“I just recently left IV at my University. I’m an older student nearly a decade older on average with most of the IV members and its been very hard for me to have community with it. I hung in there for two full semsters but ended up leaving durring the summer term. The staff workers were great as where the student leaders and members, but unfortuatly they mostly turned toward each other and often forgot about older students. IV unfortuanly has polices in place that bar students older than 24 from attending events, confrences or even being student leaders. The staff workers while great just said well it would just be werid to have you or another older student there. After a few times of that I grew disillusioned with the IV community (not bibical community however) and eventually when I attempted to reach out people in community either rejected it, played along with it only to dump me and other older students, or raise minor issues to the staff members making older students feel unwelcome. As a result all older students have left IV here, its rather unfortuante.”
Tag Archives: discrimination
InterVarsity (IV) – “a lot of prejudices”, “treated him differently, looked down on him, almost”
Excerpt from: https://intervarsity.org/blog/intervarsity-ruined-my-life
*Note: This is from the comments section of InterVarsity’s official website.
“I found that IV kids come with a lot of prejudices. One instance that perfectly illustrates this: I remember bringing a friend of mine to IV small group, and everyone was really friendly toward him, that is until we went around and introduced ourselves.
My friend was part of a fraternity on campus, and as soon as he mentioned that, people in our small group immediately started treating him differently. My friend had grown up in a Christian family, and even made time to go to church at college whenever he could, not much unlike the other members of our small group. And yet, our small group still treated him differently, looked down on him, almost. If my friend had something to say, sometimes it wouldn’t take it seriously. Our small group, was especially hard on him–Whenever my friend would bring up a question our small group leader would be very defensive, and answer in a very haughty way, almost as if reprimanding him for just bringing up the question in the first place.
Fortunately, my friend kept coming to the small group meetings every week that semester, but unfortunately, every week he tried earning our small group’s respect in vain. And that REALLY disappointed me. I was especially disappointed that my small group leader (who we all supposedly should have looked to for advice, for leadership) was one of the hardest on my friend.
Even more disappointing, my small group leader was a senior–it’s one thing to be an underclassmen coming to college for the first time and having certain prejudices and misconceptions, but as a senior, you would think that he’d know better than to treat my friend the way he did. But even after 4 years of being an active member of Intervarsity, my small group leader just didn’t. Overall, a small group is meant to support, encourage, and nurture is members through their scripture-studying-journey, if you will, but sadly, my friend didn’t get any of that.”
Cru – “attacked and beat up my female friend”, “dents from them bashing her head into it”
Excerpt from: https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/desoe/campus_christian_clubs_your_experiences/
“I have had some good experiences and some bad ones.
I have met some good and fun people while going to campus christian groups. However, as in any type of community, there are bad parts as well.
One group in southern california attacked and beat up my female friend who was head of GLBT club on campus. It was 5 men against one meek lesbian. The set upon at her car at night while she was trying to leave. It took 15 minutes for someone to find her lying down in small pool of blood. They were arrested at their next club meeting when she arrived with the police. Her car still had dents from them bashing her head into it. (“This is what an eternity of Hell feels like!”). I think the group was Campus Crusade for Christ.
Another campus christian group at school had a protest at the opening of an interfaith chapel. They strongly believed that the Wican group did not have a place at the interfaith chapel. I guess they focused more and “chapel” than “interfaith.”
Of the times I attended the sessions, they were led by college students. I had the feeling it was much like a practice and testing ground for the leader, which is good. While the polish might not have been high, it was good for what is was.””
Ministry Review 