Notre Dame is a Catholic university, but being Catholic hasn't prevented the formation of student groups for other religions like Islam and Judaism. It is, however, preventing the formation of a group for atheist and secularist students -- and the excuses being offered by Notre Dame officials look an awful lot like the weak rationalizations of bigots trying hard to not look like bigots.
Stephen Love and some friends tried to start a club for "Atheist, Agnostic and Questioning Students" (AAQS) and thus far they have encountered mostly resistance and discrimination from the school. Apparently it's a contradiction between the "mission" of Notre Dame and allowing atheists to have an official club... but not a contradiction for Muslims and Jews to have official club.
The Student Activities Office (SAO) denied the club official recognition last year, citing a contradiction between Notre Dame's mission and the intended purpose of the club.
"A club's purpose 'must be consistent with the University's mission,'" the letter stated. "No organization, or member of any organization on behalf of the organization, may encourage or participate in any activity which contravenes the mission of the University or the moral teaching of the Catholic Church."
Love said the given reasoning was inconsistent with the University's policy toward other, existing clubs. "An easy rebuttal to that would be that we have a Jewish club, a Muslim club," he said. "The only difference between us and them is that we don't assume the existence of the Judeo-Christian God. We just thought if those clubs were allowed, we would also be allowed."
In the club's current proposed constitution, the mission is specified as "to provide a forum for students to discuss philosophical, scientific, religious and political topics free from [in]tolerance."
The constitution said the club would create this venue by holding regular discussions, inviting guest speakers to campus to participate in academic conferences and forums.
Source: The Observer
Yeah, someone at Notre Dame actually thought that that would be accepted by people and no one would notice the contradiction between Notre Dame's position and basic logic, coherence, and decency. Makes me wonder what else is going on there... though "Questioning" probably wouldn't be accepted, would it? "Questioning" contradicts Notre Dame's mission, doesn't it?
But the "contradiction" excuse isn't even the worst one offered by Notre Dame officials...
In addition to the problems with the club's mission statement, SAO's rejection letter stated that AAQS had failed to receive the appropriate departmental approval. According to SAO, the concerned department was Campus Ministry.
"For this proposed club, the approval of Campus Ministry is necessary to be considered a club," the letter stated. "Upon review of the materials submitted, Campus Ministry indicated they would not approve this club."
Love said he disagreed with the department designation. "I don't know where they got that, that Campus Ministry is the appropriate department," he said.
You need the "approval" and "permission" of a "ministry" for atheists to be recognized as equals, treated as equals, and to be granted the same rights of organization that all other religions already take for granted? Sounds like a standard that's deliberately designed to be stacked against atheists -- and it's clearly one that has nothing whatsoever to do with any of the usual intellectual missions associated with a university.
Fortunately, not everyone at Notre Dame is quite so bigoted. Love has been holding underground, unofficial meetings for months with as many as 40 people attending. What's more the Philosophy Department has agreed to be the "sponsor" (I'm not sure that's the right label, but they applied to the Philosophy Department for club status with them and were accepted). Now they are waiting for the administration again... and I wonder if in addition to denying recognition to the atheists, they'll de-recognize the Philosophy Department. How dare they do the right and decent thing!
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