I earned my B.A. and M.A. at a Protestant college (now university) in 
California and taught at a Jesuit university in CT.  Both these institutions 
were private.  I didn't think much about the religious orientation of my 
Alma Mater but did think hard about the Catholic and Jesuit identity of 
Fairfield University.  (I even served on a committee to study and reinforce 
that identity.)  I thought then and think now that if the Catholic faith 
community uses its own resources to found university, the principle of 
religious freedom upon which the USA is based makes it manifestly obvious 
that such a university should be committed to the religious vision of the 
community that founded it.

I should say that I found the Catholic Jesuit environment very welcoming to 
non-Catholics.

Where I part company with perhaps others on this list and certainly many W & 
M alumnii is over particular religious symbolism at PUBLIC universities and 
colleges.
I put to you all two questions.  1)  Should Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, 
Hindus, and the non-religious be taxed to support institutions that proclaim 
their adherence to Christianity?  2) Should, say, a Star of David be added 
to the chapel at William & Mary?

I understand that the College of William & Mary's founding was as a Church 
of England institution but that was in colonial times when propertyholders 
were taxed to support the established church of the colony of Virginia.  A 
lot has changed since the 17th century.

Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 10:44 PM
Subject: Re: Wren cross at W&M


> Yesterday's Washington Post had a piece by two alumni of W&M, Andrew  and 
> Constance McRoberts, with some interesting background to the  story. 
> According to them, when the 275 year old Wren Chapel was built  "and for 
> years thereafter", the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer,  and the Ten 
> Commandments were "emblazoned" on the wall behind the  alter, "as required 
> by Anglican law." When the chapel was refurbished  in the 1930s, the 
> inscriptions behind the altar were not restored,  but shortly after, the 
> 18 inch bronze cross was installed. So it has  been a Christian chapel 
> since it was built. Until recently, anyone  who wanted to use the chapel 
> "cross free" could do so, the cross  would be removed for the function. 
> According to these writers, it was  a practice consistent with those at 
> other colonial colleges, and  every president of W&M had accepted it. The 
> new president Nichol  ordered the cross removed and stored and brought out 
> only for  "appropriate religious services" because it was "unwelcoming." 
> They  also note that President Nicol was a former ACLU chapter president 
> and state board member. Now personally, I feel the ACLU has done some 
> good things, but I also think they can be too myopic, and have gone 
> overboard many times as well. The fact that this fellow has an ACLU 
> background says a lot, IMHO.
>
> Nancy
>
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