Students React to Brother Scanlan's Spring Faculty Convocation Speech
Liz Harris
Issue date: 2/22/06 Section: News
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Scanlan's attitude toward Atheism and Manhattan's Core Beliefs are central to the debate. During his speech, Scanlan said, "Just as we expect students to embrace the Institution's Core Value, so we expect them to embrace our Core Belief, namely that we live in the Presence of God. It follows inescapably that Atheists are in essential conflict with our Core Belief, but excellence often implies that one can't be all things to all people."
Sophomore Christine Schneider, an Atheist, expressed her disagreement with some of Scanlan's points. She said, "I don't openly criticize the Catholic church, so I don't feel they should openly criticize me. I went to a Catholic high school, and I have nothing personal against the church. I feel the same way toward Catholicism as I do toward other religions- it just isn't for me."
Schneider also commented on religion's role in the classroom, particularly in her biology courses. She said, "Some people believe God created everything, but I believe in evolution."
Religion, for Schneider, did not govern her decision to attend Manhattan College. She reported that many of the schools her parents suggested she look at were Catholic, but "religion was not a factor in my [her] choice to come to Manhattan."
Alison Bomba, a sophomore history major and a Roman Catholic, also critiqued parts of Scanlan's speech. She said, "I would expect this from a Catholic college that's in the middle of nowhere. We're in one of New York City's boroughs, and one of the things New York City prides itself on is diversity. Yes, you need to keep your core values and beliefs, but you shouldn't shun non-believers. The Catholic Brothers created this institution to teach kids, and if you don't allow everyone to be educated, you're almost being prejudiced in a way."
Bomba also suggested that a stronger, stricter emphasis on Catholicism will decrease Manhattan's applicant pool. She said, "If they focus more on active Catholicism, I think the application number will fall drastically because people of different faiths won't want to apply. While a lot of students declare themselves Roman Catholics, how many are really active participants in their faith?"