As a Catholic Alum of W&M I would offer my two cents:  big deal over nothing. 
 Just another blip in the age old Private vs. Public; Majority vs. Minority; 
Religion vs. Secular; etc.

When considering consider the fact that the Chapel is an actively used public 
space, part of the centerpiece building on the campus of a thriving public 
university with a diverse student population, it does not seem so horrible does 
it?   W&M is not a private institution, certainly not a Christian institution, 
and is funded by public money (that means everyone).   So when you take the 
emotion out of it, there is nothing wrong with taking the Cross out of a public 
room at a public secular university.  If you want Crosses, 10-commandments, 
Star of Davids, Crescent Moons, Smiling Buddhas, Golden Calves, etc. plenty are 
available in the multitude of churches surrounding campus in town, at private 
institutions, in private homes, etc.  This is truly one of those undeniable 
balances that makes the US such a rare place to live.  

By the way, President Nichols, who has been at W&M for 18 months appears to 
be doing a great job from what this alum can determine and I don't recall him 
making a big deal about the removal (the whole ACLU - political career 
motivated theory presented by some).....didn't the original email poster indicate he 
"snuck in" and likely did it in such a fashion so as to prevent great upheaval. 
 I have been to weddings, fraternity initiations, etc. at the Chapel and it 
is space with a rare spiritual ambiance.   As a student of History, yes, 
absolutely, it was a Chapel in the Christian tradition.  However, this room and 
building is not a museum and to be honest I can live with the chapel having a 
cross or the cross being removed.  Is it that difficult to bring the cross in for 
Christian religious purposes at the Chapel?

There is so much more important in the world when compared to a non-issue 
such as this being elevated to weighty importance.  It simply prays upon division 
and spawns divisiveness.  Religion, with its zealots and hard-liners are 
today, and have been throughout history, the cause of many of the greatest and 
most incomprehensible human calamities, be it war, oppression, genocide, etc.  
When it comes down to it, does it really matter?  Is your life so dramatically 
effected by it?    

Besides, in its simplest form it the whole issue boils down to the simple 
desire for idol worship, and good Christians know that such practice is frowned 
upon if we take the Bible at its word....I digress and am actually speaking 
blasphemously against the use of idolatry and pageantry as a Catholic, forgive 
me.  

Tom McMahon
Class of 1994

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