Georgetown Hides Jesus at White House Request

Reports reveal that at the White House's request, Georgetown University hid the symbol IHS (Jesus) for President Obama's speech at the school. Is this a matter of creating a photogenic backdrop or encroaching on the freedom of religion?

Georgetown University Displays IHS (Jesus)

Georgetown University is a private Roman Catholic campus that dates back to 1789. A list of Georgetown's alumni reads like a who's who, including President Bill Clinton, Spanish Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon, Pat Buchanan, Alexander Haig, and California's first lady Maria Shriver.

Not surprisingly, its Roman Catholic Jesuit roots have led to ample displays of Christ centered décor, and one such item is the IHS (Jesus) display in Gaston Hall. IHS is an abbreviation commonly associated with the name of Jesus, such as through an abbreviation for Iesus Hominum Salvator.

Obama Visits Georgetown

Georgetown University reports that Barack Obama visited the venerable institution of higher learning and spoke about the much needed economic recovery. The speech itself was held in Gaston Hall, and President Obama discussed that his goals include elevating the United States to become the world leader in college graduations by the year 2020. Notably absent from the speech was IHS. Jesus was apparently hidden.

Georgetown Hides Jesus for Obama Speech at White House's Request

The Washington Post discloses that Georgetown University - at the White House's request - hid the ancient IHS sign that stands for Jesus. At face value, the covering up of the Georgetown Jesus insignia was done simply for aesthetic reasons, to ensure that the focal point would be the president and the décor would match the requested flags and drape.

Quoting Rev. Thomas Reese, there is the general understanding that although Georgetown hid Jesus for Obama, it was not done for any religious undertones' sake, but simply to provide the photogenic backdrop needed for a much publicized event.

Georgetown Hides Jesus and Values

It is unclear if the sentiment would be repeated should the president choose to speak at a Yeshivaor Madrasah, and request that the respective symbols of these faiths be hidden. Moreover, it is vague if representatives of these faiths would acquiesce quite as easily as Georgetown University.

There is a very real concern, however, that the Catholic faith is betraying some of its values and caving to political pressure, most notably since anti abortion advocates now see themselves lumped into the unclassified Homeland Security report that links veterans, rightwing extremism, the pro life movement and immigration opponents all into one mix. This also comes in the wake of the rekindled conscience clause reversal debate, which also deals with fundamental Catholic values.

Sources
http://www.georgetown.edu/obama_2009-04-14.html; http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/belief-blog/2009/apr/15/obama-at-georgetown-the-mystery-of-the-missing-sig/; http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1653793/unclassified_homeland_security_report.html; http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1634048/the_conscience_clause_reversal_debate.html