His Christian Community Gave Him Courage To Speak Out

This is family policy matter program is produced by the North Carolina family policy Council of profamily research and education organization dedicated to strengthening and preserving the family and out from the studio here is John Rustin, Pres. North Carolina family policy Council for joining us this week for family policy matters are guest today is Duke University Steve Ryan also. Ryan is a first-year student at Duke University took a very public stand in opposition to a controversial book chosen for Duke's summer reading assignment and as a result, Brian found himself in somewhat of a firestorm and see family communications director Tracy Griggs caught up with Brian between classes recently to find out what motivated him to take the stand and what he's thinking about that decision now that he's had an opportunity to reflect back upon it. Tracy give us a quick synopsis of what happened here. As you know many universities issue a summer reading book for the students to read and be ready to discuss when they come back to school in the fall. It's not unusual for these books to be controversy out and generate discussion within the community for this was certainly the case at Duke University this year. The book selection was entitled fun home by Allison back down. I haven't read it, but it said to be written by a syndicated cartoonist and is also said to be based on her home growing up. However, the book reportedly contains sexually explicit drawings that some Duke freshmen judged to be pornographic. Brian Grasso was one that objected to the book and decided not to read it because he said it violated his Christian principles.

Not only that, he made the courageous decision to go public with that stand. He posted on Duke's class of 2019 Facebook page that he was not going to read the book quote because of the graphic visual depictions of sexuality will this prompted quite a number of posts on the Facebook page and the student newspaper immediately picked up the story and ran an article on it.

Brian was then asked to do a guest editorial for the Washington Post, so we thought it would be interesting to talk to Brian and find out what motivated him to speak up on this issue. When so many other young people just went along with the assignment.

Tracy we can all understand it's a tough thing to do, your coming in as a freshman at a nationally recognized exclusive private university and for most students it would be incredibly difficult to take such a public stand as Brian did their faith right off the bat. Unfortunately, not everyone was very nice in their response to Braun.

As I recall, that's right, John. Some people even question openly. If Brian even belonged Duke University because of his stance. He was called narrowminded uptight. He was told to grow up. But when you talk to him. He is really very gracious about even the comments that were critical of him. He considers all of this discussion surrounding the book to be an important exercise in free speech and the first steps toward having more civilized conversation in our society as a whole. Interestingly, he talks about how the people who disagreed with him did so in a very public manner. Those, however, who agreed with them often sent him private messages to communicate their support will and unfortunately Tracy, this is probably not an isolated incident.

The receipt here, but it really ties in well with an article that we will be publishing in the upcoming issue of our magazine family North Carolina. This article which was written by John Stonestreet with the Colson Center and Eric Smith with Summit ministries talks about what motivates millennial's, who are young adults age 18 to 34 and how older adults can reach out to this age group based on research and social science. We have reason to be concerned about the direction that many in this age group are going, particularly those who consider themselves to be Christians.

So it's really encouraging to see individuals like Brian standing up for their faith.

So Tracy let's hear your interview with Brian interested in seeing what he thinks about his own generation, especially in light of the recent experiences that he had a Duke University thanks John. We had a long conversation that I pulled some excerpts from that discussion we begin with what happened when he first posted his intentions to not read the book on the class of 2019 Facebook page Facebook page. There were probably 50 or 60 comments just so not post it on the Duke Chronicle contacted me almost immediately asking me to do an article about it, there really is a mix of positive and negative reaction, but generally those who had negative reactions posted publicly on the Facebook page and those who had positive reactions. Message me privately and think with my post that they had similar beliefs. I thought that was really interesting, dynamic that people were willing to speak up what I thought and what they believed on the Facebook page in front of everyone. I was criticized and still being criticized by many for being close minded, bigoted, and had people message me saying things like you growing up in a religious bubble in college about expanding your horizons and how can you consider yourself if you do if you're so close minded things like that but again because of a positive thinks there are no academic consequences really after I wrote the op-ed for the Washington Post, the atmosphere kind of changed in my favor.

A lot of people kind of I think even even people who disagree with me strongly.

I really can't acknowledge my right to believe what I believe today read that and that's a good thing.

I do get very open-minded That the general did you promote civil discussion and help exchange ideas. If you had to do it over again, would you handle it the same way. I absolutely went there certain times and certain interviews and articles where I think my language could be more precise, even in my op-ed for the Washington Post to think I could've articulated some things better, but as far as standing up for what I believe in and think willing to live publicly consistent with what I believe and absolutely I would take anything back, and I think of the conversation that needs to be had on this campus because a lot of Christians like Mormons on campus and conservative Muslims like This is really just this. I think kind of growing stigma against conservatives.

People who are religious in general and I think the conversation needed to be odd that you know ideas about the value of sexual purity needs to be respected as much as other ideas and by respected I mean truly be freedom of speech on campus so LGBT clubs should have the right speak up about their cause as much as conservative organizations that you believe that I have lunch there there for friend of mine to unfitness a Muslim and you talk to me a lot use the software now about how you can just very pro-sex in general and the cultures is this against conservative religious ideals. So why do you suppose you have a courage to speak up in this way when others did not. What was it about your philosophy, faith, upbringing, whatever that influenced you to be able to speak up in this way to make me think both are deeply connected to my faith. My faith in God and my Christian faith through primary sources.

I guess you could say is really my belief in God's presence, and in his promises. And I truly believe that coming to this campus. Even if I do speak up that I won't be alone. And so that's kind of I think the fear that hinders a lot of people from articulating their thoughts and beliefs and that public places. That's it.

Duke work because you love intellectual criticism, but I do truly believe on a spiritual and personal, intimate level that I won't be alone on this campus.

After the second one is really my community at my hometown. I had a really strong Christian community had a very strong supportive family and that support I received from this communities is really what gave me the comfort and the courage to say this is what I believe it's not irrational thought diamond again today. Some people don't like me, then I will still have that community will still have the support of my close Christian community and Mike my close family. Okay, why do you think it's up to help young people to engage the culture around them and be willing to speak up when they don't agree as far as specifically Christian speaking out our culture is changing rapidly faster than any other other time. It think like an in American history and its changing radically, especially in regards to sex and sexuality and the dismantling of conservative values and ideals and for Christians who believe you really believe what they believe about God and about well understand the necessity of moral necessity and speaking out peeking out in faith and what God promises is now encouraged that you not going to be alone and that God does provide strength. What do you think is holding many young people back from truly engaging the culture around them in an impactful way.

It's that fear of isolation and that incredible pressure to conform and edit is never been more real.

At any place that I think you then do it.

Such a competitive environment and people they want to do more than fit and they want they want to thrive.

They want to win it. You know a healthy place but do but dig specifically, this kind of people.

Yet, it's that it's that desire to do well into defendant but I think people who don't have the strong communities to support them really hindering young people from speak yet so you know if you break the soul spirit. The family structure then people I think will be less likely to speak out about their beliefs, because they don't have that that support in a community that is unconditional. What kind of encouragement would you have for them to be able to start building that some heat so that they can have an impact.

I would say first will be be intentional about seeking it out.

Don't give into despair and hopelessness in thinking that there's not people like you because there are people like you there all kinds of people in the world and really when you're intentional about seeking out community and persistent community of fine community and that's really what I had found an answer person is a Christian then pray for you know and trust God's faithfulness to provide community and support and addition that if you're if you're Christian then just resting God promise of of his presence and remember that you're not alone.

Even if if there's no human being standing beside you know, the creator of the universe is good with you and so I rest at rest and that and what like yourself gather strength from that truth. What a great testimony and what a great example brine is for other young adults to speak truth into our culture is a mention we talk about millennial's in an upcoming article in our magazine family North Carolina now is we know millennial's are expected to pass.

Baby boomers in 2015 to become the largest age group in the United States. What else did we learn about millennial's in this article. While there are a lot of really interesting statistics in the article, but more than that to give us some real practical information on how to reach out to millennial's, only 56% of millennial's self identify as Christians that's significantly lower than the 70% of the US adult population who do so. The pew research Center also reports that more than 1/3 of adults in the millennial generation now say they have no religion at all, and 39% of millennial's say they have left evangelicalism. They believe in God on their own terms. As a supreme being that desires the best for them and does not demand anything of them. And pretty much leaves them alone so it's a real interesting new way of looking at Christianity and certainly a way that could have a fax on the way that they look at a lot of our social issues that were so concerned about here in NC. Family law think that's very true because the statistics are just numbers. They represent the real lives of our youth or young adults and our future. And so it is something that we are all very interested in, and it's important that we learn and take seriously how we can best relate to them and Tracy.

Thanks so much for this great interview with Brian. We all applaud him for the stand that he has taken. We encourage other young adults to take opportunities to to represent their faith to stand for their faith because they can is brought has been a great example to go to others around them and we deftly want to encourage our listeners to keep an eye out for our upcoming addition of family restaurant magazine which will be hitting their mailboxes around the end of October. If you are a listener and you're currently not on our mailing list to receive our magazine, please sign up to receive our magazine on her website@www.ncfamily.org again that's NC family.org and without Tracy, I want to thank you so much for your time and for the interview with Ron again. We just applaud him and encourage other folks to stand family policy matters. Information and analysis, future of the North Carolina family policy Council join us weekly for discussion on policy issues affecting the family. If you have questions or comments, please contact 919-807-0800 or visit our website and see family.org