Conservative Christian Thrown From Georgetown U. Program

[cmotherofpirl]

[url="http://www.caintv.com/BlackChristianConservativeThrownOutofSummerProgramatGeorgetownUniversityforRefusingLGBTQToleranceSeminar-173"]http://www.caintv.com/BlackChristianConservativeThrownOutofSummerProgramatGeorgetownUniversityforRefusingLGBTQToleranceSeminar-173[/url]

[4588686]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1345252575' post='2469457']
[url="http://www.caintv.com/BlackChristianConservativeThrownOutofSummerProgramatGeorgetownUniversityforRefusingLGBTQToleranceSeminar-173"]http://www.caintv.co...anceSeminar-173[/url]
[/quote]

So this person is arguing that they were kicked out of a program because they refused to attend the program's activities. That's shocking.

[CatherineM]

They refused to attend an activity that violated their religious beliefs. I'm pretty sure that's called Conscienceous Objection. These were kids studying to be leaders or scholars. They weren't majoring in gender studies which would have a class like that as a required course.

[4588686]

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1345257508' post='2469488']
They refused to attend an activity that violated their religious beliefs.[/QUOTE]

It violates their beliefs to sit through some generic bull-poo class about sexuality and gender identity?


[QUOTE]I'm pretty sure that's called Conscienceous Objection. These were kids studying to be leaders or scholars. They weren't majoring in gender studies which would have a class like that as a required course.
[/quote]

A lot of programs like this have requirements that you attend time-wasting seminars like this one. They didn't get kicked out for attending the program and not renouncing their faith. They got kicked out of the program for, at the very least, refusing to participate in the program you applied to be a part of. If your going to apply for a scholars program at a good university announcing before you attend a class or seminar that "My beliefs about this are so sacrosanct that I ought not even be exposed to views I disagree with" then you are going to look intellectually cowardly and inflexible. Which in this individuals case seems to be true. I've attended programs like this. I thought it was stupid. And I told them so, along with a bi-sexual friend of mine, and that's fine. You can't fail something like this for thinking it's stupid. But if you do what this individual does. which is at the least (and this is assuming that his account is even accurate) outright refusing to attend the seminar then you are going to look unprofessional and immature. And with good reason. His reaction was immature and unprofessional. If I had been running the program I'd have kicked him out too. Who does he think he is dictating which parts of the program he will and will not participate in? Does everybody get to let their politics and religion dictate what parts of the program they get to participate in? Do students of more leftists orientations who disagree with the institutionalized liberalism presented at the seminar get to skip it as well? That's ridiculous. This is a good primer for college. Sometimes your going to have to hear things you don't like.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Hasan

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1345258183' post='2469505']
It violates their beliefs to sit through some generic bull-poo class about sexuality and gender identity?




A lot of programs like this have requirements that you attend time-wasting seminars like this one. They didn't get kicked out for attending the program and not renouncing their faith. They got kicked out of the program for, at the very least, refusing to participate in the program you applied to be a part of. If your going to apply for a scholars program at a good university announcing before you attend a class or seminar that "My beliefs about this are so sacrosanct that I ought not even be exposed to views I disagree with" then you are going to look intellectually cowardly and inflexible. Which in this individuals case seems to be true. I've attended programs like this. I thought it was stupid. And I told them so, along with a bi-sexual friend of mine, and that's fine. You can't fail something like this for thinking it's stupid. But if you do what this individual does. which is at the least (and this is assuming that his account is even accurate) outright refusing to attend the seminar then you are going to look unprofessional and immature. And with good reason. His reaction was immature and unprofessional. If I had been running the program I'd have kicked him out too. Who does he think he is dictating which parts of the program he will and will not participate in? Does everybody get to let their politics and religion dictate what parts of the program they get to participate in? Do students of more leftists orientations who disagree with the institutionalized liberalism presented at the seminar get to skip it as well? That's ridiculous. This is a good primer for college. Sometimes your going to have to hear things you don't like.
[/quote]

I think the deeper question is why a "Catholic" university has a such a requirement in the first place.

[Basilisa Marie]

Because some people believe universities exist to promote an exchange of ideas, and not just recite the catechism verbatim.

And because the catechism teaches us that while homosexual attractions are intrinsically deeply disordered, dehumanizing persons who are not heterosexual is always uncalled for. Attending a seminar does not violate anyone's religious beliefs. Something like preventing students from attending Sunday mass, or forcing Jewish or Muslim students to eat pork does.

[4588686]

[quote name='Norseman82' timestamp='1345310079' post='2469732']
I think the deeper question is why a "Catholic" university has a such a requirement in the first place.
[/quote]

I think all of these programs are a waste of time and an affront to the university system. They just promote the rote recitation of the establishment view of sexuality. I'm very pro-gay rights but these programs are unbearable and if he wanted to advocate for the abolition of these programs I'd be perfectly fine with that. But that doesn't change that he has no grounds here to play the victim. He signed up for the program and then decided to announce that he would not participate in the program he applied to attend (taking him at his word that the three RAs who say they felt threatened by him are either liars or a bit unhinged). If I were an RA I probably would have also lobbied to have him kicked out. He needs to grow up and then try again.

[EmilyAnn]

For once, I actually have to agree with Hasan. I have to take a lot of classes at university that teach things I disagree with. They are required classes so I take them and I hear what they have to say. I may not agree with some of the things my lecturers say, but I s[color=#000000]u[/color]ck it up. They're not forcing me to believe what they do or to support it and I'm free in my exams to disagree with them, as long as I can argue my case. If I said I wasn't going to go to my biological psychology lectures because I disagree with the fundamental assumptions of the field, I'd be told to get over myself.

I don't think attending a seminar can automatically be classed as violating conscience, it would depend on the contents. The students may well have been able to express their difference of opinion. If the students were expected to stand in the street holding banners supporting "gay rights" then yes, that would be a violation of conscience. But listening to someone who disagrees with you? That's going to happen in almost any college class. Heck, it's going to happen your whole life, get used to it. Listening to what the other side have to say and formulating an intelligent response is far more sensible than sticking your fingers in your ears and going "lalalalalalala" when you hear something you don't like.

[r2Dtoo]

Asking a Catholic medical or nursing student to participate in an abortion is one thing, but asking them to merely attend a conference where the speakers do not represent their beliefs is quite another. I'm sorry, but if you can't tolerate hearing beliefs that are not your own college is not for you.

By the way, I thought it was cute that the article made a point that this student was black. If that's not playing politics, then I don't know what is.

Edited August 18, 2012 by r2Dtoo