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BC faculty, students reflect on crucifixes
In today's paper, I have a story about the installation of crucifixes and other icons in all of Boston College's classrooms, part of a broader effort to increase the amount of Christian art and iconography at the Jesuit school.
I reached out to a number of faculty and students to gather reaction to the development; there wasn't room for much of it in the paper, but the Web has no such constraints, so here's a sampling:
From Mary Crane, chairwoman of the English department:
"The classrooms that English department faculty teach in were among the first to receive religious art when the program to introduce it into BC classrooms started about 6 years ago. So I think a lot of English department faculty are surprised by the fact that this has become an issue now, when the placement of religious art in classrooms has been ongoing for several years.There has never been open discussion of this issue on campus, and I do think it's good that people are talking about it. Faculty opinions on this are mixed and I can only speak for myself (as a non-Catholic faculty member). I'm not bothered by the presence of crosses and crucifixes in classrooms. The classroom that I'm teaching in this semester has a cross with the label "Boston College Guatemala Immersion Trip." Many of the religious images were brought back from service trips, and reflect the artistic traditions of different (Christian) cultures. So I see this particular cross as at least in part a symbol of the Jesuit commitment to service and social justice, which I admire. I think that faculty who teach in a university with a religious affiliation do need to be active in making sure that academic freedom is protected. But the presence of religious images in classrooms doesn't seem to me to be an infringement of academic freedom. I accept it as a valid expression of BC's identity. I know that there are some faculty who feel unable to teach in a classroom that contains a Christian image, and I think classrooms without those images should be available. I personally would prefer to see images from a range of religious traditions represented in classrooms although I also see why BC wants to emphasize its Catholic identity."
From Michael J. Naughton, chairman of the physics department:
"I have not polled anyone, and have only spoken of the issue to a few colleagues in my department. I would say that the physics faculty are likely similar to the university faculty as a whole: there is mixed reaction, varying from disagreement, to indifference, to acceptance as a fact of life at the Catholic university that BC is, to defense of the position. There seem to be two issues: the what and the when, with the perception of a relationship between them. That is, some people, including me, can appreciate the fact that some colleagues are unhappy with the timing of when items were put up (over the Christmas break), suspecting an intentional stealthiness at play. Whether this was the intention of the university or not (I personally give it the benefit of the doubt), I get the feeling that opinions on the "what" have been prejudiced by this "when". I think there is a healthiness in the fact that there is academic debate developing on the subject, though perhaps not (yet) in a fully organized manner. I certainly hope the issue doesn't degenerate into something divisive. On the contrary, several science faculty, along with other faculty and administrators, from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, have been participating for more than a year on a "Catholic Intellectual Traditions" seminar series."
From Michael Resler, chairman of the German studies department:
"First of all, I myself am not personally offended by these crucifixes. However, I know for certain that others are offended by their presence in our classrooms. Indeed, that fact alone is in my view cause enough for us all to be, if not offended, then certainly discomfited, particularly in an academic environment where open and unfettered intellectual inquiry ought to preclude the presence of more narrowly based, parochial symbols. What DOES offend me -- and very emphatically so -- is the manner in which these crucifixes were installed, namely in the stealth of night (during semester break, when no one was around to object) and without any consultation or debate among members of our academic community. Indeed, we were not only not consulted, we were not even told, after the fact, that this had been done. I must add that this actually doesn't surprise me, since this is the way in which Boston College is typically run: from the top down and with little if any input from students or faculty. Furthermore, what is most stunning (not to say, ironic) to me is that this "religious art" is being placed in public, academic spaces at a time when Catholicism is very much alive and well here at Boston College, far more so than when I first arrived here in the late 1970s. Is our upper administration unable to grasp that the Catholic tradition is vibrant and stout here at Boston College? That would certainly appear to be the case! In that regard, I am reminded of the sort of paranoia not uncommon in certain parts of our world where a portrait of the local dictator can routinely be found hanging on the walls of classrooms and other public spaces. Indeed, I witnessed many times with my own eyes such idolatry in the former East Germany, where, before the Berlin Wall fell, Erich Honecker or Walter Ulbricht -- the various Soviet puppets in the German Democratic Republic -- could be seen staring down from on high at any and all. Mind you: I am NOT equating Jesus with Communist (or other) tyrants! Rather, I recognize in this odd coincidence between such portraits and our own "religious art" a common thread: namely, a seemingly desperate (though in our case wholly unnecessary) attempt to confirm an ideology that might well not be self-sustaining in the absence of such external reminders. Does our upper administration really lack confidence in the viability of this particular aspect of our enterprise at Boston College? And finally, our beautiful campus is already teeming with truly lofty (in contrast to some of the classroom "art" that I've seen) reminders of Boston College's religious identity. One need only spend a few quiet moments in St. Mary's Chapel to sense the richness of the Catholic tradition -- and I say that as a non-Catholic, as an outsider if you will. Even a glance upward to the lofty tower of Gasson Hall provides daily inspiration to all of us on this campus -- uplifting and broadly-based inspiration surely not designed to appeal only to a narrow slice of our community. In a word, I am embarrassed by this recent development."
From Maxim D. Shrayer, chairman of the Slavic & Eastern Languages and Literatures department. Shrayer, in his thirteenth year at Boston College, cofounded the Jewish Studies Program; he is currently recovering from surgery, so he hasn't been to campus recently, but he responded to my inquiry by e-mail:
"As an educator, I believe that the display of religious signs and symbols, such as the crucifix, in the classroom is contrary to the letter and spirit of open intellectual discourse that makes education worth while and distinguishes first-rate universities from mediocre and provincial ones. As an author and scholar, a naturalized Jewish American, and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, I deeply respect all religious identities, creeds and beliefs as well as one's right to have no personal metaphysics. However, I hold that trying to represent differences of faith and identity by displaying more religious symbols in the classroom is counterproductive, as there will always be a minority group that feels unrepresented. Therefore, I do not see the prospect of adding Judaic, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu etc. religious symbols to Catholic ones already prominently displayed on our campus as a sensitive solution. The solution lies in making all our classrooms free of all religious displays."
I also reached out to some students and staff. Here are some of their thoughts, starting with Patrick Fouhy, past editor of the student newspaper, The Heights:
"Upon returning from winter break this year I did notice the increase of crucifixes in classrooms on campus. Personally, I'm glad that the university decided to increase the number of crucifixes in classrooms on campus. Boston College welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all religious persausions, but at the end of the day it is a Jesuit Catholic institution and the crucifixes are a nice reminder of that. BC's Catholic identity contributed to my decision to come here, and I know it played a role in many other student's selection of BC. I don't see how anybody can possibly take offense to their placement across campus, given BC's identity and the fact that they're only in classrooms. What's more is that many of the crucifixes were brought back from service trips students participated in over the years. Service is central to BC's culture as well, which gives the crucifixes even more meaning on campus. I have not heard of any student protest to their placement on campus, but a there has been a small amount of discussion amongst students about the objection of some faculty members."
From Christopher Denice, president of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC):
"I personally have not noticed any additional crucifixes on the campus, but I have read articles in the student newspapers about them. Personally, I think the University has the prerogative to add the crosses and I don't feel it should be a point of contention for people; everyone here knows and understands that BC is a Jesuit, Catholic school. The addition of crucifixes does not change anything."
From Tokufumi Noda, president of the Interfaith Dialogue Club of Boston College:
"Though I was not aware that it was a campus-wide change, I have noticed the new crucifixes in the few classrooms I have been in and the topic has come up with my friends on occasion. I personally think that the change is a subtle reminder of the challenges Boston College faces as it negotiates between its Jesuit identity and the increasingly multi-religious student body. Also, as the university continues to grow in popularity, perhaps this is one way to brand itself as a Jesuit university. In the past, the presence of crucifixes has been an interesting point of conversation. One Jewish student has shared that the presence of crucifixes has made her all the more aware of her "Jewish-ness" and so has prompted her to look deeper into her own faith."
From Elissa Klein, director of Jewish Life at Boston College:
"I spoke to several Jewish undergraduates tonight, who were all apathetic about the new religious art. It seems that many failed to notice it entirely. Others found it a minor change."
Finally, here's a statement from the Rev. T. Frank Kennedy, a professor of music and the rector of BC's Jesuit Community, who spearheaded the effort to install more Christian art on the BC campus:
"During the academic year 2000, Father William P. Leahy, the President of Boston College asked me to chair a committee of administrators, faculty and students that was charged with displaying Christian Art in spaces inside and outside the buildings on the university campus. The charge of the committee was to reflect in those spaces, through images (sculptures, crosses, icons, banners, mosaics, Marian imagery etc) the Catholic heritage that is Boston College as it identifies itself as a Catholic and Jesuit university. The committee always viewed this project as a long term one. We began in 2000 with some large projects as well as small. On the campus one can view two beautiful mosaics in the foyer outside of the Registrar’s office in Lyons Hall, one of Dorothy Day, of Catholic Worker fame, the other of Pedro Arrupe, S.J. beloved former Superior General of the Society of Jesus who re-inspired us with his invitation to us to become “men and women for others.” Outside we can contemplate two stunning sculptures commissioned by the university for our reflection: the “Tree of Life,” by Peter Rockwell, a whimsical fountain that plays upon imagery from the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and “St Ignatius Loyola” by Pablo Eduardo a neo-baroque expression of the call to be “contemplatives in action.” In buildings around the university we began to mount Christian imagery in classrooms beginning with Christian Art that students brought back to campus from various immersion and service trips sponsored by the university. As the years have passed the classroom project has gradually been completed on the main campus. I suppose a question might be posed to Boston College as to what purpose this Christian Art serves? In a world that is pretty successfully driven by media (imagery) ours is a response that seeks to pose the age-old invitation of Christ to enter into love – a love that is made perfect in its unselfishness. John Paul II spoke of the crucifix on September 15, 2002 saying “It is the sign of God, who has compassion on us, who accepts human weakness, who opens to us all, to one another, and therefore creates the relation of fraternity.” The Pope also went on to say that though this symbol has been abused in history, it is the Christian’s duty to reclaim that symbol as an invitation to love. An invitation to love, and an invitation to faith is exactly that, an invitation. One is not required to respond, one can decline, and one can have many reasons for declining the invitation, but to imply that a Jesuit and Catholic university is not free to offer this invitation is simply an impossibility. For the identity of Boston College as a Jesuit and Catholic institution which we so proudly have inherited, and so happily transmit to the next generation of alumni/alumnae, impels us as John Paul also noted, “to offer to share the deep desire we have of recognizing ourselves in the crucifix, and of seeing it, not as something that divides, but as something that is to be respected by all, and that in a certain sense can unify.” As a musician and musicologist, I have noted the how we as humans use all kinds of imagery as symbols of our identity: music, sculpture, poetry, painting, dance… perhaps these are even more necessary than words. This is what I notice happening with the present generation of students. Conservative and liberal labels don’t apply here. Pre and post Vatican II comparisons are not helpful. I find our present generation reaching for symbols in a new way (and yet curiously using the same symbols of old) to help them find those deepest desires of their hearts: for peace, unity, a sense of belonging and an abiding presence of love. Not every symbol carries the same meaning for everyone. In fact, perhaps the richest symbols are the ones that are multivalent that make us reflect carefully upon who we are. The invitation continues."
(Photo, by Essdras M. Suarez of the Globe staff, shows a crucifix in a classroom in Cushing Hall at BC.)
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It's a Catholic school they should be able to have Catholic symbols just as a Jewish school should be able to have a star of David and Muslim etc. just as an American classroom should be able to have an American Flag.
This is outrageous!!! We cannot sit by idle, while Catholic buildings are adorned by their religious symbols. If this is tolerated, next the Catholics will want free speech.
Were the Crucifixes and statues of the Blessed Mother and other saints on the walls at Boston College at its beginning? I believe so. They were very important reminder's in the Catholic grade and high schools.
Times do change and not always for the better. Fifty years ago many students would work two summer jobs to earn the tuition to attend Boston College as commuter students or they would work a full time day job in order to attend BC four nights a week while still living home and taking buses and subway to get to BC. It was a privilege but impossible to do now. Being Catholic is good but not what it once was. The religious reminders are a positive thing.
Money became Boston College's God.
Strikes me that it is about "market". With Notre Dame and Georgetown arguably ahead of BC in (Roman) Catholic reputation, the issue for BC and the others is to remain Roman Catholic and be welcoming to all. BC will become increasingly sectarian if they appear to be triumphalist-Catholic, and they will lose their Roman Catholic identity if they have a majority of their students from other faith traditions. It is a fine line, and BC wants to become THE premier Catholic institution, without alienating others who attend and are welcomed at BC, and alienate the faculty and administrators who come from other traditions, but still support the intentions of the Board of Trustees, who remain predominantly Catholic.
While symbolism is important, what is more important is the tone of discourse on campus, whether the social & economic justice issues (the poor, war, etc.) are discussed, researched and acted upon. More important than symbols are the opportunities for people of service to those less fortunate through vacation activities and or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. If BC can help create discerning adults who live their faith in service to others it will have met the goal of a great research/teaching university. This is not attained simply by increasing the number of crucifixes per square yard.
I'm very fond of BC, it provided me with 24 years of employment, and educated our sons and daughter who are thoroughly decent people doing interesting things. I have been shaped by my close association with Jesuit institutions, and I'm not Catholic.
Mary Crane says: "I know that there are some faculty who feel unable to teach in a classroom that contains a Christian image, and I think classrooms without those images should be available."
I'm sure these faculty don't mind cashing their Catholic paychecks!
It is about time that Boston College took this step. The next step for BC is to return back to its original charter and that is as a Catholic University to provide a good college education to the youth that live in the Greater Boston area. BC should re-examine their admission requirements and stop denying admissions to qualified students who live in Greater Boston because that quota is filled and they need to attract students from around the world
It's a private Catholic institution, to be run as they see fit. No consultation with faculty or students required. If you have a problem with it, either as a student, faculty, or staff, pack up your stuff and find another university to attend. End of story.
Funny how they complain about "when" they were installed... What would they have preferred... "Excuse me, professor, while I hammer this nail into the wall to hang this. Ok.. all set.. carry on with your lecture."
Rather than appear disgruntled about the icons, they attack the method. The underlying message is clear.
They're a Catholic school so they can do what they want. Just like Obama the Muslim is free to put up Islamic symbols all over the white house.
A Catholic school has a crucifix in their classrooms. Where exactly is the problem again? I find it hilarious that some of these schmuck profressors are upset they did this to the rooms while they were all on break. Did you want them to interrupt classes during the semester to put these up? One prof is upset that the faculty wasn't around to object to this. As if he was going to stand in the doorway of all the classrooms and block them or something. He sounds like a hippie protestor that belongs at UC Berkley instead.
We are not Catholic (non-religious Protestant background), but my daughter went to BC and graduated in 1996. She loved her time there and is proud of being a BC grad, but I think she would have gone elsewhere if all the Catholic symbolism was up then. I certainly hope she would have. As one who finds some of the beliefs of the Catholic church offensive I wouldn't want to imagine my daughter in a classroom with a crucifix on the wall. I just don't like organized religion. At the time I was okay with her going there because there weren't crucifixes, etc. everywhere.
Why would non-Catholics or non-Christians even GO to a Catholic University if they find a crucifix to be "offensive"? Using the word "offensive" (which I've seen in other articles) almost implies that these people find Catholicism itself (unless kept in the wings) to be offensive. As liberal and open-minded as some Catholic universities may be, they are still Catholic places of learning. Non-Catholics who are treated at Catholic hospitals do not seem to complain about crucifixes on the walls or nuns in habits, etc. They are there to be made better by skilled doctors and nurses. Students in universities are being "made better" in another sense by skilled teachers. That should be their focus.
As a BC student you accepted enrollment to a Jesuit university and once your there you complain about Catholic symbols. Your parents are wasting GOOD MONEY on you.
I am proud to see a Catholic institution displaying symbols of their heritage and belief set. This nation routinely requires Catholics to be self-apologetic and bland and to conceal such images out of concern for offending those who do not share their beliefs. This inconsistency is unfair and it should be corrected. What would the reaction be if society pressured the Jewish community into concealing their faith and quietly blending into the masses? Such a "request" would be unjust and unacceptable and no doubt met with instant and fierce resistance out of concern that their faith was being discretely erased. And to argue over the manner in which these images were installed is purely semantic. Let's keep our eye on the ball. It's the presence of these images that is the true issue. If faculty or students feel uncomfortable, they are free to fill out transfer applications or seek employment at universities without religious affiliation.
It has never ben hidden that this is a catholic school. if you dont like it, LEAVE!
Simple.
You wouldnt go to oral roberts university or BYU and not expect mormon doctrine, i mean come on people.
Heck my wife went to lasalle in PA which is a cchristian school. same thing, but if you agree to got here you agree to the schools total package.
A Jesuit School chooses to display religious items in its classroom!?! The people complaining about this would probably be protesting the fact that thereare guns, military history books, and the American Flag at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy. Academic discourse now means if you don't like my position, then YOU are intolerant and must change to make me happy. The bottom line, it is a privately run, RELIGIOUS school. If you don't like it, don't le tthe door hit you in the rear on your way out.
Get over it. It's a Catholic College. Go to another school if it offends you. Get real.
Every school I've ever been associated with scheduled its work on classrooms and hallways during school breaks--this is a courtesy, not a conspiracy.
As for the propriety of Catholic symbols in BC classrooms, the question makes me wonder what should be expected from the educational environment in a Catholic college? At the very least the symbolism should be in place...at the very least.
I thought people at BC were supposed to be smart? It is a private, Catholic college. They can do whatever they want to their buildings and classrooms, whenever they feel like it. It is like walking into a church and being offended that there is religious symbols all over the place. What dumb, dumb people. I went to a private, Catholic college and no one was offended by a crucifix or the fact that the school emailed things to the student body about mass on Sunday or prayer services. You know why, because it was a Catholic school and everyone assumed that would be incorporated into living and learning there. And the guy that says, 'First of all, I myself am not personally offended by these crucifixes. However, I know for certain that others are offended by their presence in our classrooms. Indeed, that fact alone is in my view cause enough for us all to be, if not offended, then certainly discomfited...' that is a ridiculous comment. You answered the question when you said you were not personally offended. Case closed, next question.
Incredible - this is the BEST news that has come out of BC in a long time. May the trend continue is all Jesuit Schools across the nation. If is equally incredible anyone would complain about this. As one of the Jesuits said - it is a small controversy for small minded people.
Boston College is a Catholic School and has the right to post any religious symbol that states its Catholic tradition, even without consultation. From my point of view, any religious symbol from any faith deserves our respect. I never would consider it as offensive; it is a way to express your own Faith. Even when I see symbols from other Faiths I feel they are sacred and deserve my respect. If we live in a Country That has promoted and is proud of its diversity, why just putting crucifixes in all classrooms has created such an issue? Let Boston College do whatever they feel in stating its religious affiliance!
The range of issues surfacing from BC's display of religious art itself testifies to the complex role that symbols exercise within culture. As a Catholic Ph.D. specializing in Media and Cultural Studies, I have watched with increasing interest over the years as BC grapples with the issues of Catholic identity, its role in the broader community (especially beyond Boston), and most especially, the relationship between symbols and culture.
One of the first lessons of Cultural Studies is that no symbol means any one thing, and this is certainly playing out at BC. Several different people representing different views are interpreting different meanings for this symbol. One of the recurring themes in oppositional responses, for example, is that the imposition of the crucifix in every classroom somehow engenders a limit on open intellectual inquiry. Such a conclusion, however, fails to recognize the fundamental mission of BC as a Jesuit institution, and a fundamental lesson of Cultural Studies: context defines a symbol. Within the context of a Jesuit institution, following in the footsteps of Ignatius Loyola, a crucifix in the classroom neither limits nor confronts openness and intellectual freedom—it licenses it. As a Jesuit institution, everything BC does is supposed to be in the service of God (now, whether it lives up to that mandate is a very different discussion). BC's Jesuit mandate is to constantly strive for truth, not for its own sake—which is the limitation of secular education—but as part of a higher mission: the infinite quest to obtain more knowledge so as to better dedicate oneself to the service of God. From this perspective, what good is knowledge if it is not going to be put to use feeding the poor, comforting the sick, making peace in a violent world. The modern world has no small number of examples of where rational knowledge has outstripped moral reasoning and commitments.
In this respect, a crucifix in every classroom is a statement—an unashamed ideological pronouncement—that every intellectual quest in every space of the institution is in the service of God: to make knowledge work for a more just and loving world. Again, that it may not live up to this mandate is a different issue.
That the world is fundamentally in need of more people struggling for peace and justice, that the world is fundamentally turning its back on the promise and invitation of God leads BC to recognize that the struggle over the meaning of the sign is a struggle over power. In this case, BC is trying to use its power as a major Catholic institution of higher learning to reappropriate the meaning of the crucifix: to designate it as an invitation to love—as as a sign of God's love for all (a love so great he gave his only son). That this symbol has been abused and misappropriated by Christians to visit all kinds of injustice and injury upon different groups of people through history is all the more reason why a Catholic institution must be engaged in the process of reappropriating it—of transforming its meaning into one of universal love.
In the end, what BC is recognizing is that they are competing in the Cultural Marketplace—something institutional Christianity has not been successful at in the modern era. Indeed, the media's overwhelming association of Christianity with the confined literalism and worldview of the religious right, the bifurcation of American Catholicism into a right-left split that is nearly identical to secular politics, and the overwhelming preference of people's taste for the materialism, comfort, and sensuality that modern culture promises, all demonstrate how poorly institutional Christianity has responded to the triumph of secular humanism. Is BC better off focusing their intellectual fire-power on creating a new aesthetic for Christianity, one that can more ably compete for the imagination of people? Most assuredly, they would be, but recognizing their stake in a struggle over meaning, realizing the significant role that symbolic production exercises in fulfilling their purpose, and reclaiming the core symbols of their true identity and purpose is still a profound advance in the right direction--and more than most institutions are capable of .
ClarindaGould,
People like you crack me up. You call crucifixes and Catholicism "offensive", but you still send your daughter to BC. Reality check: Its a Catholic School, you knew that when your daughter chose to go there. If you find Catholicism so offensive, then you should have sent her to another school. Its called common sense. That's like expecting West Point to hide its military symbols or BYU to conceal its Mormon heritiage just to accomodate you because you disagree with it. Get real!
I'm just graduated from BC and as a muslim I am in no way offended by the crosses in the classroom. It is a Catholic institution and their right to put the crosses whereever they may please. One should realize when attending a Catholic university there WILL be crosses on campus!
If you don't like it - don't work there or go to school there.
If you went to a Jewish College they would have Jewish symbols.
That being said, what happened to Religious tolerance?
No one is saying you have to be Catholic to work there.
BC is not demanding you convert to Catholicism, just that you RESPECT Catholic icons and dogma.
I went to a catholic college, with students from all over the world and every type of religion, as a matter of fact, we HAD to take 2 religion classes to graduate. They were NOT Catholic training, but other religions and their beliefs, explaining the differences between different types of religious beliefs, including Native American Spirit and Hindu and Budist!
Get real
I find it interesting and somewhat encouraging that it was the students who commented in the article who had the more lucid and tolerant opinions.
Leave it to the German professor to equate crucifixes and Catholic Art to the idolatry of dictators and tyrants. Sorry, sir, your disclaimer is as weak as your argument that Catholic ideology at the school may not be sustainable "without external reminders".
Situational awareness - you are employed by a Catholic institution.
Good bye little boys & girls, head over to Northeastern or UMass. It is a Jesuit school and it's about time everyone recognized that!! Don't do your bongs under a cross.
From the BC website:
"Boston College is committed to maintaining and strengthening the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the University, and especially its commitment to integrating intellectual, personal, ethical, and religious formation; and to uniting high academic achievement with service to others."
Sticking to their mission is a fine example BC sets for its students! Makes me proud to be an alumnus.
Why would someone get offended at a Catholic/Jesuit school having crucifixes or other religious symbols? That's absurd.
I am more concerned about BC's ongoing encroachment in the Brighton neighborhood, the desired conversion of the quiet, St John's Seminary to undergrad dorms, the quiet purchase of 2000 Comm Ave followed by a loud announcement that it would be turned to student housing, and the continuing desire of BC to purchase the Chestnut Hill Reservoir to fill in and turn into a baseball field. Never mind the intoxicated, often underage, students urinating all around public areas near Mary Anne's. A catholic school putting up catholic symbols should not even be news.
It's about time BC got back to its mission, well articulated by Vincent Rocchio above. BC faculty members who don't understand the importance and true and deepest meaning of these symbols should simply not be teaching at BC.
I have a child there now. I am thrilled with this start at reclaiming our Catholic faith
It's a Catholic school!!! If you don't like what they have to offer, go somewhere else. I'm sure there are plenty of left-wing colleges and universities that the nominal Christian/pagan crowd can attend without being offended.
Remember this is the same school that had a kid almost get killed because he walked in front of an oncoming trolley. BC is known as a safety/legacy school for a reason.
Wow, so much common sense all over these comments, I can't believe it. Why do members of academia hate religion so much? It's a personal choice. That seems to be a valid explanation for sexual orientation, clothing, musical preferences, etc... when they want it to be. Why is that not OK for religion? Why is this very vocal minority unable to grasp the concept of what a private institution is? If you don't share their opinion, 1) don't teach there, or 2) don't PAY to go there...
My husband and I are both graduates of Jesuit Universities and are Catholic.
My granddaughter - not Catholic , but from a strong Christian family, is attending BC. I expect a strong Catholic identity at a Jesuit University and am very happy
that there are now crucifixes in every classroom. I would expect no less! If anyone is unhappy with that, let them go to a secular university. Now BC needs to look at their mission statement and work on strengthening the personal and ethical formation of students in the dorms where "anything goes" , including drinking and cohabitation. We owe it to the parents who have entrusted the education of their children to a Jesuit university.
#27 above quoted the BC website. BC's Catholic identity cannot be considered a surprise to anyone who did their research ahead of time. Why is this considered a controversy?
As #34 said, now it's time for BC to work on eliminating binge drinking and sexual immorality - those are not Christian values.
This is like buying a house in a flood zone,and as soon as it rains you complain.
When you entered the school you knew what it stood for. Get over it or move on,there are plenty of students or teachers that would love to take your place
having gone to both a Jewish school (Brandeis) and a Catholic school (BC). I do not see what the big deal is. they do make you take a religion class, but don't force Christianity down your throat, just like Brandeis does not force Judaism down anyone's throat.
of bigger issue is how are people even going to be able to afford these schools in today's economy?
and to the guy that called Obama a Muslim... grow up!
An old BC Alumnus (post #6),
From another old BC Alumnus; as the old Budweiser tag line used to say, you've said it all.
AMEN!
Glad to see the general support for BC's decision. Hope the faculty gets the message.
BC = Catholic school. If you don't like it, BU is right down the road...
Your yamakah and your menorahs are really bothering me. Please take them down.
This is why I'm glad I go to BU!
#19's comment ..."this is THE BEST news to come out of BC in a long time" is so true!
Thank you BC, Thank you art installation committee, Thank you Fr. Leahy!!
After years of sitting back silently while other religions have criticized, ridiculed and persecuted Catholicism, who would think that the installation of the most reverent Catholic symbol of God's love for us, the crucifix, would united so many Catholics from all walks of life?
Call this art installation fiasco brilliant, call it fantastic, call it divine. I am thrilled to see Catholics united and speaking up to defend their faith.
Should BC be in need of monetary contributions to purchase more
crucifixes to install daytime, nighttime, weekends, holidays-please call me! I will gladly donate to sucha worthy cause.
For those offended and threatened by the presence of the crucifix, please leave. There are plenty other more tolerant and deserving students, professors and administrators who would be thrilled to take your places.
I applaud Boston College. I hope they put up even more Catholic symbols on Campus. If you do not like it, then pack your bags. Many people are looking for jobs right now and would gladly take a position. I hope that the college scruitizes the negative comments about its Jesuit traditions made by these faculty members. They have made the Admistration look badly. I'll say it again, if you don't like it, go work else where. Good Job Boston College. You have a LOT OF SUPPORT From the community.
If a professor doesn't like having a crucifix in his classroom, he shouldn't be teaching in a CATHOLIC college!!!
Speaking as a present student of Boston College, I have a few issues to take up quickly before I go about more religiously unaffiliated tasks here.
A lot of the comments seem to be concerned with the fact that we "pay to go to a Catholic school" and we "shouldn't be surprised" that they have Catholic paraphernalia. Speaking as a religiously unaffiliated youngster here, it IS surprising: certainly it's something that teachers should have been made aware of. It's all well and good to say we signed up for this, but I came here for what was promised: a sectarian education, exactly as it was told to me by teachers, students, and administrators when I was applying. (We say "One Nation, Under God" but our cielings don't all need to look like the Sistine Chapel...)
Your fiery, zealous support is also ridiculous for a variety of reasons expressed earlier: first, the "Jesuit Tradition" at BC is exactly as described: "from the top down!" While there are a fair amount of Catholics at BC, it seems to be largely nominal; few attend mass, almost all have engaged in sex before marriage, usually with more than one other person, and many are unclear about the basic tenets of the faith (and the differences between the three Judeo-Christian religions).
Secondly, this kind of move (putting a crucifix in the classroom) is being treated in the same style that most of the other "Jesuit" rules at BC are: it is being ignored. Students may not have noticed the crucifixes because many have been moved behind doors to classrooms, so they can't be seen. Not exactly the triumphant blow for Catholicism that most commentators seem to think... Similarly, BC has a policy of "no co-habitation," meaning that men and women can't sleep in the same room. Moving past the childishness of institutional enforcement of religious beliefs (if people don't believe, why force it on them?), one of the first things you are told when the Orientation dust clears is that the worst you'll get for having a girl in your room for a weekend is a high-five. If you're so sure this is a bastion of Catholic goodness, you need to come here and get an education.
I think it's fine to have a crucifix in the classroom; but it should be because those who are in that classroom (the teachers/ students) want it there. Not because Fathers who are seen only at graduation declare it so. If we wanted religious items in our classes, we could have brought them, thank you very much. That's what freedom of speech is: not the in-your-face faith we've recently been subjected to.
Bravo, Fr. Leahy, Bravo! Now if we could erase some of that offensive advertising and the abortion love in with Tim Russert (RIP), perhaps BC could truly be on its return to some objective teachings - finally!
@46; I before E, there are exceptions but ceiling is not one of them. And it is one of the little things you really need to worry about. Not because you are incorrect, but because you tie the up readers minds.
My only question is why these icons were not there in the first place. Otherwise I'm delighted, and truly so, when I read that the Art is being commissioned.
Stephen Buckley,
I find your post immature and offensive. The whole problem with BC is that for too long administrators and professors and students with your "me" centered attitude caused BC to lose its Catholic identity and mission. The Jesuits, once known as great defenders of the faith, took the politically correct route and acted as if they were ashamed of thier Catholic traditions. They hid their faith because they didn't want to offend anyone. Rules agains things such as cohabitation should have been strictly enforced from the beginning, but were ignored for the sake of being "liberal", "progressive", "open minded" and "intellectually free".
What is amusing is the reaction from people like you now that BC is trying to put the brakes on this decline in faith. You complain that this is not what you signed up for, a sectarian education. You signed up for a Catholic college, not a public or secular college, but a Catholic college. If you had reservations about anything in the Catholic faith, then it is your own fault for choosing a Catholic institution run by Jesuits. Stop putting the blame on BC, you chose it, deal with it. This is common for most of those "progressives" who are offended by the Crucifix. It is easier for you to blame the college and expect them to cater to you bunch of babies. The blame lies soley on you. You chose a Catholic college to work at or study at. You chose to go there even though you don't agree with the faith. It was your decision. Grow up and be responsible for the conquences of you decisions.
The crucifixes are there because the Fathers want them there. They run the institution and make the decisions, not you and the other students and not the professors. Nobody is forcing the faith on you and this is not about freedom of speech. It is about freedom of religion. The Jesuits are free to practice thier faith on their private institution as they see fit. When you agree to go there, you agree to their rules, since it is their private property. If you don't agree with it, you are free to go somewhere else.
Jesuits as a rule tend to be well able to defend themselves and they do something which has been absent in other areas, defend or at least attempt to defend those who are weaker than they. Would that this could be said of all. If Bishops had kept an eye on their own house instead of sending Knights and so called knights out to spatter newspapers with statements on every available moral infringement and took a page from the Jesuit long view book. Many a kid would have arrived to adulthood intact, mentally and otherwise.
What about statues of BV Mary?
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