Notre Dame University Battle Over President Obama's Invitation

There is a debate that is occurring on Notre Dame University campus, and has spread to many Catholic organizations and then blasted on many news stations and in many news cycles is not the university honoring the President Obama but rather how dare the university honor a president with his views. Although, more fitting this issue is less about righteous and more about outrageousness.

For those who are unaware, President Obama accepted an invitation to speak at Notre Dame's graduation ceremonies. Many first year Presidents have spoken at Notre Dame's impressive university graduation, although this institution of supposedly higher is now in the center of media attention over this invitation. The President will also accept an honorary degree; however, the uproar occurring on the campus and spilling into news media bullpens, about the President's impending visit to the university has many taking sides. Thankfully, this is not about the President's race, after all who would not want the first African-American president in the history of the United States to speak at their graduation.

The uproar is supposedly from many students, parents, teachers, and bishops, though no firm numbers are available, that determination varies depending upon the news organizations, right or left wing to justify themselves and the issue. The outcry is over President Obama's personal views regarding abortion and stem cell research (and the reversing of President Bush's ruling against that science), as it is opposed by many (again inferring vague numbers) that is against the school, founders, and their religious views. This issue shows some at Notre Dame's views maybe narrowed and in fact, very bias and hypocritical, and against the university campus' student life policy of acceptance even when confronted with opposing ideological thinking. Nevertheless, the battle has begun, and the acceptance is that the President accepts the opposition's views only.

First, the president is not going to their campus or to the graduation to have a debate on his views, (the White House has not released further information concerning the issue). However, the university's student body seems to be unwilling to listen to other individuals' views, which is very shallow and insecure from such a prestigious university. Nevertheless, the faculty, students, parents and the lofty bishops are holding themselves in very superior moral and religious standing.

Sadly, no one has been asking the opposition serious thought provoking questions, aside from the obvious, but no moralistic and religious challenging question against them - is this because they are Catholic and/or Republican. However, if questioning and demanding answers on this standing is difficult for some then here are examples, how many of the students are training to become priests and nuns? On the other hand, how many single unmarried students and faculty are not sexual active with each other - in other words how many are virgins? Are there no gay or lesbian students or faculty on campus or in the university's alumni? If a fellow student admitted to having an abortion or thinking positively about stem cell research, would 'the others' outcast them, report them to the school authorities, to be expelled. This does not and cannot happen, as there is no policy for it. This is food-for-thought.

The students and faculty that are against the President's invite would not dare to answer these questions, or perhaps retort with the argument that it is off based and irrelevant, yet it cannot be as the opposition has taken this high moral and religious standpoint.

The previous mentioned questions, are those that one may ask of the Catholic students' mothers and fathers (of which many are against the President attending the campus ceremonies - again the numbers varies) are their sons and daughters honoring them, with their choices and attitudes, and have these same students never swore against or about their parents. Again, questioning the religious standing that many are taking against the President. In addition, on the subject of the parents and including the faculty, a record must been achieved by now, that every student's parents have never divorced or committed adultery as this supports their defense against the President, since their views are all based upon how their solid strong families, faith and lessons learned. As it is against the teachings of most religions to have divorce and adulteries, hence using the term solid infers that their families are pure.

The argument of lessons learned is baseless, as the Roman Catholic Church once taught that the Earth was the center of the universe, this is incorrect, sorry to crush anyone's illusions. In fact, ten bishops join with others to oppose the President, and reinforced the teachings of their faith, the students and families and what the university truly stands for and supports. Of course, with the teachings that they are heavily relying on for their backbone in this argument, it is a dangerous road filled with peril; for example, the Pope reinstated a Bishop Richard Williamson who stated that, "is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed."1 [SINCERE APOLOGIES TO ALL JEWISH PEOPLE FOR THIS OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT BY THIS BISHOP AND THE POPE REINSTATING HIM] - will the students of Notre Dame and the faulty teach this lesson in their history classes without any arguments against it.

This is a heated issue in some circles (although highly ignore by many news organization of late) and not just from the students and the school, but also the National Catholic Register that is championing the cause, to stop the President. and banners on the many websites that are expressing their views of this topic are stating, "Tell Notre Dame: Be Catholic",2 stating an obvious turn to be against those who are not Catholic on campus, they are not welcomed. Lastly, Jack Higgins' political cartoon from 2009 Chicago Sun-Times "...And Jesus Wept"3 and which is shown on the National Catholic Register website clearly shows Jesus weeping and a man standing, with the word abortion near his neck, though some individuals may take this as a African American Man speaking and Jesus weeping because of that image. The Archbishop of New York, Timothy A. Dolan, stated "[contrasted abortion to other serious concerns, like the Iraq war and the death penalty, which] "are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil."4 Although, the Archbishop statements opens a curious thought process agreeing that racism, war, famine, the breakup of marriage [divorce] and sexual abuse of children are not intrinsically evil, therefore they are very petty issues, and allows limited discussion on the topics.

Therefore, a solution exists, since these questions are unanswered due to the controversial status of them, the president of the university's termination must be coming by the fall semester. The policy of the university must be change to remove students of different faiths (currently Notre Dame is not solely for Catholic students), views, political parties and orientations and teachings that for the President and go against the mainstream of the students and university. In addition, Notre Dame's graduates must adhere to the tenets set forth by this freedom of express, and that is to deny others their rights to expression and religions, set forth in the First Amendment, and also never ever, associate, protect, aid, or defend anyone whose views are not identical to the Holy Church and Notre Dame. The prolific and proud presidential speaker that has spoken at the Notre Dame his first year in office, was and should be again, President G.W. Bush (although he is not Catholic) - he shares the swelling ranks of students, faulty, parents, and bishops and their views, although his IQ is nowhere near the current President's level nor his popularity.

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/bishop-richard-williamson_n_160598.html

2. http://www.ncregister.com/

3. http://notredamescandal.com/

4. http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CardinalNewmanSociety/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/435/ItemID/527/Default.aspx