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Ask Me Why: Does God exist?
Two classmates delve into the divine.
Robin Amer | Jan. 21, 2011
Shay Senior and Henry Pye are juniors at Global Citizenship Experience High School, a tiny tuition-based school in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.
The school has only 16 students, which means Henry and Shay take every class together. You’d think they’d know each other pretty well as a result. But this week they had the opportunity to get to know each other even better, by having the kind conversation they might not have in class.
For this next installment of Ask Me Why, our recorded conversation series that explores the personal roots of our differing beliefs, Shay and Henry chose a question that has vexed philosophers since time immemorial: Does God exist? And if he does, does he play a role in our everyday lives?
Henry and Shay come from very different backgrounds and their upbringings are reflected in their differing opinions on religion. Shay grew up on the South Side of Chicago going to church with her family every Sunday. She believes there is a God who is with us every step we take. Henry grew up on the North Shore. Religion was not emphasized in his home and although he believes that God may have existed at one time, he has now has no presence in our daily lives.
In the edited version of their conversation posted above you can hear them probe each other’s reasoning before eventually finding common ground.
Ask Me Why is produced in collaboration with the Illinois Humanities Council, and was made possible by a grant from The Boeing Company. If you and someone you know are interested in participating in this series, you can download the application form here.
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Comments
What an amazing conversation. I am proud of our students for tackling such a big question and thoughtfully contemplating it and sharing their perspectives. Experiences like these are why I am so proud to be part of this community and so happy that my son is taking part in this new school.
On Monday January 17, 2011, I accompanied Henry and Shay to WBEZ’s headquarters at Navy Pier. The weather was awful and each of them commuted at least 90 minutes on public transportation to arrive. Once present, Robin Amer (WBEZ Multimedia Producer), coached them through the process of conversing “on the radio.” Periodically, she would interject, suggest a question or ask for more clarification in their answers. As I sat there listening to Shay and Henry, a smile was permanently affixed to my face and I realized that I was rediscovering HOW LEARNING HAPPENS. I’ll touch on just a few key elements:
First, they were internally motivated. Shay and Henry did not receive a grade for their effort. They did not get extra credit. They won’t receive favorable treatment if they slack off tomorrow just because they showed up on Monday. They showed up because they wanted to.
Second, they were committed. We were off school for MLK Jr Day, and though we recommend that students participate in the National Day of Service, it is far more common that teenagers veg-out on their days off.
Third, they were curios. They were anxious and eager to be in the radio station, to be recorded — they were terrified of being on air, live — to ask each other questions and learn, to talk into excessively large microphones.
Fourth, they was spontaneous, though not at first. The conversation was not pre-scripted. They each showed up with questions they wanted to ask one another. Over the course of 45 minutes, their questions and answers, initially awkward, forced by circumstance, turned into a flowing conversation. They followed up on one another’s points, probing further, wondering why.
Fifth, they respect. Neither Shay nor Henry sought to convince the other of her/his position. Rather, they appreciated the difference and sought to understand.
They finished, and thanked each other. We went to the food-court to grab a bite, and as we sat there chatting, two things were clear: 1, they know and like each other better; 2, learning happens organically. Sadly, this conversation didn’t make their food choices any healthier — that happens in our Gastronomics course.
And my job in the learning process was very simple — create the conditions for this opportunity to become a possibility (GCE field experience and partnerships) and then to get out of the way!
At least on Monday 1.17.2011, that is how learning happened. And it was beautiful. Listen and you’ll hear for yourself.