Christian apologetics student organization Ratio Christi seeks to find the truth and reason behind their beliefs through weekly meetings and displays in Free Speech Alley.

Mechanical engineering senior Samuel Gilliam is the current president and has been a part of the organization since 2019. His job is to facilitate and moderate conversation and discussion while sometimes also leading the discussions.

Every Monday at 7 p.m., Ratio Christi meets in the International room in the Student Union Building to discuss various topics that last about 20 minutes. The meetings usually begin with a short game, such as one called “Raiders of the Lost Art,” where they view modern, abstract, or sculpture art and have to select the correct name for the piece. The main goal is to bring the group together before the speakers and discussion begin. 

The game is then followed by a topic taught by organization officers or guest speakers. That topic is then discussed for the rest of the meeting.

“Anyone is free to voice disagreements with what was taught,” Gilliam said. “If there are any complex philosophical or theological questions, we often spend a lot of time discussing those and trying to all understand, learn and grow together into a better understanding.”

Ratio Christi came to LSU in 2019 when the organization’s advisers, Danny and Becky Loe, recruited members to get it started at the university. It began as a small group composed mostly of Christians but now has gained many new members, including non-Christians.

Gilliam said the club is focused on the primary goal of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes four main points. These points range from how they believe that “God is holy, perfect and good” to having faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord to be saved.

“We desire to discuss big issues, learn why we believe what we believe, and ultimately get challenged by those that disagree with us as we grow in knowledge and understanding,” he said. “In doing so, we, of course, share the gospel, but we often choose to do so by confronting the issues head-on.”

One of Ratio Christi’s central ideas is that when there comes a point in a discussion when someone cannot defend what they believe, they “ought not to believe it,” according to Gilliam.

The group’s tagline is “Thoughtful Christianity,” as they don’t want to be Christians that only believe in what they think because it’s what their parents told them. The goal is to create a broader understanding of what they think and why they believe it.

Entrepreneurship junior Elijah Chambless is the secretary and social media manager for Ratio Christi. He produces social media content and graphics for upcoming meetings and discussion topics. During meetings, he takes notes and monitors general etiquette, such as respectfulness.

“We thrive in hosting discussions on important topics and allowing people with differing worldviews to reason with one another — in the form of productive conversation rather than spiteful debate, unlike what we mostly see in the media today,” Chambless said.

According to Chambless, the organization’s goal this year is to double its average attendance of what is usually 15 to 25 attendees. So far this semester, this goal has been accomplished.

Chambless also said a new segment of the club, titled “Devil’s Advocate,” has been added. For Devil’s Advocate, two subject matter experts will debate about a specific topic, followed by time to ask questions. The first session focused on Christian worship and spiritual gifts.

“The organization, though diverse in worldviews and religious affiliations, is social vibrant and exudes a palpable warmth when we all commune together after meetings,” said Chambless, “It has given some of our freshmen members the community they’d wish for upon starting at university.”

Political communications freshman Nicolas Bordelon was introduced to Ratio Christi in August by Chambless and became a member of the group after attending two meetings.

“The love for Christ and the constant search for truth made Ratio Christi a no-brainer choice for me,” he said.

Bordelon said being surrounded by critical thinkers who want to talk about and share their ideas makes the club exciting and enjoyable.