[Vision2020] Huh?

Fri Apr 12 15:00:39 PDT 2013

Dear Visionaries,

Just another fact to consider: most Catholic colleges and universities have
student bodies that sometimes are largely non-Catholic.  They are
definitely not like New St. Andrews College.

The rule is entirely appropriate.

Nick

On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Ron Force <rforce2003 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The question is not whether the students have a right to religion or
> expression, just whether  Gonzaga will recognize it as an official student
> organization. Most college and universities have a nondiscrimination clause
> for official recognition. Here's the link to the University of North
> Carolina's:
>  http://www.unc.edu/campus/policies/studentorgnondiscrim.html
>
> It states that student religious organizations may limit their membership
> to those who affirm that they support the goals of the organization and
> agree with their beliefs, but they cannot exclude members who are not
> formally an official member of a particular religion.
>
> The Knights of Columbus require official church membership:
>
> Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or
> older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the
> Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching
> authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to
> live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good
> standing in the Catholic Church.
>
> I note that Gonzaga doesn't have an explicit statement like UNC; however,
> it states that organizations have to conform to the University's ethos and
> goals, and has an extensive statement on diversity goals.  Last I heard,
> their president was reviewing the decision.
>
> Ron Force
> Moscow Idaho USA
>   ------------------------------
>  *From:* lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com>
> *To:* Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>; Moscow Vision 2020 <
> vision2020 at moscow.com>
> *Cc:* Jeanne McHale <jeannemchale at hotmail.com>; Fritz Knorr <
> fritzknorr at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, April 12, 2013 12:36 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Huh?
>
> I am not a Catholic, but to my mind this is a clear violation of the First
> Amendment.
> Roger
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Subject: [Vision2020] Huh?
> From: "Tom Hansen"
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020"
> Date: 04/11/13 22:46:28
>
> Good for Gonzaga!
>
> Courtesy of the Daily Caller at:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/dxyfpgh
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Catholic Gonzaga University won't allow Catholic students to form Catholic
> group
>
> Roman Catholic, Jesuit-affiliated Gonzaga University in Spokane,
> Washington has refused to recognize the Knights of Columbus as an official
> student group because - wait for it - the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic
> organization.
>
>  Gonzaga administrators notified the students who had sought the school's
> official seal of approval last month, reports The Cardinal Newman
> Society's Catholic Education Daily.
>
> "The Knights of Columbus, by their very nature, is a men's organization in
> which only Catholics may participate via membership," reads a letter
> written by Sue Weitz, vice president for student life. "These criteria are
> inconsistent with the policy and practice of student organization
> recognition at Gonzaga University."
>
> Right here seems like a sufficiently good place to observe that Gonzaga is
> under the umbrella of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) - a men's
> organization in which only Catholic men may participate via membership.
>
> Anyway, Weitz's letter went on to explain that she feels "strongly" about
> Gonzaga's "commitment to non-discrimination and inclusivity" and is
> troubled by the fact that "all members of a student Knights of Columbus
> group must be Catholic."
>
> "If Gonzaga was an institution that served only Catholics and limited the
> benefits of the collegiate experience only to them, the decision-making
> process may have been different," she also opined. "To embrace the
> diversity and yet endorse a group based on faith exclusivity is a challenge
> that cannot be reconciled at this time."
>
> Weitz did not respond to queries from Catholic Education Daily.
>
> The Knights of Columbus, founded in 1882 by a Connecticut priest, is the
> world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization.
>
> A student-organized Knights of Columbus branch was successfully
> established at Gonzaga in 1999. At some unspecified point thereafter,
> though, the group's officially-sanctioned status lapsed.
>
>  There also appears to be a building on Gonzaga's campus named after the
> Knights of Columbus. According to the GU Bulldog Blog, the bland, brick
> edifice houses a members-only bar called the Christopher Columbus Club.
> Members must pay a $20 fee, get referred by another member and be at least
> 21 years old. (There's also free food involved, and a t-shirt.)
>
> The students seeking to resurrect the Knights of Columbus at Gonzaga spoke
> - anonymously - to The Catholic Daily. They said they are now weighing
> other options. One alternative is to form a group that is wholly separate
> from the school. Another possibility might be to establish a Knights of
> Columbus student group as part of the campus ministry.
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .
>
> "Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>
>  Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "There's room at the top they are telling you still
> But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
> If you want to be like the folks on the hill."
>
>  - John Lennon
>
>
>
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