This week we explore the role of religion in America and there are many directions we can go. However, it seems only fair that as students at the largest Catholic University in America we spend our blog discussion on the role of religion on campus. We have already discussed the role of various socializing factors in our political values and ideology. Outside of our parents it is hard to argue that anything has much more of an impact on our political outlook that our education and our religion (including those of us who are nonreligious). And for much of us those two elements have been linked through parochial schooling at various levels. Obviously we all have various religious affiliations and range in our religious observance from extremely observant to completely nonreligious.
I would like you to address the role the religion plays in your views about society, and by extension about political issues. Have these beliefs been affected by your schooling, whether parochial or public? Please share any thoughts about the nature of religion and politics at DePaul. We are clearly a Catholic institution that leans fairly heavily toward more liberal social politics (generally speaking). What have you discovered about the religious life on campus that is is either surprising or particularly notable in terms of our school culture or politics? This should be a general discussion and you can feel free to expand or elaborate on any aspect of the prompts above or any comments of your classmates.
ReplyDeleteMy religious beliefs, or lack thereof, largely contribute to my views about society and politics. My parents never forced religion on me, so I never really knew much about what it says about various concepts and ideas until I did my own research. When I was entering high school, my parents had me take an entrance exam for Loyola Academy, a private Jesuit school. I got in but chose not to go because 1) I’m Jewish and 2) religion has always made me a little uncomfortable. In my opinion, people who let their religious views guide their political views tend to be more close-minded when addressing issues or engaging in debate. This is because religion tends to have very narrow interpretations and is largely based on unexplainable ideas. I like that religion isn’t forced on us at DePaul, despite it being a Catholic school, because it gives more people an outlet to express their ideas. Despite the fact that I may agree with religious people about certain concepts, (but DEFINITELY not all) I think that the reasoning behind someone’s beliefs is more important than the belief itself, and my reasoning for my beliefs is usually a lot different from that of religious people. It’s extremely important to be open-minded when expressing beliefs or engaging in political discussion, especially in a time when our country is so divided, and I think that everyone, religious or not, should just be respectful and able to understand that we won’t all agree all the time. At the end of the day, we are all American citizens and should be looking out for our common future.
-Anna Starobinets
I would say religion definitely in a sense contributed to my view of social culture and politics. I have been in Catholic schooling since pre-school (with the exception of my first two years of college at the University of Iowa). I'm not sure if this is just my observations, but to me it seems that people I grew up with that were typically religious were the least outspoken about politics. Now I know there's some people that are going to think I am absolutely insane for saying that, but hear me out... In all of my years of catholic schooling, from a child up to an almost adult in high school, politics were never talked about at school, in my inner circle of friends or acquaintances, and adults never talked about it in front of any of us. It was kind of like politics were something you kept to yourself and in your home. This was a theme that was not only kept around me, but also within my own household (as mentioned previously in this semester). It was always that you were allowed to have your own opinions and others could have their own as well, but forcing your political ideals down someone else's throat, (which is typically a theme I see carried out since attending college and having more people be so vocal about politics), was never the norm. I am thankful however that things played out in that way though because I think it has made me much more respectful of people's opinions on all ends of the spectrum. I can comfortably say I can have my own opinion and they can have theirs and I don't need to persuade them to change theirs in order to validate my own. That's the beauty of it all! Having a strong religion doesn't always mean being close minded or "holier than thou".
ReplyDeleteReligion has had no impact on my political views instead it has had the opposite effect on me believing there should be a distinction between religion and state. Since there is no national religion and there is a vast array of different beliefs that people have, I do not think that people should try to push their religion over another. Also religion and politics do not mix as it becomes a dichotomy of ideas so people only pick the religious values that benefit their political argument and ignore the rest. These beliefs come from going to both public and private school, where I had always learned about other religions and interacted with people of different faiths. I have many friends whose political views are imbedded in their religious beliefs and it’s hard for me follow their logic since my political beliefs do not come from the same place. For being the largest catholic university people are always scared that we push Catholicism, but in reality student body are open and accepting to everyone and try to make it as inclusive as possible.
ReplyDeleteJohn Milas
I was raised extremely non-religious. My parents are from Albania, a country that was constitutionally atheist from 1967-1991. So religion has played no role in my culture and politics because my parents did not socialize me that way. Also, growing up I exclusively went to public school. This has led to my staunch support to the separation of church and state. I am actively pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ+ equality, and anti-religious refusal for healthcare.
ReplyDeleteDepaul is a Catholic school, but it hasn't felt Catholic-- so I have never had any problems. Truthfully I never sought out religion on campus, so I can't have much of an opinion.
I was raised Jewish throughout my childhood but I like to call myself "Jew-ish". My family has always celebrated traditional Jewish holidays and followed some basic Jewish standards/conventions such as Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, and Passover. I also had a Bat Mitzvah at 12 years old, which is a very important and highly regarded celebration of the coming of age for Jewish youth. However, we've never gone to service at synagogue or practiced Shabbat. Even though I have that background and hold those traditional standards, I'd like to believe that it hasn't played a significant role in my culture or political views. Moreover, I went to public school so I feel like my education has played zero effect on my political views since we weren't taught those things as we would've been in a private school setting. I was kind of thrown off when starting at DePaul, thinking that I would be virtually unaccepted because I didn't conform to DePaul's heavy Catholic standards and conventions. However, I don't really see that I've felt as I thought I would and I have yet to take my two religious courses that LAS requires, so I have yet to figure out how DePaul's Catholic values will play a role in that.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t brought up in a very religious house hold. I identify as Jewish and have a broad understanding of my faiths ideas but it has never played a big role in my life, which I’m okay with. Being a part of a religious minority I really value the separation of church and state. Not everyone and their religious beliefs are the same which is why I would find it completely wrong to have any political agenda set by religion. I find religion to be a personal experience that does not coincide with politics. I am thankful to be at a Catholic university that is so progressive and which religious identification doesn’t matter. I believe politics should be rooted in fact and the betterment of society as a whole. Religion should not be a governing document and I would be considered if it was used as the only morally governing body. People should just do the right thing and make informed choices not because of the fear of religious punishment but because we are educated beings that care for all of humanity.
ReplyDeleteReligion in my opinion is an essential part of American political culture from a historical standpoint, since the founding fathers predominantly believed in some type of christian belief. Regardless of any debate surrounding our religious identity as a country, we are still considered a secular nation and it is probably for the best since our population is composed of many different types of religions with the overwhelming majority being of some type of Christian denomination. I was raised a catholic but in recent times have found myself to care less about religion which conflicts with what my family raised me to believe(however I still do consider myself to have catholic values). A topic that people use from a political religious standpoint that sticks out to me is abortion which mainly those with conservative values have demonized. Wether abortion is right or wrong is up for debate, the religious element of abortion is a big reason that it has such a strong influence on a political platform. Religion I believe is something that has affected just about every millennial's political point of view, since it isn't as followed as it used to be. I have never attended mass at DePaul university, so Im not quite sure how well represented it is on campus.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does seem religion is very important to American culture historically. The relationship between the state and church is very important in how it has shaped our policies both historically and even now. Religion seems to shape our political culture because religion is our belief and our beliefs tend to reflect our morals. This holds true especially for politicians whose religions = beliefs= what is right. Therefore, politicians' belief in the church has constantly been reflected in our politics. But how much of religion should be in politics especially if not everyone in America has the same religion? Technically according to the first amendment, the United States is not supposed to show any favor toward any religion but it is still blatantly shown. But really, how much can we hide if religion is based on people's beliefs and shape mindsets?
DeleteI agree, the influence that the church has on voter turnout is ridiculous. Sadly, I believe that there is no balance on either side of the political spectrum which plays for the favoritism of one religious group. I don't doubt that a candidate for a high public office will run into trouble admitting to not having some type of religious belief since the term "God" is very unavoidable when having a large platform especially during addressing the nation or a large body of individuals.
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ReplyDeleteReligion plays somewhat of a role on my views in society and my stance on political issues. As a person raised in the Catholic faith, I attended a church that was in a very liberal area. The church ignored many of the controversial points in the Catholic church. I was very much unaware of how strict Catholic churches could be before coming to DePaul and comparing experiences with others. My church helped shape my views as socially liberal. Religious life on campus has not been particularly surprising because I find that there has been a strong emphasis on service, which is similar to my upbringing. Even my Catholic studies professor emphasized how important service and education is to the Catholic church and that matches up with my beliefs. To me, my religion emphasizes being a good person and being kind to others and I try to let those values influence my social and political stances. -Hannah Rhodes
I grew up in a household where we did subscribe to Christian ideas, but we did not practice the typical standards such as going to church regularly, prayer, etc… So I guess while we were Christians, the religion was not forced on me. Later I did make the choice to become a Christian, but I make a conscious effort to not allow it to infiltrate my standings on political issues. I strongly believe in the separation of church and state as in the United States we have multitudes of backgrounds, cultures, and religions so not everyone subscribes to the same moral/political views. And simply because I subscribe to this way of thinking not everyone else does and forcing my religion onto others is not something I strive to do. In regard to DePaul’s religious life on campus, I do not see it heavily represented. I remember on a tour that I was given before attending DePaul the tour guide said that “DePaul is only as Catholic as you want it to be” and I definitely see this to be true. The only true sign that we are a Catholic school is that we are required to take (I think) 2 religious courses.
ReplyDeleteReligion definitely plays a big role in how I view society and how I view political issue. I look at issue and come to conclusion by is this morally right and does this policy or person glorify the will of god. These beliefs have been affected by my schooling. School sometimes teaches us that problems and issues are much more complicated then we think and sometimes we have to adjust our way of thinking so that we can come to a compromise with people that having opposing views. Here at DePaul, sometimes I forget that I go to a Catholic school. DePaul is so inclusive no matter religion, that you forget where you are in time. They just honestly want you to be a good person and help the less fortunate, what that looks like is up to you but that is what DePaul cares about. - Egerton Abulu
ReplyDeleteReligion has played some role in my views of society and political issues. I grew up in a Catholic home with parents that practiced traditional Catholic standards of attending church, prayer, and more. I also attended Catholic school growing up so much of my political views have been shaped by religion but as I got older I was able to learn more about politics differently. However, I think religion has more to do with being a good person, being good to others, and having faith than politics. Although I am Catholic it did not shape my political ideology because I was always open to listening to other political views and taking them into consideration. DePaul is one of the largest Catholic universities but it does not feel that way but instead feels like an open and inclusive school that wants the best for their students.
ReplyDeleteI have never noticed a strong correlation with religion and politics at DePaul. I do work with the Mission and Ministry office at DePaul and there isn’t any pushing of religious ideology towards any student that works with that office. It more revolves around being an overall good person and respecting individual regardless of their beliefs. Religion is definitely something you can find on campus but it is also something you can completely avoid. Even when you go to a purely Catholic event you find yourself involved in interfaith dialogue. Personally, I was raised in a very Catholic household and many of my cultural traditions stem from Catholicism so I think Catholicism shaped me more culturally than politically. Catholic social teaching just emphasizes call to family and to the acknowledgement to every person human dignity so maybe those value have influenced my political values of encouraging dignity and respect for each community through policy but for the most part I think my community influenced more of what I think is right and wrong politically.
ReplyDelete-Karen Marin
As someone who is not Catholic, I was a little concerned about religiosity on campus as an incoming freshman. My grandpa grew up in Humboldt Park where he was violently bullied/beaten up for being Jewish, and then was at DePaul for undergrad in the mid-late 1950s. When I decided I was going here, he told me about how when he went to DePaul, every classroom had a cross and each class began with a prayer. He went on to teach here for many years in the Loop, and assured me that both campuses nowadays lean more towards being Vincentian rather than Catholic. I’ve generally found this to be the case during my years here, and would agree that as an institution DePaul does lean to the left regarding social politics. While I am non-practicing, I identify as culturally Jewish, and growing up I was usually in school with a bigger population of Jews than we have here at DePaul. I’ve also experienced some awkward interactions with friends that have never been around Jewish people, which brings me back to something my mom always used to say: “Always be nice because you never know if you’re someone’s first Jew” that is, Judaism is part of my identity no matter how religious I choose to be and my sister and I needed to keep that in mind to prevent others from generalizing about Jewish people more broadly. I’m pretty sure based on some of the interactions I’ve had here that I’ve been someone’s first Jew.
ReplyDeleteAlex Stamatis
ReplyDeleteI was raised in a family that I would say is pretty religious and would attend church regularly. I also went to a Greek school weekly that taught a lot of religion, but my k-8th grade and high school were all Chicago public. My personal beliefs definitely do not line up with what my religion believes in. I’m very pro- choice, pro women’s rights and equality etc. The orthodox religion is quite the opposite, and that is something that I have grown to just accept- it won’t ever change. For some reason, in my experience here at DePaul so far, I haven’t really seen religion be a big part of my day to day life- I honestly forget that this is a Catholic institution. I know that I definitely surround myself with people who are in my friend group along with people here at DePaul in general who also believe in the same things that I do. The topic of religion does play into the ways I think about politics sometimes, but for the most part I try to keep my religion and my political views separate.
I grew up in a religious family. My parents enrolled me in an all-boys catholic high school. Some of our teachers were Christian brothers and nuns. We prayed two times a day (not including sports or other clubs), we had a uniform, we had mandatory church service once a month. However, I think the schools main purpose was discipline. We were expected to behave like men and suppresses your immature tendencies, at such a temping age.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know what I was expecting as an incoming freshman, however comparing DePaul to my high school, DePaul has much less imagery. I don’t know how much of that is due to space (DePaul is much bigger obviously), but sometimes I don’t even feel like
I am enrolled in the largest Catholic university in the nation. Granted, there is a chapel, a church, stain-glass windows and even a pop-up of Pope Francis, but based on my experience, it doesn’t seem like much. However, I do recognize how someone who isn’t used to the catholic faith could feel swamped with what we already have.
-Angelo D'Agostini
I'm not much of a religious person, although I was raised catholic before switching out of the catholic church sometime in grade school. I've always been very interested in religion and spirituality though, and did a lot of youtube research in high school(probably not the best) to watch debates on God. I found myself finding issue with politicians using religion and "moral" values to dictate people's ways of life. At DePaul, it's interesting because religion isn't forced upon you--rather a sense of public service is, which I think is great. I think Catholic Social Justice is incredibly admirable. It's when religion is used to hurt people, especially those without a powerful recognized voice in society, when I get disgusted. I also took one of the more interesting classes on religion and catholicism, based around concepts of absolute truth and the role of technology in our lives. It was really interesting and opened my mind further to possibilities. I also utilize the interfaith room at times to just unwind and talk through things. That said, the only church-related thing I've done since coming to DePaul was going to a deaf church service for my sign language class freshman year, which was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteReligion was never a central aspect of my childhood (and isn't now, either). It could very well be the area I grew up in, but I've noticed it's less often among my peers that I hear specifically about religion--specifically any branch of christianity--as a dominating part of the household. (Since I didn't have a very religious upbringing, I don't have too much of an opinion on this.) I am vehemently against the intertwining of the church and state, however. I also don't notice too much of a religious presence at this university, which I am very content with. (I do, however, respect the religious spaces here.)
ReplyDeleteReligion has always been a central part of my life given that my dad was a professor of theology. That being said we never anal retentive in our views or highly judgemental of others and I think that was perhaps my favorite part about DePaul when I came here. I loved the fact that DePaul, though it is a catholic institution, is very tolerant and willing to accept the views of others and I think that is extremely important, particularly in religion. If you are not open to new ideas and to new concepts and you cannot demonstrate that willingness and tolerance than spiritually how can you be sure of anything. Spirituality is all about trying to come to terms with and communicate or at least acknowledge that which you can never physically grasp. That is the point of having faith. So if you cannot be willing to open yourself up to the uncertain, to new ideas, and accept that perhaps you don't know it all, then faith becomes moot.
ReplyDeleteThe role of religion in American politics is clear. Our currency literally says "In God We Trust". However, America has changed a lot since its' founding, however its morals and American values have generally stayed the same. Whether or not those American values are tied to religion as they were in the past is the question at hand. I do not think religion plays a strong role in politics at all anymore, especially at DePaul. Many of the social issues that demand attention in politics are not rooted in conflict with religion. Though I grew up Catholic, I do not see the world through a catholic lens, more do I think others. I think that religion offers individuals a baseline for what their values could be, but I do not think it ever dictates anyones decision making, especially individuals who are in office, or attend DePaul University.
ReplyDeleteReligion has been something that isnt the most important thing life. I was raised catholic and have faith but I am not a church goer not even on holidays. I use religion as a guide for my ethics and morals. I do not think that my religious views affect my political ideologies as much as other people but this is because it isnt a fundamental part of my life. I do not notice that much of a religious presence at Depaul.
ReplyDeleteReligion hasn't really been to big in my life, I didn't really go to church growing up and my school was public so the only time I learned about religion was in classes that talked about religious themes ie AP European History and AP Lit. I think religion was a big part of the area I grew up in and it shaped peoples views on issues like gay marriage and sexual freedom. My family was a lot more liberal in those ideas, and my parents never used religion as a justification for anything. I ultimately do think it's interesting I chose a catholic institution. I run Women's March DePaul on campus, and I think the one time I actually realized how catholic DePaul was, was when they told me in a meeting we couldn't hand out contraception methods on campus/or inform people about them, which makes sense since they see sex as something for procreation only. It's interesting that that is the one thing they're against but they are very open towards the lgbt community and other religious groups on campus (which is a good thing). I think overall as a society America is very rooted in religious ideals, since the first European settlements were christian based, or there were missionaries. The government although having separation of church and state has used the church to justify and motivate a lot of it's policies over time (ie gay marriage, and sexuality in general).
ReplyDeleteDePaul has actually improved my opinions on religion significantly. I was raised in a not-consistently-practicing roman catholic family and over time developed resentment towards anything related to organized religion. I consider myself an agnostic at best and with more of an atheist lean.
ReplyDeleteOne of the first classes I took at DePaul was called Faith & Science. I admittedly was not terribly excited about it due to my aforementioned disdain for religion, but it turned out to be one of the most enlightening and engaging classes I’ve ever taken. Father (and Doctor) Richard Benson was my professor, and being a Catholic priest that was one of the people that worked on sequencing the human genome, he was by far one of the most interesting instructors I’ve had here so far.
The class showed the many ways in which religion and science can coexist peacefully - something that I had previously thought to be far more difficult than it is in reality. I left with a much better understanding of the wide variety of ways faith can be interpreted and practiced. While this class did not change my personal lack of spirituality, it did make me question how “ironclad” and “irrefutably logical” many arguments against faith-based interpretations of our universe are. People with faith are not a singular group with a homogenous way of thinking, and keeping this in mind is critical to truly understanding how different religious communities view the world at large.
- Nora Haskell
I was raised as a catholic yet, religion was never forced on us. My mom encouraged us to ask questions that usually, many religious people, frown upon. Since I grew up as a holiday catholic, which is basically going to service on ash Wednesday or going to church on Christmas Eve and overall, just on big holidays, I do not think that religion has shaped my political viewpoints and such. I am heavily pro LGBTQ+ and Pro Choice and such where I think that if I had grown up in a strict religious household, I would’ve had a hard time to be a supporter. I am one of those that believe that the state should be separate from religion since there is no official religion in the US and people should not force upon the religion that others should or shouldn’t practice. Furthermore, growing up I had heard of the horrors of going to religious school which made me a bit nervous to go to DePaul because I thought that they would somehow for Catholicism on us which I was pleasantly surprised because they don’t. Even though I’m a catholic and have understand their viewpoints, I haven’t really looked to join religious groups so I cant completely have an opinion of religious life on campus since I haven’t experienced that.
ReplyDeleteI come from a very religious Roman Catholic family. My aunts, grandmother and my mother are very religious. My mom wanted to send me to Catholic school when I was little, but it was expensive and she was wary of the scandals about priests molesting little boys. My dad is thankfully not religious whatsoever, so I went to a public school where I was safe and received an excellent education. My grandmother, however, still made me memorize the “Lord’s Prayer” in Spanish. My mom is more religiously tolerant than the rest of my family, and because of that, I have been able to slowly distance myself from religion. My mom pushed me towards going to DePaul and overall, I have enjoyed my time here. I have made a lot of friends and have had many wonderful experiences. I have never felt that DePaul has forced Catholicism down my throat. However, Catholicism does indeed play a major role at DePaul. DePaul does not allow the sale or distribution of condoms, which is not very good for STD prevention. DePaul has a religious agenda and it would be naive to think otherwise, but I’m rebelling in my own way by dating a lovely Jewish woman.
ReplyDeleteJeff Rios
Both sides of my family are religious. Not everyone in my family would go to church, but mostly everyone believed in God and we celebrated the Catholic holidays. I was raised catholic but in high school, especially my senior year, I became secular. I view religion as something that society should move beyond, but I respect those who believe. As a DePaul student, I definitely haven't felt any pressure to return to my Catholic traditions, but the means to do so are readily available. I think DePaul has done a fantastic job of being inclusive to all religions and to non-believers. DePaul's progressive Catholicism is something that I think should be adopted by more religious organizations/institutions. People should have a right to practice whatever religion they want, but I believe in a strong division between Church and State.
ReplyDeletePosted for Syed (on time):
ReplyDeleteThe only time religion plays a role in society for me is the way I talk to/treat people. I am Muslim immigrant in America, who treats people respectively and kindly solely because that’s what my religion has taught me too. I do believe my schooling has changed my view from a conservative mindset to a more moderate/liberal mindset. Of course, all Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) are against abortion, and homosexuality. Before going to school, I was taught as these things are wrong. But since going to liberal schools helped me open my mind and accept those as choices for people.