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Does the Law Require Catholic U to Build a Mosque?

Posted on October 27th, 2011 Freedom of Religion, Religious Freedom | 25 Comments »

George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf has accused the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, DC, of discriminating against Muslim students at Catholic University of America (CUA). Banzhaf complains that CUA has denied Muslim students ”the same equal access to its facilities and services enjoyed by other student groups, including Jewish ones, solely on the basis of their religion.” More specifically, he contends that:

usually, or at least frequently, these Muslim students at CUA find that they must perform their prayers surrounded by symbols of Catholicism – e.g., a wooden crucifix, paintings of Jesus, pictures of priests and theologians, etc. – which many Muslim students find inappropriate and not especially conducive to praying according to their very different religious beliefs. Furthermore, some Muslim students find they must do their meditation in the ‘school’s chapels and at the cathedral that looms over the entire campus – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’ – hardly a place where students of a very different religion are likely to feel very comfortable.

In an interesting bit of “reasoning,” Banzhaf contends that CUA has no good religious reason for not better “accommodating” Muslim prayer because nearby Georgetown University will soon offer Muslim prayer space at a new interfaith center.

Surely Banzhaf doesn’t think the Archbishop is legally obliged to either tear down the Basilica or build a mosque on the CUA campus? Right?

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Author Gregory S. Baylor - ADF Senior Counsel

ADF Senior Counsel - University Project

Monicacristina319

why are muslims at a catholic university in the first place!?!?!
Stormy Cordes

It is the CATHOLIC University of America. If they disagree with the Catholic faith, they should go to a Muslim based university, or start their own.
Slpman01

Didn’t they know it was a Catholic University when they signed up? If so, then why are they surprised……..does a muslim university provide Christian symbols…..no, the muslim countries kill Christians……….hmmmm
Ladydrea1225

It is a “Catholic” University…. therefore, no, the law cannot force them to do anything due to separation of church and state.
Swillia9

Are they serious? I mean come on if they voluntarily attend the school then they have likely signed an agreement to adhere to the private schools rules, regulations, and religious life and practice which the school likely makes no apology for holding the views it does. I’m just appalled at the fact that other ideology groups think that Christians are a bunch of push-overs and should be ran off the planet. They act as if they are to be tolerated by Christians, yet they refuse to tolerate Christianity…can anyone say “double standard?” I say that the school is well within their rights not to have such a place because the government cannot tell churches and their organizations how to believe or practice. This is the very thing that drove the protestants to America to begin with.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000284194742 John Paul Bryant

I can see it happening though… This all or none mentality is washing over our country. Ask any student on a campus in the US if a Muslim should be allowed to give a prayer at a Christian event and many times you will hear something like “Yes. Otherwise that’s discrimination. You either have to respect all religions or none.” Ask them if a Christian should be allowed to pray at a Muslim event and the answer is entirely different though. We are in the end times. Christ is returning and I’m getting excited.
Mladaf2

I would be very curious to know how many Muslim students actually attend this Catholic University. And while I would love to say that, NO, they are not legally obliged to accomodate Muslim faith in a Catholic school… liberal will continue to push for things like this; anything in their eyes to water down something even resembling Christianity. With the many universities in this nation, I certainly wouldn’t be attending a Muslim University as a Christian. Are there even any Muslim Universities???
km

NO! They made the choice to go to a Catholic University. I am not Catholic but I wouldn’t expect them to make a place me to worship in the way that I believe. I would go to an University of my own faith. It is a private school!
Lionsroar517

Will the muslems allow us to pray in their mosques with our bibles or symbols?
Maryschild

I think it is ridiculous if the school is even thinking of building a “prayer space” for the Muslims. Iif the Catholic church is the one true church (which I believe) then why would we accommodate for false churches. I think it is appalling that Georgetown University has bent to the Muslim’s wishes. This just proves again that Georgetown University are no longer Catholic and should not be called Catholic and if CUA where to do the same thing they too, should no longer be called Catholic. Muslims seem to want to come in and change our free America to their own country instead of doing it with force like they have in the past they are doing it quietly and with the mind.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MFI2DBY4KKKEWREWWMF5Z73RGI Mary

Disgusting. Appalling. And they wonder why religions hate each other?
Ktopp19

Call and voice your support. The detractors will complain loudly and often – do NOT let their opinions be all CU hears. Let them know you don’t want them to change their vision to accommodate the troublemakers.
http://publicaffairs.cua.edu//about/contactus.cfm
Imwldathrt

For goodness sake! It’s a CATHOLIC university!!!! If they don’t like it, why are they going there????
BethStyron

Muslims and many other religious sects attend Catholic schools. They attend because of the quality of education. However, no other religious group complains about our cathedrals, statues, and outward exptessions of Catholic faith. The Muslim mind set is about 1000 years behind times.
Anonymous

The inmates have completely taken over the asylum!
Anonymous

The inmates have taken over the asylum! Next, they’ll complain that all those crosses on campus are “offensive.”
Deovolente

The real intent of this lawyer and others of his ilk, is to eradicate “religion” from any public space. In this case, he asserts that the university must provide a prayer space for muslims. Next the assertion will be that the university must provide prayer spaces for people of every different faith that is represented on campus (protestant, muslim, wiccan, pagan, hindu, buddist, etc). This of course, would prove impractical and costly, forcing the school to remove all symbols of christianity on campus, which is of course his goal to begin with.
Jay

The school is a well known organization, and has a very healthy academic life. Many students attend this school not because of the religious aspects, but because of the academics. Learning from Catholic professors does not make the knowledge that you gain in any way different from learning from other professors.
If they’re going to a Catholic University, wouldn’t you say that they’re not being intolerant? Intolerance would be shown by refusal to attend a university that has different values than they have.
The protestants came to America because they were not granted their religious freedoms to practice their religion. Denying Muslim students a mosque is doing just that. Having a Mosque at Catholic would not prevent the Catholic students or faculty from being able to practice.
I can understand your anger at the way you see the world has turned against Christians, but it’s not nearly so much a push to have the Christians “ran off the planet.” It is much closer to a push for allowing other religions to be practiced as freely as Catholicism has been for centuries.
Before you start pointing your finger at others intolerance, you may want to look at your own and recognize that they have the same feeling of righteous indignation that you do.
irishsmile

If you don’t want to be exposed to Catholic symbols.. don’t go to a Catholic school! How many Muslim schools accept Christian students and ensure that Christians can practice their faith within the walls of a Muslim school. This is ridiculous and the Muslims know it. My anger is really directed more toward the ridiculous libs who live in their ridiculous glass academic towers. Liberal academics are so agenda driven that they don’t understand the real world.
http://twitter.com/Pmccrsp Fr. Peter Calabrese

A better basketball team, maybe but Georgetown is hardly a leader in promoting true Catholic Culture anymore. It specializes in providing cover for Catholics who want to remain Catholic without retaining catholic teachings. Should it cover all its Catholic symbols like Georgetown does when it receives the honor of a Presidential visit from President Obama.?
Armecady

Why don’t they attend Universities in their own nations ?
Anonymous

Jay, you should check out some books about is lam and their objectives. They are purposely penetrating Christian schools to try to overtake them, one strategy at a time. Their goal is to conquer Western Civilization by the year 2050.
SFLBIB

Just exactly what is Banzhaf’s standing anyway?
Dr.Thomas Carman

These idiots have nothing better to do. This is a Roman Catholic place of learning! I only wish that muslims could do a little better in seeking out places that provide them with whatever they need. They do not need us..
Thomas Carman

Only if they can kill us!