Christian college ministry, 'Intervarsity Christian Fellowship' has released a survey that shows racial justice and climate change are priorities among college-age students.
Intervarsity released the findings of an internal survey on Thursday, where the organization spoke with more than 300 students across 127 different college campuses. The survey includes a multitude of topics, from COVID-19 to the prioritization of social issues.
The survey found that 39 percent of students placed a high priority upon seeking racial justice. The second highest issue for students was climate change, with 29 percent of students expressing concern about the state of the climate. Third was foster care and adoption, with 28 percent. More controversial topics, such as immigration were among the lowest-rated with only 10.13 percent of students expressing concern.
"Emerging from the past year of racial unrest, we’re seeing how the social issues that our nation reckons with are also at the forefront of our students’ minds," says Greg Jao, Chief Communications Officer at Intervarsity. "As a campus ministry, it’s crucial for us to help students navigate both these issues and how to live out their faith from a Biblical perspective in real time on college campuses.”
When it came to a student's greatest challenge in the last 18 months, 59 percent said schoolwork was the biggest problem. Loneliness was second, with 57 percent. Third was concerns about a general decline in mental health. Only 7 percent of students expressed that "racial trauma" was a challenge for them. At least 47 percent of students reported that their mental and emotional health had been negatively impacted due to the pandemic.
While some adults have expressed concerns about campuses being resentful of Evangelical Christians, most students expressed that their campus has a "very (25 percent) or "moderately" (38 percent) welcoming and supporting attitude toward believers.
