Examinations have been administered to incoming freshmen at Louisiana College to determine their understanding of the basic Christianity principles. The Belief Assessment of Spiritual Essentials (BASE) has been designed to evaluate their knowledge on matters of Christianity such as the lost condition of humanity, the identity of Jesus as God, the need to accept Jesus Christ as a personal Savior alongside Christ’s resurrection. The study indicated that most students had the convictions that an individual who was good did not need a savior and could not give a meaning to phrase being born again. Other findings indicate that students believed that individuals go to heaven because of their moral perceptions; the love and faith in God is sufficient for one’s salvation. Most of them were unaware of the Christianity claim that Jesus resurrected; He rose from the dead. According to Quarles (2011), the Bible constantly asserts that salvation could only be realized through the expression of faith in Christ; something which approximately a third of the surveyed students did not know.
In analyzing the research question, the null hypothesis would likely be:
“The rate with which college freshmen attend Church has no impact on their understanding of the basic doctrines of Christianity.”
While the alternate hypothesis would be:
“Regular attendance of Church services by college freshmen has a great impact in their understanding of the basic doctrines of Christianity.”
In my view, increased attendance of church services has a positive influence on the personal knowledge of the basic doctrines of Christianity. The motivation levels of an individual, in this case, determine how well a doctrine is understood. Just like college classes, where students who regularly attended Church and were focused in the studies did well academically, regular attendance of Church services would immensely increase one’s knowledge of Christian doctrines. In essence going to church often, coupled with the commitment to learn about Christianity would augment the knowledge that is gained.
References
Quarles, C. (2011, August 18). Southern Baptists must learn to ‘choose our battles wisely.’ [Louisiana] Baptist Message.
