In March of 2000 the debate over prayer in public schools heated up yet again as the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of the Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. The case tested a practice of Santa Fe High School - letting a student council chaplain deliver a prayer over the PA system before home football games. Present and former students, as well as parents, sued the school under the establishment clause of the first amendment. In June the Supreme Court sided with the plaintiffs and the school had to stop prayer over the PA.

Debate on religious issues is somewhat limited in high school - attend a parochial school and the curriculum will include prayer and religion classes; attend a public school and religion is kept out of education so that no ones beliefs are belittled. But once students make the transition from high school to college, whether it's a private, religiously-affiliated school or a publicly funded state university, religious education is left up to them. No required religion classes or parents to make them go to church every Sunday. This freedom often worries adults and church leaders, who fear that young adults will lose faith in their beliefs once they enter college. Much has been written about the lack of commitment college students have to their beliefs - James H. Leuba, a prominent researcher of college students' religious beliefs, suggested that a crisis of faith existed on campus in his first study.

"So far as religion is concerned, our students are groveling in darkness," he said. "Christianity, as a system of belief, has utterly broken down, and nothing definite, adequate, and convincing has taken its place. Their beliefs, when they have any, are superficial and amateurish in the extreme. There is no generally acknowledged authority; each one believes as he can, and few seem disturbed at being unable to hold the tenets of the churches."

But many students would argue strongly against Mr. Leuba and point to the growing number of religious organizations and fellowships that have sprung up on campuses over the last decade. Organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) or University Bible Fellowship (UBF), whose main goal is to "help students study the bible and live according to its teachings," have become a visible presence.

Campus Crusade for Christ is one of the largest religious groups. They employ a full-time staff at 150 college campuses nation-wide, as well as helping the churches and student leaders on another 400 campuses. With over 35,920 young adults involved, a number which has steadily increased every year of its existence, CCC reaches out for students of any denomination who believe that the Bible is God's infallible written word. They even host an Internet site where members post stories telling how God, through CCC, has changed their life.

Methodist Students for an All-Inclusive Church (Mo SAIC) is another national group that began in May of 1996. It started in Oklahoma City with a small group of college students reacting against the decision to not strike homophobic language from church law. The students banded together and their mission is part of the Reconciling Congregation Program (RCP) which accepts people of all sexual backgrounds into their church. Proof that today the audience for ministering is wider than ever.

Some religious groups are small, single-campus oriented, while others, like the University Bible Fellowship (UBF) are international in scope. UBF, based in Montreal, Canada, is a Christian evangelism organization that has members in over 87 countries, including the US. While not all chapters of UBF are designated for college students, UBF of Chicago, a major branch of the group, reaches out to university students and has established chapters at Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University and University of Illinois at Chicago.

These and other religious groups are sparking a generation of young adults to get in touch with Christ. But not all organizations look out for the students' well being. Anti-cult experts warn students that while most campus groups are positive organizations, a few seem to have cultic tendencies.

RSQUBF, a group of former UBF members, says there is a difference between orthodox Christian groups and groups with cult-like practices.

A link from the RSQUBF (a group website contains a checklist to help students determine if the organization they are involved with has cultic tendencies. The list was developed by Charles Lesser and published in October of 1991. Lesser encourages students to compare his list with their experiences with their own fellowships and leave their group if they suspect cult-like activities. The checklist, found at Light of Truth Ministries, includes the following questions:

Is your pastor fully accountable to a board of elders, presbyters, et cetera?
Does your pastor avoid boasting or hinting at a 'special anointing'?
Are church members encouraged and loved even when they leave?
Are you free from fear in your church?

Students entering college often make not just the choice of holding onto their beliefs or deciding upon new beliefs, but also the choice of joining a religious group on campus. While many of these groups are positive organizations which help the students on their spiritual path, others can be controlling, even dangerous groups of which students must be aware.