Trading Places

Not far from the University of Sydney is an attractive sandstone structure that has a dark past. It was many times the scene of much funereal dress, grieving and sadness as the bereaved gathered to board the funeral train to convey dearly departed on their final earthly journey to Rookwood Cemetery.

The mortuary station no longer fulfils that purpose. It is heritage listed and the subject of cultural interpretation for the heritage minded.

The role of facilitating darkness and sadness has shifted a little further to the west, to the University of Sydney, where an organisation called Evangelical Union conducts its agenda of death and darkness. This is evident from the latest in a long line of sad episodes involving Evangelical Union.

A friend this week shared with me his experience on campus with some Evangelical Union people - one paid employee and two devotees.

As I understand it, Evangelical Union (EU) had a stall operating to make contact with passers-by. My friend was on campus and stopped at the stall to inquire of a man, who turned out to be a paid EU staffer, what sort of approach he would take in dealing with people of humanist/naturalist beliefs. The response exposed an inadequate understanding of reality so my friend delivered some words of help but, all the while, felt the staffer was not taking it in. The staffer made a discrete departure but standing nearby were two young women who had been participants in EU activities.

My friend engaged the two young women in conversation and soon the topic of origins came up. The women remarked how ironic it was because earlier at the University they had been in situations where the biblical position on origins had come under criticism from evolution and atheist minded people. The young women related how they had felt inadequate to respond to the criticism. My friend then proceeded to explain the biblical creationist position and observations from the world which destroy the argument for evolution. He could see the light come into the eyes of the young women and the joy on their face as they gladly received the message. They wanted more and he gave more. Eventually time was against him and he had to take his leave but not without giving the young women some helpful websites to obtain more information.

This day was one where one of those biblical experiences of light and life coming coming upon two of the Lord's people. They had received confidence in the Word of God, were keen to learn more so that they were equipped to give an account of the faith in which they believe.

The next day my friend was on campus again and the EU stall was assailed by a young man criticising Christianity. My friend decided to engage the critic in conversation. He asked the critic what was his central argument for rejecting Theism. The reply came down to the naturalistic/evolutionary world view. My friend saw that the disinterested EU staffer from the day before had joined the stall. My friend immediately called to him and said "See, this man with his naturalistic world view is just what I was addressing with you yesterday!" The staffer responded curtly with words to the effect of "I have no interest in going over that again!"

The humanist critic was being left by EU to maintain his unbelief and anti-Christian state. My friend then engaged in friendly dialogue with him, sensitively demolished his arguments for naturalism and explained Information Theory. Time again was against my friend and the two had to end their conversation but not before the critic had become a listener and inquirer. They exchanged names, shook hands and the man thanked my friend for sharing the information with him. He went away uplifted in spirit.

My observation of all this?

Its a matter of dark and light. In the EU staffer and the humanist there was darkness. In the two young women EU devotees darkness turned to light. In the humanist, a little light eventually shone in him but it did not come from EU. It was only the EU staffer who remained in the dark, sad and bitter.

The great fear I have now is for those two young women. They are about to have their light assailed by the darkness of EU. Any light they share will quickly be smothered by EU's cultish practice of disengaging with reality and demanding the 'party line'. How do I know? The scene described above has been just a replay of similar incidents before.


Sam Drucker