A huge number of Christian's lose their faith in college. Statistics say that 50% are no longer Christians after college, and the number increases when the student is not plugged into a campus ministry or local church. Of course, a good part of that is due to the education and argument the student encounters at school. Another aspect that is largely not mentioned though, is the atmosphere.
It's almost easier to present an argument against evolution than to endure ridicule from your classmates about your faith. College students want to fit in with their peers, especially new students, insecure and away from home; Christian students aren't necessarily exempt from that. And people are afraid of mockery; at least I know I am. So it's easy to see how so many lose their faith.
How can we avoid becoming part of that statistic? I'm leaving the answering of this question to those more experienced than myself, (try checking out Stand Strong in College by Alex McFarland or University of Destruction by David Wheaton). My two cents are to check yourself and remember that you're after God's approval, not man's. Ultimately, who really cares if people think being a Christian is not cool? (I say "ultimately" because you have to remind yourself its not just the here and now). Here's also what you can say when people sneer at you for your faith:
When someone says, "You really believe THAT?" a proper, measured response would be, "Well, that's an assertion trying to create atmosphere; it's not really an argument. So can you please tell me why you think what I believe is untenable?"
I stole that from Tim Keller and I absolutely love it. :) I will let you know if I get to use it at school.
In the long run, I sincerely believe it's important to have Christians in Christian and non-Christian environments alike (really, the stats are very similar for both). We need people who will be the beacons of change. So here's the challenge: by God's grace, be someone who reverses the statistics.
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