On Faith, Expression, and Public Education

When a student reporter asked me about a new chapel on campus a few weeks ago, I was surprised and puzzled. I teach at a publicly-funded institution, after all. A little research confirmed that, as I suspected, there was not a new sectarian house of worship on campus. Instead, a private organization was renting space here, and its website was a bit misleading.

Still, the student and I proceeded with the interview, which allowed an opportunity to address questions about students spiritual expression, interfaith understanding, and faith/state issues. Unfortunately, an outside source picked up her article and selectively quoted me, saying I was optimistic about the arrival of a new chapel on campus as if it was indeed an arm of the university and I favored it over all others! My request for a correction went unanswered.

So, partly to set the record straight and partly because our discussion related to timely and important issues, Im sharing the full interview here with the student reporters permission, though without naming the religious group in question. As always, the views I express here do not necessarily represent the views of my colleagues at our university.

1) There is going to be a new chapel on campus. Do you think it is a good thing for students?

To be clear: This organization has the word chapel in its name and has used an image of our campus on its website, but it is not a university-affiliated organization. It is simply renting meeting space on a short-term basis while it seeks a permanent home in town.

Several years ago, a major study showed that college students often feel a need to express and explore their spirituality. Our university took steps to address this need by establishing a non-sectarian center for faith and spirituality. The center has a multi-faith prayer room for students of all faiths: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist among them.

Personally, I applaud students exploration of ideas and expression of belief whether this involves religious devotion or steering clear of religion altogether. Since being at the university, Ive served as the faculty advisor for a Pagan group and a (non-religious) feminist group. Interest in a Humanist/Atheist group was being discussed a few years ago, and I offered to serve as its faculty advisor. I do this, not necessarily because I espouse these views myself, but because I support belief, unbelief, and anything in between.

3) How do you think the chapel will improve community life on campus, especially in a time of such sensitivity regarding politics?

An organization like this one might benefit students who are drawn to evangelical Christianity. Similarly, a humanist group might be good for those who seek meaning without attributing it to a transcendent being. But lets keep in mind that there are many, many religious beliefs on campus. Each faith group here needs to recognize that it is one of several equally-valued religious voices operating respectfully within a multi-faith context.

About the question of sensitivity regarding politics. Those of us who care about religion as a social force in the world always hope that it will be used forgive the old metaphor to build bridges, not walls. Unfortunately, we have seen time and time again that this has not been the case. In fact, in the world beyond campus, religion today has too often been used to fuel hatred and justify violence.

On campus, though, weve had immense success with faith-based student organizations working together. Not that were always perfect, of course. But our students understand that its not a competition. Each group can flourish on its own terms without trying to change others. My hope is that if we can nurture our interfaith ethic in here, it will filter into the larger society out there and help religion become a positive, transformative force in the world. (Fingers crossed.)

4) This is a public university, not a private one. Do you think its right to have a chapel here?

The separation of faith and state is one of Americas most important political innovations. I embrace the safeguards for religious freedom provided by the First Amendment, and just for fun, lets quote its key clauses:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

This means that no arm of the government and that includes K-12 schools and public universities should establish or prohibit religion. But we sometimes have to wade through a hefty load of Constitutional law to determine how a public institution can enable the expression of religious beliefs without endorsing those beliefs. And, frankly, theres not exactly a consensus about how to go about this, as students discovered in my Religion & Law seminar last spring.

Many interfaith and secular groups maintain that any public support of religion is a violation of the establishment clause. Some of them would criticize even the presence of a multi-faith spirituality center like the one we now have on campus. Yet, religious people often feel like their faith expression is squelched by the secularism that has a hold on the larger culture. Its hard to strike the right balance in some cases.

In my view, its appropriate for a publicly funded institution to provide a multi-faith center, like we do, where students with a wide range of religious beliefs can explore their own understandings of God/Adonai/Allah/Brahma/Buddha/The Dao/Great Spirit/Gaia or no god at all. But personally, I would not support an effort to permanently establish a sectarian house of worship on a public university campus and actually believe such an effort could be challenged in the courts.

Its good for students to encounter other beliefs and ways of life so they can exchange views with each other as they prepare for Life After College. Religion is, after all, an aspect of cultural diversity. Therefore inter-religious discourse can enrich our experiences and understandings of each other.