Christianity Subject in my class

This semester one of department in my university invites me to teach in their department. This department is Sociology of Religion. I teach about Religious community in Indonesia. The students are from first semester. These students are quite young because they just finish their high school and now in their first year in the university.

Last week (Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016), I invited some friends from Christian believers to come to the class. I collected three classes in the same time so that there were many students came. The aim of this class with Christianity friends is to make those students feel familiar with Christian people and they also can ask questions related about Christianity. I have told my friend to forgive those students if there were some ignorant questions. It is not because they want to insult, it is just because they do not know. Luckily, my friends can understand it.

The class is full of students. Many students come. Instead of bringing them to church, I ask my friends to come to the class. Before doing it, I had asked permission to the head of the department. He was really happy that I did it. However, he said that I should tell the students not to up load the pictures on the social media. 

Well... I forgot to tell it to the students :-(

I also asked my students from different faculty to come to that class as well. They are 4^th years students. In their faculty, they do not have any opportunity to learn about other religion, so that when there is a chance, I think it is better if they also can hear from the Christian people about Christianity.

During the class, at the first there were not many students asking questions. I think may be they got confused about the explanation. However, there were some students also asking questions. For example they asked about the difference of Judaism and Chirstianity, why there is trinity? Why there is Catholicism and Protestant? Do you believe of life after death? 

I am happy that my students asked many questions even though after the explanation, some of them feel confused. My friend said that “we agree to disagree because it is hard to explain faith”. 

In the next day, I ask some students about their opinion. Some students from year 4 said that class was amazing. She never met and talked with Christian people so that class gives her opportunity to ask, even though she get confused:-D. Some female students also said that class is interesting. However, there is one male students said that for him seems that the speakers try to convince the students about Christianity. 

One female student from my faculty, when she heared that story told by her friend saying to me, "miss..please bring that event to here" [meaning that to her faculty]. I said "sorry, it's impossible to bring it here because there is no class related to that topic. It can make danger to you and me if we bring them here". 

Seems I still traumatic with last time experience, huh?

However, when the class from sosiology of religion finished. I invited the presenter to come to my faculty and to my department. I want them to see where I originally work with. When I took them there and introduce them the departement where I teach, I also introduce them to the vise dean, unfortunately or fortunately, were in the stair. I introduce them to him by saying that these people are my friends from the Church community who just teach in another faculty and I took them to our faculty to intriduce them our faculty. 
He just keep silent, I do not know whether he agree or dis agree :-)   

I also asked the same question to the first year student. They said the class is interesting. They get many knowledge and experiences. They also appreciate my friends willing to come and teaching them about Christianity because it might be hard to come to the university where all the students are Muslim while my friends do not wear hijab.

I am glad that students can accept my friends come to their class. I hope this can be a good start to create trust between these two religions. One of presenter gave his phone number to my students so that they can contact him again if they still have some questions or even have a tea sometime J.