GLBT club at Catholic College

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NewUlm1976_2000 said:
Ok, if this is the same group the OP mentioned, I do not see anything towards GLBT, it probably touches those issues from time to time, but I do not see it as a main focus.

cfimichigan.org/about/

I see a spiritual group, not an atheist group. Examples from past events are the November Interfaith dinner, and a study on the Historical Jesus. Secular Humanist does not equal atheist.

Why are they around on a Catholic College? Overlap in beliefs, epically the Catholic Social Justice Teachings. The US is a secular country, and is not any type of theocracy towards any specific religion. This group is trying to show realistic examples that students at the specific College can use while still in school and beyond College (I would expect there are many non-Catholic who attend the college). It is challenging Social Teachings into more than what is set out by official Catholic sources. It does not invalidate anything in the Catholic Church or any other religion.
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I’ll step in here and agree with you. One of the goals of educational institutions, especially those of higher learning, is to teach critical thinking skills and expose students to various schools of thought. Would classes on humanities, such as those focusing on the Enlightenment, be acceptable to those of you who disagree? How about history and other social studies where the cultures and beliefs of diverse peoples are explored? Should everything that is not “Catholic” be cut out?
:confused:
 
Kevin42 said:
The one at Notre Dame appears to go along with Church teaching fairly well…although there were a few links that were questionable.

corecouncil.nd.edu/church_response/catholicteaching.shtml
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Yes, Kevin 42 your are absolutely correct. The Core Council for Gay and Lesbian student needs is a support group to help those students live chaste lives.

"The Notre Dame Response
The History of the Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students

In the spring of 1995 an Ad Hoc Committee, composed of administrators, faculty, staff and students, was established to recommend how the University should respond to the needs of gay and lesbian students within the context of Catholic teaching."

…a bit of knowledge for “Emeraldcoast”, Notre Dame does not and HAS NEVER had a sanctioned Student Gay Rights/Activist Club. Everyone is made in the image and likeness of God, and it is a Catholic university’s duty to love, respect, and pastor to those individuals suffering from “same sex attraction”. This duty is taken seriously by Campus Ministry at Notre Dame, and this duty needs to be taken seriously by every Catholic University. There are people suffering from same-sex attraction at every Catholic university in the world…including Ave Maria, Christendom etc… Pastoral attention needs to also be diverted to these students as well, always of course “in light of Catholic teaching” (as Notre Dame does).
 
The idea that a Catholic institution should allow a group which is supports a gravely immoral life style on its campus is beyond ridiculous. How can anyone not see this? Do the liberals here have their blinders on?
 
Exalt, you’re coming off as hysterical (though the OP is too, to a lesser extent). Hysteria gets threads closed for no good reason.

There’s nothing wrong with a Catholic college having a GLBT group as long as the group is in support of GLBT individuals and not the GLBT lifestyle. It’s like the difference between an Atheist Club and a Down-With-All-Religion Club: one is just an honest forum for a certain type of people, the other has a political agenda. Obviously the line’s going to be a bit blurred, but that doesn’t mean they should be censored. Showing love towards our GLBT brothers and sisters is entirely Catholic, especially in a college situation where they are probably spending 3/4ths of their time each year for four years.

I can see why they might not want to host the gay rights speaker, on the other hand. They aren’t telling them they’re not allowed to speak, just that the college isn’t going to support them. Truth is not a democracy, and a Catholic college certainly doesn’t have the authority to define dogma, so it couldn’t even really be called a form of protest since the thing being protested couldn’t possibly be changed, at the very least not from the place they are protesting. The college wouldn’t be obliged to allow an adamant KKK member to speak either, and indeed shouldn’t allow such a speaker to hold a forum on campus.
 
Domer1997 said:
Yes, Kevin 42 your are absolutely correct. The Core Council for Gay and Lesbian student needs is a support group to help those students live chaste lives.

"The Notre Dame Response
The History of the Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students

In the spring of 1995 an Ad Hoc Committee, composed of administrators, faculty, staff and students, was established to recommend how the University should respond to the needs of gay and lesbian students within the context of Catholic teaching."

…a bit of knowledge for “Emeraldcoast”, Notre Dame does not and HAS NEVER had a sanctioned Student Gay Rights/Activist Club. Everyone is made in the image and likeness of God, and it is a Catholic university’s duty to love, respect, and pastor to those individuals suffering from “same sex attraction”. This duty is taken seriously by Campus Ministry at Notre Dame, and this duty needs to be taken seriously by every Catholic University. There are people suffering from same-sex attraction at every Catholic university in the world…including Ave Maria, Christendom etc… Pastoral attention needs to also be diverted to these students as well, always of course “in light of Catholic teaching” (as Notre Dame does).
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A bit of a news flash for you as well, Domer1997, I support these groups on the schools. 👍
 
From what I know, the club does not teach within the Catholic perspective. I don’t necessarily know that they promote homosexual behavior. It may be more of just a club where GLBT can feel comfortable. I don’t really know how to phrase that.

Perhaps I can e-mail the faculty advisor for the club and see what the club’s mission is.
 
East_and_West said:
The idea that a Catholic institution should allow a group which is supports a gravely immoral life style on its campus is beyond ridiculous.
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A GLBT club on campus isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can be an opportunity for dialogue which might otherwise never take place.

If the club, which provides social and emotional support, didn’t exist then GLBT students would have to look for such things in the outside world. I can tell you there is a great deal of misinformation and anger regarding the Catholic Church in the gay community. A club on campus may provide the last chance to reach these students before they merge into the larger world.
 
Exalt said:
… It happened in the 11th century, it happened in the 15th century, and it could happen again in the 21st century if the conservative Catholics get thier way.
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Ha! and look how those breakaway sects compare to The One True Church today.

Right makes might. I love knowing my church will never fail.
 
Dale_M said:
A GLBT club on campus isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can be an opportunity for dialogue which might otherwise never take place.

If the club, which provides social and emotional support, didn’t exist then GLBT students would have to look for such things in the outside world. I can tell you there is a great deal of misinformation and anger regarding the Catholic Church in the gay community. A club on campus may provide the last chance to reach these students before they merge into the larger world.
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Such a club would have to be one that promotes Chastity as defined by the Catholic Church in order to be apropriate on a Catholic campus.
 
East_and_West said:
Such a club would have to be one that promotes Chastity as defined by the Catholic Church in order to be apropriate on a Catholic campus.
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Yes, such a club should make Church teaching known and encouraged. Not by beating students with it, but on a softly, softly basis. Even if rejected while a student, the friendly memory may provide ground for a change of life down the road.
 
Here is another example of gay advocates trying to hijack a Catholic thread, now about GLBT at a Catholic college. The Catholics here would do well and not let themselves be baited in this way, and just go on with the discussion on the original topic.
Luckily, that may be occurring here.
This is a Catholic thread and it would be well for the Catholics here to simply hear recent Catholic teaching that gay sex should not be condoned and go on with the original topic.
 
To Hamburglar: As a fellow student of the College in question. I am disgraced that you are bringing internal College issues here. You are not alone, I’m sure. This issue has been blown way out of proportion and it is because of people like you who hide behind their screen names while all of the negative responses fall on the heads of the administration and the students of Aquinas College. I’m glad that you are voiceing your opinion but at least have the courage to stand behind it.

If “Catholic” ever becomes more important than “College” the school will be a joke. This COLLEGE is an inclusive environment of Learning and Inquiry, lets keep it that way!!!
 
bennyoh said:
If “Catholic” ever becomes more important than “College” the school will be a joke. This COLLEGE is an inclusive environment of Learning and Inquiry, lets keep it that way!!!
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That is so true, Colleges and Universities are places to open your minds, not a rote catechism class extension. They are places in the world where the world and Church intersect so each can relate and learn from each other.
 
bennyoh said:
If “Catholic” ever becomes more important than “College” the school will be a joke. This COLLEGE is an inclusive environment of Learning and Inquiry, lets keep it that way!!!
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With regard to the educational forum, the diakonia of truth takes on a heightened significance in societies where secularist ideology drives a wedge between truth and faith. This division has led to a tendency to equate truth with knowledge and to adopt a positivistic mentality which, in rejecting metaphysics, denies the foundations of faith and rejects the need for a moral vision. Truth means more than knowledge: knowing the truth leads us to discover the good. Truth speaks to the individual in his or her the entirety, inviting us to respond with our whole being. This optimistic vision is found in our Christian faith because such faith has been granted the vision of the Logos, God’s creative Reason, which in the Incarnation, is revealed as Goodness itself. Far from being just a communication of factual data - “informative” - the loving truth of the Gospel is creative and life-changing - “performative” (cf. Spe Salvi, 2). With confidence, Christian educators can liberate the young from the limits of positivism and awaken receptivity to the truth, to God and his goodness. In this way you will also help to form their conscience which, enriched by faith, opens a sure path to inner peace and to respect for others…
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Benedict XVI’s Address to Catholic Educators
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I think the problem here is not that there is a group that wants to discuss some issues that they find important but that the school, which is Catholic, pays for it.

Exalt. I agree with you… Luther was silenced in a not so nice way… just like the lutherans in the following decades silenced what they perceived to be heretics and witches in a manner no different when it comes to levels of cruelty.
Today we should not defend Christians’ bad behaviour, neither the catholics’ nor the protestants’. Plenty of nasty things have taken place in the name of Christ… I continue to see a lot of it from both sides. Its not Christian… but it is human.

Now what I think is this: If some people make a dog club and I insist on bringing my cat and call the members of the dog club discrimating when they ask me to leave… are they discriminating…? or are they being reasonable in saying: take your cat to one of the thousand cat clubs?
 
The Catholics on this thread ought to look at what the pope said to Catholic university educators during his meeting with them in Washington April 15. This of course is not to tell the non-Catholics here what to think but rather simply to put this into Catholic perspective. His speech is available at:

catholic.org/popeinamerica/story.php?id=27642
 
GraceDK said:
I think the problem here is not that there is a group that wants to discuss some issues that they find important but that the school, which is Catholic, pays for it.
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I don’t think that is such a problem. The Director of College Relations for Aquinas College was quoted in a Michigan gay newspaper:
“The policy has been in place where when we have a particular speaker addressing a topic and whose content generally opposes the teachings of the Catholic Church, typically the organization hosting the event have a responsibility to provide a balanced discussion,” said Director of College Relations Marty Fahey. “That was not done in this case.”
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“Advocacy of homosexuality or comments regarding homosexuality are such that they are in direct opposition to catholic church teaching and therefore, it (Corvino’s event) should have required an individual or individuals on a panel to debate the topic,” Fahey continued.
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pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=30046

The article states that the policy Fahey mentioned was not in writing, but an informal understanding between the administration and students. Plans are underway to draft a formal written policy.

I think a college or university should be willing to look a multiple perspectives, but that it is also desirable for a Catholic institution to defend Church teachings when they are criticized.

The speaker in question, John Corvino agrees that such policy is reasonable:
So when the organizers asked me how I would feel about having an official Catholic response to my talk, I welcomed the suggestion enthusiastically.
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In short, I welcomed the inclusion of a Catholic response because it was entirely consistent with my aims as an educator. It would manifest Aquinas’s identity not just as a CATHOLIC College, but as a Catholic COLLEGE–a place where serious discussion of controversial issues could take place. It was a win-win-win proposal: good for me, good for the administration, and (most important) good for the Aquinas students, who presumably attend college in part to learn about diverse perspectives and how to evaluate them. Shutting down the event robbed us all of a valuable teaching moment.
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pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=30005

The whole incident is regrettable, and could have been avoided if Aquinas College had a written policy regarding speakers opposed to Church teaching.

Corvino did ultimately speak in town at a local church, drawing 200 audience members - far more than the 75 chairs the students had reserved when the presentation was to be at the college.
 
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