<p>I don't practice religion whatsoever and I probably never will. What would happen if I went to Notre Dame? I don't really talk about my religious views in order to avoid confrontation so it would probably never come up but I'm just wondering. Do they force you to attend Church and take Theology?
(Religion doesn't bother me, I was planning on attending a Catholic Private school for high school but I had better opportunities at my local public school)</p>
<p>There are dozens of selective private universities with no meaningful religious affiliation, where many students practice no religion whatsoever. They all offer solid academics, great extracurriculars, and many also have top-notch athletic programs.</p>
<p>Notre Dame is decidedly different. 85% of the students are Catholic, and many are actually serious about their faith. Every dorm has a chapel, and there are Masses in those chapels every week. There are crucifixes in every classroom, and the Holy Cross priests are a substantial presence in the administration, the classroom, and the dorms. All students are required to take two theology courses. There are many Catholic colleges that are now Catholic In Name Only, but Notre Dame is not one of them (yet).</p>
<p>However, you will never be forced to go to Mass, and your fellow students will be largely respectful of your non-beliefs, provided that you reciprocate their respect. Whether you will be happy at a school where your religious non-beliefs are in the distinct minority is a decision only you can make; but I have to wonder what attracts you to Notre Dame if you are an atheist?</p>
<p>This is what attracts me to ND: [Top</a> Undergraduate Business Programs 2010 - BusinessWeek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)
Mendoza.
I’m from Michigan and I’m very interested in Business and economics and if Mendoza is that high up in the rankings then it seems interesting to me.
Also, I respect people’s choice of religion as long as they respect my choice of no religion.</p>
<p>I echo what claremarie says. I would just add that the Theology courses, especially the foundations courses, are more history/literary driven than faith driven. I took several classes in the Theology department where the main drive was to understand a historical context or the writings of a faith based community from an entirely scholarly perspective. So in sum, most Theology classes at ND are not worship or indoctrination hours (as some might assume) but often rigorous scholarly classes that challenge the student to both think and engage the material critically.</p>
<p>Hey I’m an atheist too and i just wanted to say that I was in the same position when i was choosing a school. But I can tell you besides an annoying theology class it has been a non-issue. In fact, i barely notice it except when mass comes around, and I just take that as an hour of “me time”. Point is that as long as you don’t go around trying to convert others, the people here are smart enough to not do the same.</p>
<p>D is an atheist. she reports it’s mostly a non-issue. at times a mildly interesting one, as discussion topics go. she enjoys the theology classes, as they offer a different world view than her own, and that is one of points of college.</p>