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.
About Me
- Curtis Jensen
- I was born in Sandy, Utah, where I grew up. My parents still live in the same house they did my entire life. I attended Alta High School, where I participated in two state-championship swim meets. My senior year in high school, I was a member of the National Champion Ballroom Dance Team, and I participated with that team in the 2002 Winter Olympic Ceremonies (We were the pioneers in the Opening Production). I currently attend Utah Valley University, and I'm a Mighty Wolverine to the bone.
3 comments:
It sounds like you are doing some great work with this organization, and I hope that it can really help students to understand each other.
"There's no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone." Interfaith has the potential to break through a lot of our self imposed walls regarding pre-concived notions and/or fear of beliefs that differ from ours. It's not always easy at the start to take down barriers we've been holding our entire lives. Addressing the biggest concerns members might have right up front will go a long way in making those barriers easier to tear down. We don't have to walk on pins and needles regarding religion, though it takes practice and effort on our part to embrace the philosophy of agreeing to disagree I think Interfaith will be a great way to strengthen our strides outside our comfort zones as we mutually break down our reserves.
Increasing mutual understanding is great, but by implicitly endorsing interfaith-prayer services you are promoting a religious principle that some religions find offensive and even blasphemous. An Orthodox Jew, for example, would find Biblical admonition not to worship or pray with the adherents of Baal. Nor would a more traditional Muslim find it appropriate to pray alongside someone who is praying to Jesus. And many evangelical Christians have a problem praying with a Mormon, especially if that Mormon believes that God the Father was either potentially or probably a sinner in a past mortal probation. Thus, instead of promoting religious neutrality, your interfaith prayer-services are a slap in the face to many people, and it shows that you need to spend some time better understanding the religions.
Thanks for listening,
Aaron
aaronshaf.com
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