Hey, does being an atheist make a student’s life difficult in religious affiliated colleges / affiliated with kinds of churches, etc.? Is it better to avoid them? In short, how will the religious affiliation of the university affect a student’s life and education, especially if one is an atheist?
For some colleges, it is not a good idea. Liberty, Ave Maria, BYU, Bob Jones, and a lot more. You can usually tell immediately if the school would be a good fit.
For others that welcome students of all faiths or no faith, you need to accept that the school is religious, that there are symbols around the school, there may be prayers at ceremonies, there may be required theology classes. You need to be respectful of others. No one will try to convert you, but you aren’t going to be able to object to their policies or request the crosses be taken off the wall.
Okay, that’s good. I believe in everybody having right to practice their own religion. I was actually thinking about Augustana University, Sioux Falls in South Dakota? It’s religious affiliated. Academic and reputation wise, is it good? Is it worth the $31,000 student debt that I’ll face there, cause my net price there is $3000 something. Thanks in advance.
Majoring in economics if that helps.
Also, what about Texas Christian University and Texas Lutheran University?
Most Catholic Universities, especially Jesuits, aren’t extremely in your face religious.
@GoCubsGo719 thanks for the info! I appreciate it.
Why do you want to go to a religiously affiliated school when there are tons of secular universities out there? As long as you are respectful of a school religious heritage, you shouldn’t have a problem. Many religiously affiliated universities are religious in name only anyways (i.e. Jesuit schools) where religion plays a minor symbolic role. You may see a cross here or there and have to take a world religion class, but that’s about it.
Not true. Jesuit schools are religious schools. They have a mission of service. They follow the teachings of the Catholic church, and that Pope guy who happens to be a Jesuit.
Name one Jesuit school that isn’t religious, run by the order, staffed with Religious. Most of the schools have priests as presidents and on the boards.
@twoinanddone Many explicitly secular universities also have religious people on their boards, hire/support religious groups/clergy for students, religious groups on campus, and promote service and social justice.
My point is that religion plays a minor role at most Jesuit universities that a student could have a very secular experience at them, which is what the OP is looking for. Jesuit schools also aren’t church run, which is why you have LGBT advocacy groups and pro-choice groups (i.e. Hoyas For Choice) on many jesuit campuses as well.
There is no God = faith-based statement which cannot be empirically proven.
There is a God = faith based statement which cannot be empirically proven.
You may have more in common with people of faith than you think!
Check the religion coursework that is required for graduation. If it is only Bible 1, Bible 2, etc. that place is not for you. If there are a lot of options on a wide variety of religions and/or philosophy options, then you might be happy there.
I disagree. Why would the orders sponsor the schools if they want them to be non-religious, a minor part of the school? Why not just abandon them and use their time and money for their religious missions?
Religious, with a capital R, means priests, nuns, brothers, etc. not just people who go to church. The Religious run the Jesuit schools, mostly Jesuit priests.
My daughter’s team plays a number of religious schools and when you play at their fields, there are public prayers before the game starts, right after the Star Spangled Banner. If they play at our field, they huddle up for a prayer before the game. I’m sure if you don’t want to participate you can stand quietly to the side but I’ve never seen anyone do that. Some of the schools are Jesuit, like Regis and Wheeling Jesuit. In fact, they seem a little more religious than the non-Jesuit schools like Belmont Abbey, St. Leo, or St. Michael.
My daughter was born in a Catholic hospital. I didn’t think all the religious stuff was obvious or a problem at all. My Jewish friend did, and asked them to remove the crucifix from her room. The religious stuff bothers some people and if it bothers OP, he shouldn’t go to a religious school because that stuff will all be there.