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In a semester that has seen the bitter debates over homosexual rights, abortion and the controversial war in Iraq, it is little wonder that politics at times seems to overshadow everything else. Perhaps, however, it does not merely overshadow; it colors, slants and warps our views on other aspects.
The debate over Question 1 has many more liberally minded students turning their guns on the conservative Christian percentage of the population. The problem is not restricted to conservatives either. According to some students at the University of Maine, politics has so divided the nation that many are afraid of voicing any views that might be seen as conservative, for fear of being ostracized as ‘intolerant.’ While this feeling may never even be publicly expressed, it is keenly felt amongst the student body. Many students refuse to express their religious views, while others merely ignore religion entirely, choosing instead to focus on other matters. The atmosphere on campus toward religion is one of apathy and largely one of questioning. However, the university has recognized this, and recently many efforts have been made to bring more attention to religious studies.
Associate Dean of Students Angel Laredo, who meets with the heads of all the religious groups on campus regularly, does not feel that there is a specifically negative attitude toward religion on campus. In years past, Laredo noted, the campus had even less of a religious presence than it has now. Student groups have increased in size and number, indicating that more and more students are finding an interest in religion.
He specifically mentioned the various events which each religious group plans for the semester. The administration does not oppose religious presence on campus, but as a state-run organization, the university cannot be seen as encouraging any particular religious institution either. As open as the university is to the presence of religious groups, it expects them to act independently. Furthermore, this withdrawn stance from the religious sphere often leads to difficulty when it clashes with education.
UMaine does not have a religious studies department. It maintains a single program, the interdisciplinary religious studies minor, which consists of a series of classes based in explaining the history, practices and origin of many world religions.
Professor Doug Allen, of the philosophy department, served as the head of the religious studies program for more than 10 years. He noted that during his tenure, the program had no office, no staff beyond the teachers of the various classes offered, and no funding at all. Allen, who teaches classes on Eastern religious practices, went on to note that the university does a poor job of educating students on religion.
“If you want to understand world events,” he said, “you have to understand religion. This kind of education is integral to the future of humanity.”
What Allen sees on campus in terms of religious presence is primarily the missionary programs offered by the Christian groups on campus. Yet these very groups, he cautioned, are the ones that are seen in a mostly political atmosphere and are thus perceived as overly conservative and even intolerant. Since their primary goal is conversion of others to their faith, they do not attract the interest of students who are looking only to learn about religion.
Another man who recognizes the difficulty of talking about religion in a political atmosphere is Catholic priest Father Bill Labbe. Labbe, who has only been with the Newman Center on campus for a few months, is keenly aware of the difficulties he faces.
“It’s difficult,” he said. “Many Christian views end up being discarded as overly ‘conservative’ without really being taken to heart.”
The Newman Center, located on College Avenue, is the home of the Catholic campus ministry. Labbe is hoping to reach out to the younger generation, more so than the church has traditionally done.
“I honestly believe young people are searching,” he said.
According to Labbe, students in this day and age are faced with a variety of problems in the world, from natural disasters to wars, and it’s often easier to get lost in what he called ‘quick fixes,’ like drugs or alcohol. Yet for all the difficulties he faces, Labbe has not lost hope in reaching the students.
“The students here have a great potential,” he said, “to take a world that’s very scary and to change it for the better.”
Campus minister Casey Murphy echoed Allen’s comments, saying that while the university does a good job of allowing religious groups to have enough freedom to act on campus, they do not do enough in the realm of religious education.
“The university has a very limited course offering in religious studies,” she said.
Murphy noted that the administration does appear to have amped up its efforts to include religion in the overall education of all the students.
“Right now, there is a positive shift in the administration towards realizing that healthy spirituality is important to overall health,” said Murphy.
Mary MacDonnell, a representative of the Pagan Campus Organization, agreed with Murphy.
“Living in close quarters with strangers can be challenging enough without factoring in a belief system,” she said.
Many of the people affiliated with PACO and other alternative religions feel ostracized in general and end up trying to hide their religious practices. However, MacDonnell feels that recently the university and campus at large have been very accepting of alternative religious views. Communication is very important, MacDonnell said, as failure to be open about religious views can lead people to “feel very isolated.”
For all of the problems facing religious groups on campus, there is a great deal of opportunity for the average student to make a difference. The student organizations can only do so much, Murphy said.
Murphy also spoke about the need for students to participate in order to bring more openness to religious views.
“It’s important for religious groups to do more than just meet religious needs. We have to be active in the community,” she said.
Students and staff alike need to bring their religious views into the public sphere, according to Murphy. She said a strict separation of religious views from daily life leads to a lack of understanding and even intolerance.
To that end, the Newman Center and the Protestant Wilson Center both sponsor many prayer groups, student associations and educational meetings. Interested students should contact Casey Murphy via FirstClass, or Timoth Sylvia for the Wilson Center.
There are many opportunities for students who wish to pursue less widely practiced religions as well. The Hillel group, a Jewish faith organization, has regular meetings on campus. Rabbi Barry Krieger stressed that the group is not merely a religious group, but a social institution, where people can come to learn more about Judaism, to meet people and to generally be welcome. The group meets regularly from 4 – 5:30 p.m. Mondays in the Putnam Lounge in Memorial Union, and Rabbi Krieger holds a weekly class on Judaic beliefs in 110 Corbett Hall from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Thursdays. The group is also sponsoring a Klezmer band, playing Eastern European Jewish jazz music, as part of their Chanukah celebration at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5.
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