Sunday, February 04, 2007

Taking down the Cross

My Way News - Cross Removal Stirs Va. College Campus

"WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) - As a Catholic, Vince Haley often went to Mass at the College of William and Mary's historic Wren Chapel when he was an undergraduate in the 1980s. Also a Catholic, school President Gene R. Nichol often goes to the 120-seat chapel alone at night
to think in the quiet.

Both agree the chapel is a sacred space meaningful to students, alumni, faculty and staff of the public school who use it for religious services and secular events.

They clash, though, over what to do with an unadorned, 18-inch brass cross that had been displayed on the altar since about 1940. Nichol ordered the cross removed in October to make the chapel more welcoming to students of all faiths. Previously, the cross could be removed by request; now it can be returned by request." Follow the link to read the rest of this article.

My 2 Cents:

1) Diversity meltdown; as a desire to make everyone happy, is detrimental to the real growth in a religious community, regardless of whose religious culture is being affected.

2) The removal of the crucifix is a desirable deed as I see it. Someday, the reminder of a vicious, murderous act executed in ignorance, propelled by the maintainers of the status quo must be separated from love undeterred by persecution. Miserable murder does not have to befall the harbinger of more truth and responsibility in our relationship with our creator, our families and the creation.

3) The removal of the crucifix should be a ceremony honoring the determination to persevere to live and bring the message of living for others at the price of one's own life. The ceremony would lift the Christ from the cross of murderous ignorance and bury the instrument of that sad deed and resolving to continue to live and bring the message: living for others.

5 Comments:

Blogger Boo! said...

Well said.

11:58 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Important point. I can imagine how some people of other faiths might feel more at ease with the cross taken down, but I think I would miss it. How about building a multi-religious place of worship? Or put the cross up during Christian ceremonies / worship and take it down the rest of the time?

The discussion inspires another question - how much of religion is actually tradition? How much is actually faith?

12:31 pm  
Blogger ShadowFalcon said...

Religion - full of difficult questions...how much is culture and how much is faith. This can never really be answered as its different for every person.

btw i like the new look

12:08 pm  
Blogger David said...

This privileged planet of ours is a good start for a ' multi-religious place of worship '. Honestly, religion can be a tricky thing. ' Living for others' is the best form of worship I know. Example, I am worshiping the creator when I honor the created . . . the extra effort I take to . . . polish my shoes, comb my hair, wear a clean shirt, to please others. I'm not lost. I choose to do it. Their joy becomes my smile. We are united in joyful worship along with creator who made such joyful exchange possible.

5:13 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Taking down the cross sounds good to me ...

10:49 am  

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