'Although Christianity does have its good points, the exclusive nature of many Christian sects opens the door to Christian bigotry. Christian bigotry is a disgusting and insidious evil. To Christian bigots themselves, their bigotry is usually invisible. It disguises itself as piety and righteousness. But to non-Christians at the receiving end, it is often plain old unadulterated bigotry....
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. (click here)
It is amazing. REV seems to insulate himself from contact. Maybe he spends most of his day in prayer. The best contact information is below, if one calls the main switchboard I would imagine someone might even be able to reach his office.
Everyone knows the drill !!!!!
And to think I nearly consented to sending my son to school there. Wow.
When Presidents are asked to speak anywhere, including their own fund raisers with people of the same mind, it is the 'majority' country they represent. No one can get away from that. When a President is asked to speak it is with the understanding he or she represents the entire nation and not the 'particulars' of one faith or persuasion.
The exception to that understanding may have begun 'unsuccessfully' by George W. Bush, but, he abused the powers of his Presidency for political reasons while oppressing and ridiculing through 'exclusivity' citizens with needs for individual rights. He did not respect the separation of church and state.
President Obama was completely inclusive during his inauguration, even to his ridicule by some citizens. He did it bravely. He did it without concern for politics. I cannot believe Notre Dame is actually bigoting themselves, AS EXAMPLE, to their students and the nation. They should be ashamed.
Contact (click here)
Committee information is udpated annually. Should you have revisions to committee information, please contact Micki Kidder at mkidder@nd.edu or complete this form and return to:
Micki KidderAssociate Director, Office of the Board Secretariat
Office of the President
405 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: 574.631.6526
Email: committees@nd.edu
Why Notre Dame Should Welcome Obama (click here)
By Kenneth L. Woodward
Monday, March 30, 2009; Page A17
The nation's Catholic bishops have another sticky issue on their plates. President Obama has accepted an invitation to deliver the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in May and to receive the customary honorary degree. It is quite a coup for the nation's most resonantly Catholic university. American Catholics and their bishops should be proud.
But the bishops have a policy that says "Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our [Catholic] fundamental moral principles." Upon taking office, Obama lifted Bush administration restrictions on funding for abortions and for embryonic stem cell research, as he had promised to do. Both actions violated fundamental Catholic principles on the protection of human life.
Although the bishops' policy is directed at dissident Catholic politicians such as Sen. Ted Kennedy, Notre Dame is being criticized for putting institutional prestige ahead of moral principle by allowing its graduating class to hear from the president of the United States, who is not a Catholic. And at least some Catholic bishops agree with the critics....
CHARLES DHARAPAK / Associated Press
President Obama in Washington last week. Some oppose his talk at Notre Dame, citing abortion and other issues.
Posted on Sun, Mar. 29, 2009
Head Strong: Giving Obama a listen at Notre Dame (click here)
By Michael Smerconish - Inquirer
Inquirer Currents Columnist
Some call his invitation to speak in May a travesty, but why shouldn't he speak? At a time of so much incivility, from politics to sports, his visit should not be denied.
Here's a postcard from South Bend, Ind., where sports fans and some spiritual types have at least one thing in common: Neither is afraid to yell from the sidelines.
The University of Notre Dame announced that President Obama had accepted an invitation to speak at the school's May 17 commencement. The president, of course, supports abortion rights, civil unions, and funding for stem-cell research - positions that don't correspond with the Catholic teachings that underpin an institution like Notre Dame....
Bush Country (click here)
BY R. Bruce Dold
...They saw and admired a man of faith, resolve and optimism. They saw a president who understood that this was a critical moment, that the nation was vulnerable in a way that it had never been in its history. They had their eyes wide open.
George Bush’s America does include those who view themselves as conservative, evangelical Christians. That’s about one in four voters in this country. The growth of the evangelical movement is one of the great stories largely missed by the news media in recent years....
March 23, 2009
Is Bush an appropriate commencement speaker for Notre Dame? (click here)
I do not envy the administrators who have to choose commencement speakers at Catholic colleges and universities, and I do not have any bright-line rules in mind for navigating these issues, so please take these questions as sincere and snark-free: Given George W. Bush's record on the death penalty as Governor of Texas, should Notre Dame have invited him to be the commencement speaker in 2001? And now given what we know about his record on torture as President, should Notre Dame invite him to be commencement speaker in 2009? If Bush is fine, but Obama is not, how exactly do you articulate the difference in terms of appearing to support those who "act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles?" Abortion stands alone as a disqualifier? Some other explanation?
