Religion at ND

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
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<p>there is a difference between theology and religion. </p>

<p>our D is either an atheist or agnostic. she feels that she is far more comfortable than most practicing catholics in her freshman class. indeed the catholic kids are challenged and many feel undermined in their dogma - which is precisely the role of theology. </p>

<p>as for the subject of worldview - certainly the student body reflects the school’s catholic status. however, the degree to which a person identifies with that personally is up to them. it is a school full of HS valedictorians, for whom certain aspects of the undergrad experience appeal. this is no different from any other student body, in which some preformed idea of “diversity” is a norm. it is like the south park episode, where all the non-conformists in diversity have to conform to some set ideology - an age old irony. </p>

<p>to me, this is one of the most refreshing things about ND. they make no bones about who they are. either you will appreciate that and go/apply there, or go find someplace else. however, it is exactly that no-apology attitude and free and open challenging of ALL dogma, including secular pop-culture dogma that makes ND special. they aren’t bound by what fashionable set of circumstances calls itself “diverse”. that is up to the student to decide, if they are trully interested in doing so, instead of adhering to faux-enlightened pop-culture paradigm. either you can dig it, or you can’t. but if you can’t it says more about your own rigid worldview than it does ND’s.</p>

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<p>Including religious (particularly Catholic) dogma???</p>

<p>While it’s entirely possible for Domers to deviate from the Catholic worldview at ND, I doubt they can “freely” and “openly” challenge it, let alone contradict it, without risking social and academic ostracism.</p>

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<p>And what planet are you from?</p>

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<p>^ I’ll give you a hint. It’s a planet that’s not at the center of the universe…</p>

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<p>Oh, that one.</p>

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<p>honestab you are flat wrong. to answer your question, indeed catholic dogma is challeged by the theologians at ND, at times aggresively so. and, students who do so on their own are engaged, not ostracized. do you know the difference between theology and religion ?? are you aware of what pop-culture dogma is ?? can you look at both ( and yourself ) with the same eye and a lack of agenda ?? it clearly appears not. if anybody would be socially and academeically overmatched on these topics in studies at ND, i think it would be you. </p>

<p>i wonder - on what specific background with life at ND do you make such inaccurate claims ??</p>

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<p>But unlike closed-minded Domers, honestabclee is in touch with the cosmos, and of course knows how important the US News rankings are in its far reaches.</p>

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<p>hey, I’m currently a freshman at Notre Dame. While I am Roman Catholic, I do have many friends here who are not. They’ve reported to me that ND’s Catholic atmosphere hasn’t really influenced them at all. Many students here are Catholic, but religion is rarely brought up in any of my classes. Sure there are crosses hanging up in classrooms and around campus, but my religious life here pretty much just extends to attending dorm mass with my friends. A person of any faith - or lack thereof - would definitely feel comfortable here.</p>

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<p>how would an Indian devote Hindu feel on campus? I like the campus and the school spirit but I’d fear being ostracized for not even being remotely related to Catholicism or any of the three Abrahamic faiths.</p>

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<p>Sure, you can “challenge” Catholic dogma, but only from a theistic point of view. Theology assumes the existence of God and the truth of the religious (read: Catholic) tradition being “challenged.” </p>

<p>Do you know the difference between theology and religious studies or philosophy of religion???</p>

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<p>honestab, soon we will be fitting angels onto the head of a pin. </p>

<p>i ask again, from what specific experience are you drawing these wild suppositions from?? early in the thread i noted my D is an atheist. she does fine at ND, including during honors philosophy seminars as well as around campus in discussions when the topic comes up. earnest, respectful and thoughtful engagement is the result, if anything at all. she does not mind studying great thinkers of faith, however - she welcomes it as enriching. </p>

<p>this schism you seem to hold or wish to be simply does not exist at the place. your insistance on it being there when it really is not says a lot more about you, than it does ND.</p>

<p>with that said, with that 4X8 foot chip on your shoulder, i am pretty sure you could self-prophesize some manner of rancor for yourself on this subject matter. perhaps you should attend a different school. that is fine, it really is.</p>

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<p>She and the other atheist at ND must be good friends.</p>

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<p>Huh? I don’t attend ND.</p>

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<p>What, exactly, assigns inherent value to atheism? Some of the greatest theorists of modern science have been professedly religious - Albert Einstein comes to mind. Atheism does not necessarily imply free discourse of ideas, as it is, in essence, a Theism in and of itself. A theism is a term we use to describe our beliefs about God, god, or gods. Atheism merely defines belief in the non-existence of God, god, or gods. </p>

<p>Catholic schools operate on values that are different from public institutions, and thereby need not satisfy everyone else’s criteria. They operate for themselves, and those who don’t participate in the mission statement of a University have no one to blame but themselves for attending. Notre Dame has been around a lot longer than you have, and will be around for a lot longer than you will, and I can assure you it’s done pretty well for itself and will continue to do so.</p>

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<p>In response to the cognoscenti, many of whom, while they were stunned by her brilliance, ridiculed (or were baffled by) her faith, Flannery O’Connor acknowledged that it was a limitation, but a wholly positive one. We all know people whose minds are so open they seem to contain nothing at all.</p>

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<p>Wow, this thread is ancient… I’m seriously procrastinating though, so I’ll bite. Notre Dame is Catholic. If you can’t stand Catholics, don’t come here. But, if you simply aren’t Catholic, or are a lapsed Catholic, don’t worry, you’ll be in good company. There are a TON of great (but entirely optional) religious opportunities here and about 85% of the student body is Catholic, but I’d say a good portion of them fall into the “lapsed” category and people are certainly able to question the faith! In response to the comment:</p>

<p>“While it’s entirely possible for Domers to deviate from the Catholic worldview at ND, I doubt they can “freely” and “openly” challenge it, let alone contradict it, without risking social and academic ostracism.”</p>

<p>Social ostracism? Hardly. As I said, a large percentage of students here fall into the lapsed category, some because they don’t care, but some because they are questioning their faith. And most students, with the exception of a few of the die-hard, holier-than-thou, Tridentine mass-going crowd (who are a small minority), are very tolerant of other views.</p>

<p>And academic ostracism- what is that? How can one be academically ostracized? By being forbidden from taking classes? If you mean their opinions would be discounted in class discussions, etc, it is my experience that this is not so. Although I suppose there will always be professors who will disagree with their students (on religion, environmental issues, literary themes, etc.) and some will be better at allowing discussion than others.</p>

<p>Also, the Catholic aspect does not in any way affect the study of the sciences here. We do learn about evolution (WITHOUT the “it’s only a theory” disclaimers or teaching of creationism as an alternative theory). And no one seems to object. In my 3 1/2 years here so far, I have only met one person who didn’t believe in evolution. She was a Baptist, not a Catholic. And I think she abandoned her disbelief after being at Notre Dame for a semester or two.</p>

<p>And to honestabclee- “Huh? I don’t attend ND.”</p>

<p>Then maybe you should stop making assumptions and snide comments about it (“She and the other atheist at ND must be good friends.”) and allow current students to enlighten you on what life at Notre Dame is actually like.</p>

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<p>Hi Shellzie! I always love your comments! How is your senior year? Are you applying to med schools? If so, my daughter will be in your shoes next year. Time flies huh?</p>

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<p>Cacciato -

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<p>Read my post in a different thread about D’s experience at ND.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063932436-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063932436-post6.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>We are (D too) devout Indian Hindus with deep involvement in a well-known Hindu religous organization. D actually teaches Sunday school to kids on Hinduism.</p>

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<p>one of the big reasons I like ND is because of its Catholocism - its still very Catholic, right?</p>

<p>And how conservative is it? I have no problem with 2 sides to an argument, but I would like a bit more conservative atmosphere than the crazy liberal southern california i’ve grown up in: where conservative or republican is a dirty word</p>

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<p>Hey Irishcali~ Sorry for such a belated response (I’ve been lurking around on Student Doctor Network to procrastinate lately, lol). My senior year is going well- I’m sad to be leaving ND so soon though- time does fly! I have been applying to medical school and have been accepted at 4 schools so far (still waiting on 5 other schools I have interviewed/will interview at). Good luck to your daughter! It’s a long and frustrating process, but the Notre Dame premed advisors are awesome and help a lot</p>

<p>And to Academy_Girl~ Notre Dame is very Catholic. And, as I’ve mentioned before, there are a ton of religious opportunities available if you’re looking at them (all different kinds- from Tridentine mass to modern youth-group type activities- I can give you more info on Campus Ministry stuff if you want). However, these are all entirely OPTIONAL. Notre Dame is WAY more conservative than most universities. This being said, that means its about a 50-50 political split, with a few more people leaning one way or the other on specific issues (such as in the abortion debate- most students being pro-life) and most not being militant one way or the other (most people fall somewhere along the moderate spectrum). I am from Minneapolis originally and was one of like 3 conservatives in my graduating class of 90-something, so I understand where you are coming from. I think Notre Dame is probably the best place to go if you want to encounter people on both sides of the political spectrum.</p>

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<p>But I do not have a belief…</p>