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On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Division of Student Affairs held an interfaith round-table discussion on sexuality, featuring representatives from four Protestant denominations, Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The speakers varied widely on the topics at hand: abortion, birth control and contraception. However, there was more in common than one might expect – all emphasized healthy, monogamous relationships.
The Maine Campus would like to applaud this showing of goodwill and respect for the diversity of the University of Maine campus. While students with different faiths may have varying views and their disagreements can certainly be intense, it is a positive sign to see so many attempting to understand different perspectives.
Oftentimes, in the name of tolerance and respect for diversity, certain approaches can in fact polarize more than unite. Some of the opinions expressed at this forum were controversial and occasionally elicited strong or uncomfortable reactions, but the willingness of the audience in the over-capacity event to step outside of their comfort zones is, in itself, a good sign. This is especially true at a time when our society is becoming increasingly divided – socially, politically and spiritually.
More events covering religion and sexuality are scheduled to occur this semester, and we encourage an expansion of this dialogue to other topics.
