<p>Everyone should read this article.</p>
<p>Fordham's policy upsets me. Fordham clearly has backwards and outdated values, and ignores basic tenets of common sense public policy for universities.</p>
<p>If my decision ultimately comes down to Fordham and another school, and all other factors are equal, I'm going to choose the other school because Fordham's values are so out of sync with mine. Anyone with me?</p>
<p>Fordham is in NYC. Trust me, you can find birth control providers there, even if you just don’t want to have a doctor write a presciption at home. If you need plan B, etc, yes, you can get that in NYC – its not out in the boondocks. The conflict is between Fordham respecting its own basic beliefs and students obtaining birth control through the school.</p>
<p>Yes, Fordham has a lot of rules more conservative than other places. You won’t get sexiled (or rarely) at Fordham. But it also has people who genuninely care about others.</p>
<p>My personal opinion notwithstanding, I recognize that Fodham is a Jesuit school and as such is unwilling to ignore Catholic doctrine. As kayf said, there are other ways to obtain birth control. Fordham is a wonderful school. You have to weigh what you see as the positives and negatives of this and any other college you consider and make a decision as to what school is right for you.</p>
<p>I always marvel at people who apply to a Catholic Jesuit College and then expect them to change their longstanding policies and Catholic Doctrine for them. </p>
<p>Its humorous if not so sad.</p>
<p>And its really rather silly to infer that someone who chooses to be sexually active in college (not my values frankly) to suggest they cant get a prescription for birth control pills from their own family doctor or somewhere off campus. I mean really. </p>
<p>Fordham is not alone in this policy. The Roman Catholic Church is up in arms about the Government forcing THEIR values upon Catholics at Catholic schools and in direct contravention of the United States Constitution. Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina has filed suit and I applaud them (Benedictines). </p>
<p>Finally, I can assure the OP that there are plenty of people who share her/his views at Fordham, including some lay faculty. But this is not personal freedom as much as it is about Catholic Doctrine and Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Private Colleges to set their own rules (Freedom of Association under the Constitution.)</p>
<p>Shame on the Obama Administration. Shame shame shame.</p>
<p>Your personal choices are your own choices. I wont judge or comment on that. But I will stand by Fordham for its adherence to catholic teaching, unless and until such time as the Church makes any changes in that doctrine, and Fordham’s academic freedom and religious freedom to practice what they preach without government interference and dictatorial regulations. </p>
<p>If you disagree, then come to Fordham and take a theology class or another course on the matter (there is a series on Human Sexuality) and bring up your opinions in class and write a paper on it. Your freedom. But don’t expect the university or the Church to change its doctrine for you. </p>
<p>Btw, the pill is a known health risk in and of itself and has caused strokes, heart attacks, blood clots and death. So you know. </p>
<p>And my personal views on birth control are actually not doctrinal at all, but I strongly support the Church in her right to make its own rules and not be controlled by government! </p>
<p>So please come to Fordham and fight the good fight, but be respectful of the views of others and Church teaching. What you do in your personal life is your business. Not mine.</p>