December 24, 2010

• This year Williams got a new president. A nice enough guy, from what I've seen of him thus far.

  With our last president, Morty, every year the members of Williams Catholic would have dinner around the middle of the first semester to celebrate some feast that, sadly, I cannot remember the name for. While I actually don't know if this was the case, I imagine that similar things were offered to the other religious groups on campus; it'd be severely problematic if that wasn't the case.

  Regardless, the point is that, this year, we naturally asked if the same thing would be done this year for our new president. I've missed every dinner in the past and I was looking forward to this one to welcome in our new president (or at least get to know him further than just playing Hail to the Chief with a silly hat on (the marching band, you see)).

  His response, however, was that that wouldn't be the case. He's an atheist and does not want religion in his home. He would support us entirely outside but he did not want us bringing religion in.

  Which, you know, is fine if he's an atheist. My attendance at Williams Secular Community (WSC) should be evidence enough. But maybe that's just what first came to mind - WSC. We're not asking to have this dinner with him because we intend to convert him or something like that. It's like sharing passover with some friends of yours with the idea in mind that they intend to make you Jewish; the notion's rediculous. Or maybe that's not an event that most people have experienced.

  The point is, by saying that you don't want to share dinner with us, it's a direct rejection of everything that we're about. It's like the dumbasses that staunchly refuse to say Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas because - God forbid - they have to acknowledge that some people actually believe in something other than Christianity or that others don't believe in anything (religious-wise) at all. It's a rejection of those people, a way of saying, "You - are - wrong, to the point that I couldn't even bother to bear supporting you."

  Well then. Thank you President Falk. Or am I over-reacting?

  Perhaps the reason why I jumped at the chance to chair InterFaith, I like other's ideas. Which maybe betrays some bias. I wouldn't think so, but maybe so. Which may be the reason that I simply saw that dinner as a way of saying, "Hey, we want to share with you this integral part of us. We want to get to know you; come celebrate with us."

   

   

  So, when I say Merry Christmas to you all, this isn't some demeaning attempt to convert, certainly not a way of saying that I think my religious belief is better than yours, or any of any other possible affronts that could be misconstrued from the gesture.

  It's a way of sharing my tradition with you and the sentiments that go with that - have a safe holidays, with friends and coming together with family. Goodwill towards all and the usual stuff.

   

   

  Merry Christmas all. I hope it's a happy one.

  • 8:57 pm
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