First- and Second-Year Experience is holding a series of seminars known as the Interfaith Conversations to introduce belief systems to attendees.

The conversations are 7-8:30 p.m Wednesday, Feb. 11, 18, 25 and March 4 in the Founders Memorial Library staff lounge.

The Interfaith Conversation series started Wednesday with an introduction to the topic of interfaith conversations. The rest of the seminars include introductions to Judaism, Hinduism, Secular Humanism, Islam, and Christianity, according to a flier for the event. Each topic will include a guest speaker, a question and answer session, and a text reading from that day’s religion. The series was organized by Denise Rode, First- and Second-Year Experience director, and Paul Crawford, Community College Relations director.

Goals for the Interfaith Conversations are “to foster understanding, to offer a framework for engaging others in interbelief conversation, three, to identify similarities in different belief systems, and four, to promote cooperation among diverse groups of people,” Crawford said. J.D Bowers, who is speaking at the Secular Humanist conversation, said he wanted to talk about the growing trend of leaving religions behind among America’s youth. Bowers plans on looking into why more people are growing further apart from religion.

“… Why is it non-religious are climbing? Why is it your generation that is leaving churches? Even if you don’t give up your beliefs, in Jesus or God or whatever, you’re still not going to church. Especially in the United States; we are unchurched. We are quickly becoming unchurched,” Bowers said.