Render Unto Obama?: Needed - A Faith-and-Reason University
Giving an honorary law degree to someone who does not recognize the natural right to life does dishonor to Notre Dame’s own Catholic identity
(Pictured. Dr. C.S. Morrissey teaching students at Redeemer Pacific College.)Catholic universities are thus better characterized as 'faith-and-reason'-based, since their institutional reason for existence is to provide a mediating, ecumenical role between human reason and particular faiths.
PrintLANGLEY, BC (BC Catholic) - Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, is welcoming Obama in the name of respect and tolerance. He is unable to give a reason why a Catholic university should not honor a pro-abortion President with the privilege of a commencement speech.
He is unable to give a reason why giving an honorary law degree to someone who does not recognize the natural right to life does dishonor to Notre Dame’s own Catholic identity. Rather, Jenkins thinks that any “positive engagement” with Obama requires, not simply intellectual dialogue, but the gift of all these honors — as if a Catholic university would belittle itself by begrudging a famous and popular politician the adulation he seeks.
Some Catholic universities are afraid to be criticized as “intolerant” or “not open to serious intellectual dialogue” if they make institutional distinctions about what and whom they will honor or dishonor. They are afraid that by drawing such lines they will be criticized for suppressing “academic freedom”.
But this criticism is a confusion that arises from a lack of interdisciplinarity in the modern university. On the contrary, so-called “faith-based” institutional practices, which emphasize the intrinsic harmony of faith and reason, are a guarantee that universities will foster the achievements of reason and science in a way that does not disrespect the complementary approaches to reality of other cultures and traditions.
Catholic universities are thus better characterized as “faith-and-reason”-based, since their institutional reason for existence is to provide a mediating, ecumenical role between human reason and particular faiths. On the one hand, there is a secular humanism that approaches cultural issues with a Western, ideological perspective.
On the other hand, there are other cultures recognizing spiritual reality as something transcending Western scientific ideologies. Both approaches possess insights that may contribute to a common ground for global culture. Therefore, institutional requirements that “faith-and-reason”-based teachers profess fidelity to the particular Catholic Christian tradition of “faith-and-reason” act as a guarantee that such scholars are committed to their mediating, ecumenical role.
In short, a Christian university must be able to “speak the languages” both of faith and of reason, with a whole-hearted commitment to both that refuses to “short change” one at the expense of the other. This equal balance of faith and reason, as historically developed in Catholic Christian universities, is a rich cultural heritage and a great resource for global culture.
Because of the leveling hegemony that unbridled Western scientism and that economic globalization threatens to bring to global culture, Christian universities offer a unique model for safeguarding the voices of human tradition within global culture. But some say that adherence to a particular faith militates against the Christian university’s mediating, ecumenical goal.
However, it has been the experience of the Catholic Christian tradition that it is precisely protections for particular faith commitments that are necessary in order to protect reason from falling into the mistake of subtly promoting a universal hegemony of only one implicit ideology — one dimly-understood, yet all-pervasive.
By explicitly highlighting an institutional “bias” in the form of its “faith” commitment, this “faith” commitment is therefore never taken for granted, but rather always put forth as a perspective to be vigorously challenged and renewed through rational inquiry. The strength of the “faith-and-reason”-based university tradition, then, is that its constitutional identity is designed to highlight self-critical, autonomous inquiry.
But the weakness of a secular institution — committed to “the official ideology of having no official ideology” — is that it is tempted to treat the problems of interdisciplinarity and contextuality as having already been solved once and for all by this “official ideology of no ideology”.
The “faith-and-reason”-based university tradition, however, by its very nature does not see this profound human problem of particular perspectives as ever solvable by an easy ideological or institutional declaration of official neutrality. The bias of “officially having no bias” is arguably the most dangerous of all intellectual delusions, because it is an invitation to intellectual complacency — by considering the perennial educational problems of self-examination and dialogue to have been “officially” solved.
Yet it is this secular delusion that is at the root of Notre Dame’s decision to invite and honor Obama, no matter his ideology or actions. “All speakers are welcome; we honor them all, and thereby honor academic freedom,” is the dubious message; “It is official: we are Catholic, but we have no bias.” This is a grave delusion, not least because serious dialogue never honors another’s view by cheap and easy dishonor to one’s own view.
An intellectual argument worthy of a serious Catholic university would be this: to dishonor a famous and popular President, and then to explain why the common good of society is guarded by protecting its right and its duty to render such rebukes unto Caesar.
------
C.S. Morrissey is Assistant Professor of Medieval Latin Philosophy at Redeemer Pacific College.
He is unable to give a reason why giving an honorary law degree to someone who does not recognize the natural right to life does dishonor to Notre Dame’s own Catholic identity. Rather, Jenkins thinks that any “positive engagement” with Obama requires, not simply intellectual dialogue, but the gift of all these honors — as if a Catholic university would belittle itself by begrudging a famous and popular politician the adulation he seeks.
Some Catholic universities are afraid to be criticized as “intolerant” or “not open to serious intellectual dialogue” if they make institutional distinctions about what and whom they will honor or dishonor. They are afraid that by drawing such lines they will be criticized for suppressing “academic freedom”.
But this criticism is a confusion that arises from a lack of interdisciplinarity in the modern university. On the contrary, so-called “faith-based” institutional practices, which emphasize the intrinsic harmony of faith and reason, are a guarantee that universities will foster the achievements of reason and science in a way that does not disrespect the complementary approaches to reality of other cultures and traditions.
Catholic universities are thus better characterized as “faith-and-reason”-based, since their institutional reason for existence is to provide a mediating, ecumenical role between human reason and particular faiths. On the one hand, there is a secular humanism that approaches cultural issues with a Western, ideological perspective.
On the other hand, there are other cultures recognizing spiritual reality as something transcending Western scientific ideologies. Both approaches possess insights that may contribute to a common ground for global culture. Therefore, institutional requirements that “faith-and-reason”-based teachers profess fidelity to the particular Catholic Christian tradition of “faith-and-reason” act as a guarantee that such scholars are committed to their mediating, ecumenical role.
In short, a Christian university must be able to “speak the languages” both of faith and of reason, with a whole-hearted commitment to both that refuses to “short change” one at the expense of the other. This equal balance of faith and reason, as historically developed in Catholic Christian universities, is a rich cultural heritage and a great resource for global culture.
Because of the leveling hegemony that unbridled Western scientism and that economic globalization threatens to bring to global culture, Christian universities offer a unique model for safeguarding the voices of human tradition within global culture. But some say that adherence to a particular faith militates against the Christian university’s mediating, ecumenical goal.
However, it has been the experience of the Catholic Christian tradition that it is precisely protections for particular faith commitments that are necessary in order to protect reason from falling into the mistake of subtly promoting a universal hegemony of only one implicit ideology — one dimly-understood, yet all-pervasive.
By explicitly highlighting an institutional “bias” in the form of its “faith” commitment, this “faith” commitment is therefore never taken for granted, but rather always put forth as a perspective to be vigorously challenged and renewed through rational inquiry. The strength of the “faith-and-reason”-based university tradition, then, is that its constitutional identity is designed to highlight self-critical, autonomous inquiry.
But the weakness of a secular institution — committed to “the official ideology of having no official ideology” — is that it is tempted to treat the problems of interdisciplinarity and contextuality as having already been solved once and for all by this “official ideology of no ideology”.
The “faith-and-reason”-based university tradition, however, by its very nature does not see this profound human problem of particular perspectives as ever solvable by an easy ideological or institutional declaration of official neutrality. The bias of “officially having no bias” is arguably the most dangerous of all intellectual delusions, because it is an invitation to intellectual complacency — by considering the perennial educational problems of self-examination and dialogue to have been “officially” solved.
Yet it is this secular delusion that is at the root of Notre Dame’s decision to invite and honor Obama, no matter his ideology or actions. “All speakers are welcome; we honor them all, and thereby honor academic freedom,” is the dubious message; “It is official: we are Catholic, but we have no bias.” This is a grave delusion, not least because serious dialogue never honors another’s view by cheap and easy dishonor to one’s own view.
An intellectual argument worthy of a serious Catholic university would be this: to dishonor a famous and popular President, and then to explain why the common good of society is guarded by protecting its right and its duty to render such rebukes unto Caesar.
------
C.S. Morrissey is Assistant Professor of Medieval Latin Philosophy at Redeemer Pacific College.
- - -
This article appeared in The B.C. Catholic, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and is used with permission.
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President Obama's speech at Notre Dame was wholly inconsistent with his actions as regards abortion.
While talking of limiting abortions and "coming together", he is moving rapidly forward with initiatives that do just the oppoiste (ie. FOCA).
It was a disgrace and dishonor to honor President Obama with any kind of honorary degree at Notre Dame given his radically pro-abortion positions.
I wrote an article regarding the same:
The Catholic Campaign For Human Development gave our donations to A.C.O.R.N., who promptly embezzled much of it, then used what was left over to fraudulently elect one of their leaders, candidate Obama. Now our Catholic Universities are using our donations to provide President Obama with a national platform from which to speak his anti-Catholic rhetoric.
My Wife and I no longer give to the C.C H.D., and our gift to our local Archbishop's annual appeal is a small percentage of of what we normaly give, and our reason for cutting back is not due to the economy. We will continue to hold back on our monetary gifts until we see our Church's leaders fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities to protect them from those who wish to do harm to our Church.
Bishop D'Arcy has spoken on this subject. With the name of the university on the line, I wonder why Fr. Hesburgh have stayed quiet all this time. Is he hiding something? Or is he afraid he may lose his lucrative office on top of the library?
If Fr. Jenkins tolerates abortion to point of honoring the most pro-abortion US president in history, perhaps he would be fine with the Catholic Church aborting Notre Dame as a Catholic institution.
We are engaged in a war here with the president and many in his admistration that would have us believe that abortion is a perfectly acceptable choice in life. And that supporting this and paying for this worldwide is acceptble. That the termination of the life of the unborn is perfectly acceptable in Obamas world of Human Rights. We now perfectly understand what this man means by "Human Right:" those who choose abortion are doing somethign perfectly acceptable in his world, and apparently are not worthy of his protection of life itself. And he wants to use us Catholics, to destroy our belief in life itself to accomplish this! We are in a war here for our very souls and we must pray fervently to Christ and Our Holy Mother that we can defeat his mission!!
As a young catholic in her college years I am ashamed that a Catholic university has invited Obama to be their most honored speaker. I have been in Catholic school all my life and, although I do not attend Notre Dame, if I did I think I would decide to be taught the faith elsewhere. actions speak louder than words, and so although Notre Dame calls itself a Catholic school its actions have shown it to be otherwise. I would not invite the devil into my heart and it amazes me that they are bringing the word of the devil into their institution. Although I am an American and Obama is my president, I first and foremost support my faith over my country. This man's views are a betrayal of my faith and all politics aside I am not sure what Notre Dame was thinking when they invited him and decided to bestow honors upon him.
God Bless you Tom and Jimmy for your witness but dont forget to pray for him in the White House.
That position is a tough place and I suspect will get to be a tougher place in the years ahead.
Remember the "real thing" stalking this planet for human souls. As Saint Michael prayer says from one of our Popes attests:
"Saint Michael the Archangel protect us in battle be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray and do thou oh prince by the heavenly host by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
You know Satan is always looking for a few poor souls so pray for Obama to.
Conversion of hearts remember through prayer, penance and the Blessed Sacrament.
Roger, would you have stood up for Hitler as well... because they both have or do believe that a certain group of people are not human and its ok to kill them... its an obama-nation if you ask me.
Tom Dorio is right to call it "that thing". We are glad that there are still many out there who have the gift of seeing what is going on, and want to stand up for it.
Cultural relativism and secularism is and has been infiltrating our Catholic schools for a long period of time now. The Vatican II was supposed to usher in a new opening of fresh air, but mixed results have been the conclusion. A re-examination and renewal of the entire Catholic Church, particulary institutions of learning (primary-higher education).
Political terms have never been my favor about the state of the Church-both here in America and abroad-but simply this: the orthodox and the unorthodox. The right to life all true Catholics should accept and affirm this fundamental right for all humans.
But faith cannot be only by our words like going to Mass or prayers, but must be accompanied by deeds like helping the ones truly in need or counseling a pregnant mother who sees that her child might have defects or worse, unable to live, to not abort her child.
Which brings us back to the orthodox-unorthodox issue: how we live our lifes should reflect our faith and for no reason should our Catholic schools-the catalysts of education for our youth (including me)-divorce that reality or otherwise. The truth is, in order to promote "tolerance", "diversity", and "openness"-we (not all Catholic schools, but certainly a good number, particulary prominent ones like this university) have become lovers of the world and not of God.
No Catholic school or any school is perfect or holy, but for us, we are set higher expectations, as the faithful in service of Christ and His Church. I pray earnestly for change, reform, and restoration of our Catholic schools, especially on the education we are giving them. I dare not presume Notre Dame is wavering on its mission to teach and form the best students this country and the world deserves to have, but remember: service to Christ and His Church (for the Catholics/Christians) or what is right and good and holy (for the non-believers) should always have emphasis and be given, when needed, interrelation to all the subjects that students of any Catholic university, not only this one, are taking.
The Lord Jesus guide and purify our Church of the unorthodox-the unfaithful members and lead them back to the path of truth, life, and grace. For those who do not believe, may they see that life deserves the greatest respect and value, and no right (except war or self-defense or in special and extreme circumstances, captial punishment) should ever be condoned in killing innocent unborn children or for that matter, the disabled, elderly, or weak. Overall, this issue brings great sadness to me, as a Catholic and as a American.
Where is the conviction and courage that is demanded of universities like these? More hope do I see from the Catholic schools in the Philippines or other nations in Asia that hold and teach the Catholic faith, in relation to their school education, by word and deed. The Catholic-Christians from the East shall and have been serve the purpose God has set for them in coming to revitalize and save these dark times for Catholicism (and Christianity at large) both in America and other major developed parts of the world. God bless and save us all in these times of trials and tribulations.