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Post by RochesterBonnie on May 12, 2016 14:27:10 GMT -5
Political correctness? What below has anything to do with political correctness. Sounds like the University is following in the teachings of St Francis.
When Saint Francis of Assisi entered the hostile camp of Malik-al-Kamil, Sultan of Egypt, in the early 1200s during the Fifth Crusade, his initial goal was to convert the Sultan to Christianity. Instead the men parted with a new respect for each other's faith and culture. Here at St. Bonaventure University, we strive to walk in the footprints of St. Francis by cultivating a campus-wide environment for celebrating multi-culturalism and diversity, and to instill in all of our community members an appreciation for the similarities and differences that we encounter as citizens of the world. It's part of our Franciscan values, part of what is means to be a Franciscan University.
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Post by agoo on May 12, 2016 14:30:26 GMT -5
Providing those of other faiths a comfortable place to pray and engage in their faith is highlighting one of the major life events of St. Francis of Assisi. It is entirely Franciscan to do this. If you're unable to recognize this, the problem is not with those who wish to provide such a room within the Campus Ministry Center.
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Post by firstdev on May 12, 2016 17:15:53 GMT -5
St Francis hardly endorsed removing Catholic or Franciscan symbols from our structures, churches or meeting rooms, in fact there is no historical evidence to that effect. In fact his modesty and his humble nature encouraged such symbols as he worked for the poor, the destitute and the sick in the most common of settings.
People of other faiths are welcome at our Catholic University, but that being said our university is Catholic - its not Muslin, Methodist, or Baptist. Folks can worship at our meeting hall complete with the figure of Christ on the Cross and St. Francis and friends comfortable in the belief that they are welcome. Sanitizing this meeting hall of the symbols of our community is really an act of disavowal of our beliefs. No thanks. We don't need political correctness on our campus.
And yes ND has been roundly criticized in the Catholic press on its stand against Catholic pro life demonstrators who wished to object to President Obama's award from the university, (the award given very strangely, despite his distinctly anti life pro abortion philosophy). ND took political correctness to new and egregious level by actively prosecuting pro life Catholics who demonstrated on campus. That is exactly the conduct we need to avoid. Respect other faiths, treasure our own faith. Stand up and be counted - don't shrink and retreat when our faith is challenged.
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Post by sony on May 12, 2016 17:50:31 GMT -5
CAN ANYBODY SAY "PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH"?
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Post by RochesterBonnie on May 12, 2016 18:47:37 GMT -5
St Francis hardly endorsed removing Catholic or Franciscan symbols from our structures, churches or meeting rooms, in fact there is no historical evidence to that effect. In fact his modesty and his humble nature encouraged such symbols as he worked for the poor, the destitute and the sick in the most common of settings. People of other faiths are welcome at our Catholic University, but that being said our university is Catholic - its not Muslin, Methodist, or Baptist. Folks can worship at our meeting hall complete with the figure of Christ on the Cross and St. Francis and friends comfortable in the belief that they are welcome. Sanitizing this meeting hall of the symbols of our community is really an act of disavowal of our beliefs. No thanks. We don't need political correctness on our campus. And yes ND has been roundly criticized in the Catholic press on its stand against Catholic pro life demonstrators who wished to object to President Obama's award from the university, (the award given very strangely, despite his distinctly anti life pro abortion philosophy). ND took political correctness to new and egregious level by actively prosecuting pro life Catholics who demonstrated on campus. That is exactly the conduct we need to avoid. Respect other faiths, treasure our own faith. Stand up and be counted - don't shrink and retreat when our faith is challenged. Nobody is challenging our faith! You complain about enrollment, yet you want to exclude potential students because of religion. Clearly we aren't alone in providing space for those who practice other religions... "One of the biggest ways Catholic universities are reaching out to support Muslim and non-Catholic students is by providing prayer spaces where students can worship according to their own faith traditions without being surrounded by Catholic imagery. At some schools non-Catholic students are given access to nondenominational interfaith prayer spaces. Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, for instance, has both a multifaith sanctuary for religious gatherings and a smaller soundproof meditation room, which is stocked with ottomans, prayer rugs, and writings from various religious traditions." - See more at: www.uscatholic.org/articles/201301/interreligious-ed-muslims-catholic-colleges-and-universities-26737#sthash.nQEeXIKQ.dpufcampusministry.georgetown.edu/serviceswww.catholicnewworld.com/cnw/issue/1_030407.htmlwww.regis.edu/About-Regis-University/University-Offices-and-Services/University-Ministry/Non-Catholic-Information.aspx
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Post by firstdev on May 12, 2016 20:25:34 GMT -5
Oh come on now - the likelyhood of devote Muslims attending Bonas is practically zero - you are accommodating an audience that does not exist. Get with it you are not educating students in Beirut. OMG
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Post by firstdev on May 12, 2016 20:30:23 GMT -5
SCU needs to get a grip on it. Preposterous.
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Post by 123Rob on May 12, 2016 20:54:53 GMT -5
A Muslim, a potential Bona student and a transgender walk into a restroom. FirstDev is gobsmacked to find only one stall occupied.
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Post by RochesterBonnie on May 12, 2016 21:59:33 GMT -5
Oh come on now - the likelyhood of devote Muslims attending Bonas is practically zero - you are accommodating an audience that does not exist. Get with it you are not educating students in Beirut. OMG Your so right! That would be almost as shocking as having Muslim professors at SBU! That would never happen! Oh wait, there are two and they've been with the University for decades. How did that happen? Oh right, they're part of our corrupt, evil School of Business! www.thebvnewspaper.com/2016/04/28/talk-on-islam-held/And as recently as 2012 there was a Muslim Student Association, which had 15 members, so the likelihood is far greater than zero.
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Post by firstdev on May 12, 2016 23:39:12 GMT -5
That was 2012 and this is 2016. We need to attract more students from Catholic families, parishes and communities in the NE and MW. I doubt Bonas will ever be a destination for those of devout Muslim adherence. Time to move on with our faith and focus on reality, not some fanciful dream of recruiting Islamist students in the Levant. All are welcome, but we Catholic and very proud. No we do not need a Mosque on campus.....of that I am really clear........
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Post by fan4ever on May 13, 2016 5:49:27 GMT -5
First Dev.............you are certified nuts.
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Post by Bona84 on May 13, 2016 6:05:48 GMT -5
So we've now gone from a room on campus without Catholic symbols, to an effort to convert those of other faiths to Catholicism, to concern over building a mosque on campus? Hopefully the mosque doesn't block the view of Merton's heart.
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Post by firstdev on May 13, 2016 7:13:09 GMT -5
Yes, that is part of our Catholic faith, to seek to convert non Catholics to our faith. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, other than being out of sorts with the political correctness doctrine. In fact St. Francis too sought to convert those who were non believers. By the way a mosque can be a meeting hall or room, it does not have to be a domed structure or prayer tower. Yes, Merton's Heart is a special place of reflection and peace - next time you are at Bonas climb up and view the valley.....it is a beautiful place. Try reading the Seven Story Mountain sometime....its a life changing experience if you can pry yourself away from the GASB manuals.
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Post by firstdev on May 13, 2016 7:23:29 GMT -5
fan4ever - you need to step back, take a deep breath, and reflect. Our faith is under attack constantly in our secular society. Do not be afraid to defend it at every opportunity. If there is one thing that our community taught me at Bonas it was to be committed to our Catholic faith, and to defend its outstanding record of service to the poor, destitute and sick. St. Francis and Sr. Theresa of Calcutta always come to mind. St. Francis assisting the lepers, and Sr Theresa ministering to the outcasts.
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Post by Jive36 on May 13, 2016 8:08:07 GMT -5
Does anyone else want to steer this conversation back to the Presidential search? We can all debate religion until we are blue in the face but that is not what is important here. One public space on campus that does not have any symbols from any religion does not take away from from the Catholicness of our school. I have yet to meet anyone who converted because they were surrounded by Catholic symbols. The way to convert individuals is to educate them on the faith and values, which is something I think Bonas does very well.
I agree with firstdev that Bonaventure needs to do a better job of reaching out to Catholic communities to attract students. I grew up the same distance from Bonas as Rochester and virtually no one in my parrish knew Bonas exists. Same goes for the parrish and Catholic high school in the next town closer to Bonas. That school sends maybe one student to Bonas every 3 or so years. If so few of the Catholics in these areas don't know about Bonas how many Protestants, Jews, Muslims and Agnostics know about Bonas or would consider sending there kids to school here? I bring this point up in this thread because the very first thing our new President must do is address the enrollment issue. And we need wholesale changes in our recruitment and marketing strategies to raise overall awareness of the school.
The second thing our new President needs to do is overhaul the programs offered by Bonas. We need to invest in programs that will provide a foundation for students to get a job in their field soon after graduation. With the growing cost of education this is becoming the most important issue for parents and prospective students alike.
Not to be an alarmist but how many years can the school continue to operate at our current enrollment? No amount of video boards or ministry centers are going to attract the enough students to keep the school afloat for the next 25 years. Which is why I think our next President needs to be someone with a proven track record and the financial savvy to guide us to a place of enrollment and financial stability.
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