Hung up on Christ

Ray's grape-sized tumor vanished overnight. Jay's parents divorced. Emily's friend died.

According to the Web site thensomethinghappened.com, these are the things that happened.

The site, which is currently being advertised on bulletin boards around campus, and has been for a couple years, is a forum for Christian evangelist testimonials. These young people confess to using drugs, having abortions and (gasp!) getting tired of being a good person.

The events that happened next, however, served as catalysts that either brought them to Christ for the first time or further cemented what they already believed. These Web witnesses say that Christ saved them in their time of need. Desperate times aren't always the best times to make decisions, but still, they recommend this course of action to others.

Here's some of what you'll hear on the site:

"That was when I heard the Truth. My life was forever changed...To live your life by rules taught by men is just not fulfilling," Bryan says.

"Loneliness strangles you by the neck until you fall face-first into the ground," Katie tells us.

"I will never have to be accepted by any man on Earth, because I don't belong here."

Cassandra is the proud owner of that pearl. Seems a little aloof for loving thy neighbor.

If you follow the links on the page far enough, you'll eventually find that the man behind the curtain is Buffalo Campus Crusade for Christ. Not that it comes as a surprise.

What immediately makes one suspicious is that they keep their Christian recruitment agenda off the front page and out of the site's URL. Buffalo Campus Crusade for Christ also goes by Buffalo Crusade for short, which allows them to keep Christ out of their URL, buffalocrusade.com.

Ironically, this behavior contradicts Christ's teachings. Scripture doesn't portray a Christ willing to lure people into discussion with him so he could convert them.

Society is familiar with the concept of Christianity, and getting people to convert isn't so easy when they've already seen the strings at the puppet show. Modern missionaries need special tools to get to modern young people.

One of the popular events held by Campus Crusaders across the country is Big Break, a Spring Break attraction during which, in the midst of Panama City paradise, they convince a few hundred kids to accept Christ into their hearts. Any doubt that the Crusaders are recruiting is eliminated at the sight of the counters that read, "Week 1: People that accepted Christ: 74."

They've concluded this is the most effective way to serve God as missionaries to the MTV generation. Take them on vacation so they can escape their immediate concerns and then convince them a life of Christian labor is the way to sustain their happiness after they go home.

Campus Crusade for Christ does not hide the fact that they pursue the confused and vulnerable. The headline to their home page reads, "Turning lost college students into Christ-centered laborers."

Of course it was at the peak of desperation that Ray, Bryan and Katie accepted the invitation from a group of young people offering purpose and, more importantly, friendship.

Most college students are looking for their identity. Affiliation with a group is a great place to find it. The Crusaders for Christ understand, and offer affiliation, not just in the religion of Christianity but through membership with their group.

Crusaders would tell you it is a genuine hope to make life richer and better for their classmates that motivates their evangelism. I don't doubt their desire to have a positive impact on the community. But I'm afraid what drives these zealots is more complicated.

Maintaining faith is a difficult thing. Doing so requires the affirmation that the actions you take are righteous. A feeling of having bettered the lives of others provides that affirmation. It is especially effective when you can enumerate your effect on the community: "I helped 204 people to accept Christ in their hearts this week."

No one can deny that religion can be helpful. It provides people with purpose, structure and a sense of community, all of which can be comforting. But no decision should be made in the midst of your life's hardest trial.

Campus Crusade for Christ's thinly veiled methods of getting people to do so is manipulation for the sake of providing its members with a sense of fulfillment.