Tinh-Alfredo V. Khuong

Recently, I've been approached a number of times regarding my faith. I'm sure there are others who are curious but haven't asked because they are "turned-off" by the behavior of particularly annoying individuals who profess to be "Christians."

I came from an atheistic background. Through college, I felt that religion was the effective brainwashing of the more impressionable and needy segment of society and at every opportunity, I influenced others to turn away from it.

In 1999, I began graduate school and met an outstanding student and scholar in the sciences who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Although I cannot say that I agree with everything that I was exposed to at their institute of religion, I did learn a great deal and enough to begin to ask more penetrating questions about Christian religion.

In 2000, I met another incredible scientist who would later become my wife. As we became friends, I constantly challenged the faith to which she stubbornly clung. For some time, I was convinced she was crazy. Nevertheless, it drove me to question and prod even further.

Within a year, I discovered quite a number of reasons to be Christian and few to dissuade me. As I continue to discover what it means to be Christian from a Biblical perspective, I am finding that many of the negative attitudes and behaviors I associated with Christians are more often than not the unfortunate product of ignorance on their part.

With regard to the beginnings of the universe... At this juncture, I am convinced that there is necessarily an element of faith that bridges the gap between the present and the beginning of the universe no matter what you choose to believe whether it is creation, evolution, or any other of a number of hybrids and mutations of the two.

I could drone on for quite some time about religion, but I'll spare you the pain.