How true his words ring. We are privileged to attend a university where academic freedom is protected as well as encouraged. As students, we have the right to make our ideas and beliefs known, and equally to allow other individuals the chance to exercise their rights to do the same.
Matters of faith should be no exception to this principle. Just as the First Amendment defends our rights to free speech, free press, freedom of assembly and the right to petition the government, it includes protection for our freedom of religion.
Therefore, under this protection, we can and should discuss religion and matters of faith. It is a constitutional liberty enjoyed by all American citizens and we, as students, are no exception. The last part of Tech's mission statement includes the hope that our knowledge will be used to "expand personal growth and opportunity" and "advance social and community development." Candid yet tolerant conversations about faith will reinforce all of the above; as we're aligned with our university's mission, the only chance at failure is to let our dialogue on faith stay mute.
So, as we develop academically during our collegiate years, it is equally important to strive to develop theologically. Including and promoting conversations about spirituality can only help our university achieve its mission; recognizing and appreciating our religious differences can only strengthen our community by increasing awareness.
So we would like to encourage you, the student body, to embrace this idea of open discussions of faith on campus. Let's transform Virginia Tech into an environment where all religions feel they have an equal opportunity to share their views and beliefs.
As a community, let's wrestle with spiritual ideas instead of dismissing them. Talk to your friends who have different religious views. See what they believe and reciprocally share what you believe. Reject silence and explore new ideas about faith.
And ultimately, through our pursuit of understanding and discussions of faith, the truth will be made clear. We will find answers to questions that have a deeper significance, questions of life and death and purpose. We will learn that there is more to college than just our academic performance or our resumes or our school spirit. We perhaps will discover that there is something greater than ourselves to live for, something worth giving our hearts and minds and souls to follow into a wonderful future.
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Janelle and Caleb - This article strongly advocates a big discussion between the various faiths on campus (hopefully also including those, like me, who do not hold to a faith). Is this something you guys in Cru are going to put together? If so, please save a seat at the table for the non-religious. We make up almost 20% of the campus according to the CT survey, and I would love to be a part of such a discussion.
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