ways, sought to "step in" and foster a healthy environment for students who are in the process of finding where faith fits into life. It has hosted events this year to bring doubt to the forefront of student discussion, has changed its senior-level courses to discuss and deal with doubt and has also provided a chapel theme this year that tells of peoples stories in overcoming doubt.

Rod Reed said that even in the way JBU has done the chapel theme this year is in direct recognition of those who doubt.

"We're trying to give permission for honesty for where people are in the process of faith and doubt."

Do we as a community foster a healthy environment for discussion? Mackall said yes and no, depending on what professor you have and what you study.

Concerning the atmosphere among students, Mackall said, "I wish people were more concerned about why they exist and not what to fill their existence with, and I wish there were more people who come out of the closet with their unbelief or doubt."

Sarah Cook, senior, had a similar experience at JBU, though, unlike Mackall, she never felt ostracized.

She took Honors Evangelical Theology her junior year and for a group project read Richard Dawkins' book "The God Delusion." She also took Senior Capstone in Christian Life. This class allowed her to explore why she believed in God.

She said that her group of friends has been very open with her, although they haven't necessarily agreed or liked some of the things that have come up.

"They are willing to still be good friends," she said. "It has been amazing. I haven't ever felt bashed; that has never come up. I find that people are very open to just discussing things, even if they don't like it. There is a freedom to discuss and professors promote that."

Cary Balzer, assistant professor of theology, agreed that JBU is a great place to "safely ask very tough questions and to get help with the process of finding answers."

What can we further do to foster a healthy environment for students to be open and honest and to discuss their struggles with each other?

President Chip Pollard said, "Because part of our task is to help students take the faith on as their own, so we should provide safe spaces in which they ask the hard questions, and then respond to them by explaining how we ourselves have wrestled and responded to those questions."

Cary Balzer said that we should, first, respond as if doubt is a normal part of faith, and second, respond with loving patience, giving the person plenty of time and space to express their doubts honestly.

However, there are some on campus who take opposite stances on this topic.

Jay Bruce, assistant professor of philosophy, said that doubt is sin, and that there is always an appeal to choose doubt.

"If someone says to me, 'Oh I'll help you tomorrow,' but I doubt that the person will show up, then I do not trust that person," he said. "I'm calling into account that person's character. Unbelief is sin; sin is unbelief. I think that, in our culture, it's easy to think that students that doubt are sophisticated or cosmopolitan. There's always a cultural appeal."

Melody Mitchell, a senior, is a biblical and theological studies major and did not give in to the appeal to doubt. She says that she didn't even expect to see so much doubt on a Christian campus.

"Now I see that it is common and it happens everywhere. It has gotten more prevalent since I've been here, or maybe just more open," she said.

She said that her major can sometimes be too intellectual concerning the Bible and that sometimes there is something that's lost: a certain passion.

"A lot of the time, it just becomes like a biology project that you are dissecting," she said. Concerning students who doubt, she said, "Sometimes I feel like it's unlikely that they'll ever acknowledge Christ as Lord again, but I know there's hope and God will never give up on them, so why should I?"

Bruce said that for any discipline and any subject of study, there are things that can be analyzed with considerable vigor and precision, but then there are those that are mysterious.

"The deeper you go, the harder it is to understand," he said.

The increasing trend of discussion about doubt can be a good or bad thing, as many at JBU have agreed. For some, doubt has revealed more of a need for God and has caused them to pull in closer to him. For others, doubt has caused them to seek other ways of life. In these times of great honesty and discussion with one another, we as a Christian community may need to close our mouths and open our ears to those who are not sure about their faith.

Nick Ogle, assistant professor of family and human services and graduate counseling, said that we as a church have created this monster because we don't accept them as they are.

"We say 'Come as you should be,' not 'Come as you are,'" he said. "We're missing it. We try to play the role of Holy Spirit in people's lives-we need to shut up and listen why."

David Brisben, professor of religious education, said, "I think there is more skepticism, more cynicism, and I would argue, rightly deserved," he said. "I'm embarrassed by evangelicalism. I'm not embarrassed by the gospel, but I am by evangelicals. I wish I could fix a lot of our leaders. I wish they would shut up sometimes, but I do think that's just part of what we have to deal with-the ugly side of evangelicalism."

Tim Dinger, director of the University counseling center, said that we as Christians may have a lot to learn from students who doubt.

"These people are us," he said. "Seek to understand their questions. We likely have much to learn of them, ourselves and the Christian life. Of course, this may lead those in the community to question/grow too."

When the economy is in the news, it usually isn't because things are going smoothly. Unfortunately, right now not only is the economy in the news, it is the news.

Plunging markets, growing unemployment rates, dire predictions-the headlines tell the story and the numbers back them up. According to United States Department of Labor, in the last year the number of unemployed persons has grown by about 5.3 million. The national unemployment rate, which currently sits at 8.5 percent, is expected to reach 10 percent.

Soon-to-be graduating college seniors have to be wondering why everything had to fall apart right now. While many students can comfortably take some time off before getting a job, debt from student loans and the loss of health insurance coverage makes landing a steady income vital to many seniors. Graduation day, a milestone typically associated with hope and optimism, is looking foreboding to many in the class of 2009.

"I am very pessimistic," said Jason Colip, a senior majoring in biology. "Everywhere I look companies are on hiring freezes and most are laying people off."

Stephen Carlson, a graphic design and digital media major, shares the sentiment, adding that it isn't isolated to just a few students.

"Most of the other seniors I have talked to about it seem fairly pessimistic and cynical about the whole thing," Carlson said.

While having a gloomy outlook may seem counterproductive, Chris Confer, director of career development, believes that many seniors would benefit from a dose of realistic thinking.

"Most students say they've followed the news and know the situation is dire," Confer said. "My fear is that they don't truly grasp the gravity of the situation. A lot of seniors haven't even started sending in resumes yet."

Confer recounted a story about a career fair for college students held in Arkansas this year. 300 companies were invited. Eight showed up. Four had jobs available.

With jobs scarce in almost every area of the country-Northwest Arkansas being no exception-, the key to acquiring a job may be flexibility. Are student willing to move anywhere in the country to do a job that might not be exactly what they are looking for?

Warren Roby, professor of modern foreign language, said he fears many students are limiting their options to working in either their hometown or Northwest Arkansas.

"It's hard for students to break away from familiar friends and community, but you have to go where there is a job," Roby said. "You have to recognize how dire it really is."

Whether it is Siloam Springs, Kansas City or Chicago, most students have places they would ideally like to find themselves after graduation. Preference becomes less of a factor, however, the longer the job search drags on.

For Meagan Dees, who graduated in December with a degree in public relations, initial hesitance about moving to an unfamiliar area has given way to desperation. While she and her husband, Tyler, would still prefer to stay around the area, their willingness to relocate has grown.

"We have turned our search from finding a job in a place we were comfortable to finding a job any place," Dees said.

This mentality is growing among seniors. Senior Mark Delavan, an engineering major, mirrors many of his classmates when he said he is "very willing to relocate." Having watched friends from the previous year graduate and struggle to find work, they realize that they might not have a choice if they want to get work.

Some married students, however, are more genuinely restricted to a single location in their search for employment. Jenn Salsgiver, a senior majoring in intercultural studies, is currently facing that predicament. Her husband, Josh, has a stable job at New Life Ranch, greatly limiting where she can search for one of her own. Conversely, the benefits provided by his job lessen the need to get hired immediately.

"I don't feel a lot of pressure to go out and find a job that is 40 hours a week and has really great benefits," Salsgiver said. "I think the fact that I won't be needing benefits or a full-time job has really opened up my opportunities."

Other students have found their own solutions to the economic climate. Jacob Crabb, a senior majoring in outdoor leadership ministry, will enter Navy Officer Candidate School immediately following graduation.

"I did quite a bit of research about jobs before enrolling in a Naval college program last year, Crabb said. "I'm excited about having a little job security, having virtually all health care and housing taken care of, paying off all my debts and having preferential hiring after my four years is up."

Venturing out into the unfamiliar or taking a less than ideal job may be difficult, but it is an important sacrifice to make early on said Kim Hadley, assistant professor of business.

"Don't expect a perfect fit. Just finding a job and getting experience is what is important," Hadley said. "Eventually you can work up to your ideal."

There is plenty that seniors can do to make themselves more attractive to any potential employers. The Career Development Center, which is headed by Confer, is a major on campus resource for students involved in a job search. The Center's website, www.jbu.edu/cdc, has a resume posting section as well as guidelines to follow when applying for jobs.

Confer's tips include customizing resumes for each company you apply to, dressing professionally when dropping off a resume and making use of networking.

"85 to 90 percent of job openings aren't advertised and you won't find them on websites," Confer said. "You have to use your connections with people you know."

It also isn't too soon for juniors to begin considering their post-graduation future. Whether the plan is work or graduate school, students would be wise to set aside plenty of time for researching their options, Roby said.

"Students are so busy finishing up their school work senior year that they often don't devote enough time to the job search," Roby said. "Ideally they should start looking the summer after their junior year."

And what of the freshmen and sophomores? Well, they can always hope that by the time they receive their diplomas the economy will have moved off the front page.

The Students in Free Enterprise team isn't slowing down to celebrate last week's success at the Rogers, Ark. SIFE Regional Competition.

The team was named a National finalist in the categories of environmental sustainability and team sustainability. The team will advance to the National Competition as one of the top 20 teams in the nation in these two areas. In addition to this recognition, the team also received a 1,000-dollar award for each category.

In the area of environmental sustainability, the team was recognized for their development and implementation of the inter-dorm Captain Planet competition. Students in each dorm were encouraged to save energy by turning off lights, unplugging unused electronic devices, and reducing their use of heat and air-conditioning.

At the end of each month facilities measured the amount of energy used in each dorm and compared it to the amount of energy used the previous month. The dorm that demonstrated the most savings at the end of each month was financially rewarded.

Joe Walenciak, professor of business and director of SIFE, said the competition has been very successful.

"We got some data from facility services about what kind of energy was being saved, and it's pretty phenomenal what people are doing," Walenciak said.

Team sustainability is the second area the team was recognized for. The team presented an explanation of their support system, which includes John Brown University faculty members, media coverage, a business advisory board, and gifts and grants from supporting companies. Walenciak said the purpose of this category is to demonstrate why the JBU SIFE program will still be here next year.

Junior Natlalia Ramirez, SIFE secretary, said the last few weeks of the semester will be a busy time for the team as they prepare for Nationals, which will take place May 10-12 in Philadelphia.

"We're very passionate about our story and what we're trying to say about the lives that we've changed, but they also want to hear numbers, and that's what we're trying to incorporate a little bit more," Ramirez said.

Walenciak said the JBU SIFE team has been one of the top eight teams at Nationals every year but one since 2003.