Priorities

I wanted to share my hopes for this association. We've been discussing the priorities of the organization a lot, and I thought i'd share those now.

1. Multi-Faith Counsel

We are working to help students of different religions connect with each other, but we also want to help students of the SAME religion connect. We can help with the PR and the organization, as well as helping to set things straight with UV Clubs. Eventually, we will organize all religious clubs into a "Multi-Faith Counsel."

2. Promoting the move "From Tolerance To Love"

There are 5 ways that we hope to make this push.

a. Mutual Understanding
b. Promoting Religious Liberty
c. Serving Each Other
d. Social Events
e. Interfaith Prayer Services

3. Working to educate persons in the community on the terrific good each religion has to offer. While differences of opinion can (and should?) exist, there can be a great deal of respect developed once a person SEES the good character that a religion supports.

In other words, we hope to have people learn to say, "I disagree with what you believe, but I support the "noble virtues" that your religion develops.

4. We will publish and promote a directory for local religions, as well as support individual groups and students in the new "Worship Center" that will be located on the 5th floor of the new library.

5. Through the creation of an executive position of "Chaplain" which we will lobby for, we hope to support the institution of counseling for bereavement, support for the searching student, and help support the spirituality of all UVU students and affiliates.


These ideas are still being developed., so give us your input!!!

Credit for the ideas go to our leadership team as a whole. Linda Walton, of course needs to be recognized as the one who has created the phrase "From Tolerance to Love" as well as promoted much of these values for years. That being said, I do not claim that these values are the official priorities of the Interfaith Student Association (at least not yet), but rather reflect my own values.


Well, there you go. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS!!! We would love to hear what YOUR priorities and needs are. Let us know what it is that you'd like to find in an Interfaith Student Association like this one!

More to come soon.

I can be reached at president.isa.uvu@gmail.com.

Curtis Jensen
President - Interfaith Student Association
PR Club President
Communications Department Student Rep.

Response to Lindsay's Comment

Lindsay,

Thank you very much for commenting. I appreciate your feedback!

On February 3, 2008, Lindsay wrote:

"I would never have thought to have the presidency of Interfaith not disclose their religious affiliation! That's really what this group is about, isn't it? We're just getting together to have fun and mingle, and even learn a little bit."

I'd like to clarify one thing first. While the leadership of the Interfaith Student Association is planning on not publicizing its affiliation, we encourage all members of the group to openly discuss their religious feeling with the purpose of having fun, mingling, and learning to understand each other.

Our hope is that by having the student leadership be discreet about their own affiliation that it will maintain impartiality and avoid stereotypes and biases against the association as a whole.

Also, we hope to keep it a "safe place" or rather "neutral ground." In a way, we hope that the leadership will act as a "mediator" that will allow greater connection and unity among students of various religions.

That's all I have to say right off the cuff on that topic. Feel free to keep the comments coming!

More to come soon.

I can be reached at president.isa.uvu@gmail.com.

Curtis Jensen