It’s a bit more complex than an objection to the Crucifix at a Catholic University. The title of the article is misleading and the issue is not over all Crosses but rather a request to have a single room, devoid of Catholic symbols and icons, in which they can use for their own use – prayer in this case. The University has been forcing them to use a Chapel.
Not according to the articles. The university has been allowing them to use empty classrooms in different areas of the university in order to meet thier prayer schedule. The lawyer is requesting that rooms be set aside for the purpose of Muslim prayer. The university hasn’t been “forcing” them to use any particular space.
I did not read that they want the Crosses removed – only for there to be a room that is devoid of Catholic symbols. If the University admits Muslim students and knew they were admitting them, then they should have been prepared for this eventuality.
The Muslim students didn’t request this. It was the brainchild of a GW professor.
What you are saying is that the University is in a no-win situation. If it admits only Christians, it is discriminatory but if it admits Muslims, it has to give up Catholicity.
The simplest course of action would be to find one room and devote it to them for their use – removed of any Catholic Crosses and other icons. Surely, there is one room somewhere in the University and the courts will look to the burden of finding an empty room to provide these students for prayer and find that the University can meet that burden.
The simplist course of action would be to make a rule that all non-Catholic worship occur off-campus.
And trust me on this one, as an American, I’m not likely to come to the defense of Muslims – have little interest in supporting the advancement of their self-interpreting religion-- because I actually think there are some times less obvious reasons for their demands and inconsistencies.
Keeping in mind that these demands do not come from Muslims.
However, in this case the University is wrong on the law – the title of the article is not what the issue is really about (intending to mislead the reader), and the simplest and correct solution is to allow them a room in which to pray – before they spend good money having the Courts force the issue. And the Church will lose on this one
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I agree the University is wrong. But where they went wrong was in trying to accomodate non-Catholic worship in the first place. They should have just made it clear from the beginnning that while members of other faiths are welcome, their worship must go off-campus. That’s how most religious universities operate. But Catholic ones have tried to be more welcoming.
Forcing them to pray in a Chapel is an egregious violation of religious freedom in our country.
No one is forced to pray in the chapel. Even if the chapel was the only space available, which it isn’t, the students would have had the option of going to their own dorms to pray.
It does not matter what I or you believe about the Muslim faith itself. I wonder at why the Administration was not more mindful of this issue when they chose to admit Muslims?
But it does matter what you and I believe about the Catholic faith and about Catholic education. Catholic schools have been admitting students of all faiths for generations. It is unrealistic for you to have expected them to predict this wacko prof’s tactics after decades of not having problems.
It’s funny because it’s true!
:clapping: :yup: