How religous are the students at Fordham?

<p>I know that Fordham is a Jesuit school but are most of the students at the rose hill campus extremely religous? Is their a mixture? And with it being a jesuit school, do you feel that you can't express who you are sometimes?</p>

<p>from what i saw.. they kids are not that religious. My guide told me that the school will not force religion on you... so u can express urself freely.</p>

<p>This seems to be a common question among students that have never gone to a school with a religious affiliation. Let me tell you as a student that has gone to Catholic schools his entire life, kids there are no more or less religious than kids in public schools. It's a perception people have that's just not true. On the other hand, I bet if you went to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, religion is forced on you. </p>

<p>However trust me, it's not the case with the Jesuits. First of all, the Jesuits are arguably the most liberal in the Church; and not surprisingly, the best educated. They would never force religion on you. In my time at a Jesuit high school, have I said mandatory opening prayer at the beginning of class? Yes, almost 6 times a day, because that's just how it goes. But it's almost like saying the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools, kids will always say it and not mean it, kids will stay silent but stand, and some kids will mean it and stand. In the end it's just about respecting everyone's outlook.</p>

<p>Are there religious kids at Fordham? Of course there are. Is there a higher percentage of them at places like Penn State or UVA? I would venture a guess and say definitely.</p>

<p>As for expressing yourself, absolutely! They encourage it!</p>

<p>Is it a dry campus?</p>

<p>CPGannon is right. I just wanted to shed some light on the academic side. As you might know, Fordham requires two theology classes as part of the core curriculum. The Faith and Critical Reason class is freshmen introductory courses to the various religions and cultures in the world. Depending on the professor, some might study only a few and some would cover many areas. For the sophomore text course, you can choose from Buddhism to the Christian Gospels to Judaism to the Koran. You have a choice. In general, Fordham does not strictly impose the Catholic doctrine. It is also good to mention that there is a Campus Ministry on both campuses that is open to all faiths.</p>

<p>Yes, Fordham LC and RH are dry campuses. These policies will be introduced during Orientation in September, especially the Life on Campus segment.</p>

<p>what about the liquor? lol. No thanks. your imputs are really helping.</p>

<p>My D has gone to a jesuit hs, and wasn't at all considering fordham, to spend another 4 years at a jesuit institution</p>

<p>She was Catholic and now is pretty much an atheist, and has no qualms about Fordham.</p>

<p>THe jesuit education is first rate, the kids are all over the map with regards to faith, or lack there of, and she has always felt totatlly comfortabl speaking her mind</p>

<p>"First of all, the Jesuits are arguably the most liberal in the Church; and not surprisingly, the best educated. "</p>

<p>"best educated," probably. "Most liberal," no. (That would be the Franciscans.) ;)</p>

<p>1) My high-schooler is finishing at a Jesuit preparatory school and being a non-Catholic was never a problem for him. His Jesuit (and non-Jesuit) teachers all encouraged freedom of thought. He was eventually invited to join the school's ministry council and reads in masses (although he neither partakes of nor serves the elements of communion). He has thoroughly enjoyed his senior seminar in religion, "The Psychology of Religion." I am expecting more of the same tolerance and encouragement at FU. (Aside: I am not Catholic, but I have a friend who is a Paulist priest. When he is outspoken or freethinking, his colleagues in that order tell him, "You should have been a Jesuit.")</p>

<p>2) Please see the string "Integrated Strategic Plan," which begins with a detailed post by an FU student about the school's objective to become the number one Catholic university in the U.S., and follows with my question to him, as a current student, about the accuracy and significance of statistics suggesting a high incidence of liquor law violations on campus at FU. Any observations on this would be greatly appreciated (especially those proving the stats wrong and/or greatly improved).</p>

<p>anotherolddad, left you a message on other thread</p>

<p>drinking is bad at most colleges, but many don't bother dealing with the infractions, thus their stats are lower, FU follows through...thus the disparity</p>

<p>...and I replied there, stating that maybe it is because FU is exercising more accountability for the young people on its campus than other schools, who are giving underage drinkers a pass.</p>