By Chad Groening
January 29, 2002

Mississippi State University is neither Harvard nor Cal-Berkeley, but last night it hosted Farid Esack, a South African Muslim who focused on the need for what he called "dialogue between Muslims and Christians." But what he actually lectured on was religious plurality -- and that there is no absolute truth.

"I cannot insist that the world just be judged by my standards," Esack said. "And so we can't continue to act as if we are God's chosen, and all of those around us are frozen."

Some Christian students were among the approximately 300 who attended the lecture. One of those, Nina Hansen, did not agree with his idea of religious pluralism.

"If you believe in the Bible -- [which] says that those who believe in Jesus go to heaven, and those who don't, go to hell -- I don't see how you can believe that other people can be right as well," Hansen said. "There's [only] one way, and it seems like his beliefs in pluralism [are] that we should be open to other people's beliefs."

Justin Miller, another Christian student, did not like some of the things the Muslim said. Miller said while he was not offended when Esack asked, "Do you think God really cares about what we do," he did find many of the Muslim's comments contrary to teachings in the Bible.

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