Students Question Catholic School's Emphasis on Christmas

Campus Reform ^ | 12/7/17 | Kyle Perisic

[marshmallow]

* Some students are complaining that Loyola University Chicago puts a greater emphasis on Christmas than on other religious holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

*Whereas 60 percent of the 2016 freshman class identifies as Roman Catholic, with the other 40% split among all other religious affiliations, the student paper asserts that just 5% of all students are Muslim.

Students at a major Catholic university are upset at the school’s emphasis on Christmas, saying they wish other religious holidays would receive equal attention on campus.

At Loyola University Chicago, Muslim students told The Loyola Phoenix that they wish Muslim holidays would receive the same attention as Christian holidays, despite Muslims accounting for less than five percent of the student population.

In fact, Catholics comprise 60 percent of the 2016 freshman class, though the school does not specify the number of students who are Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, or other Christian denominations, merely noting that 40 percent have a religious affiliation other than Catholic.

According to the Phoenix, there are approximately 800 Muslim students at the university, which accounts for less than five percent of the university’s 16,673 students.

Sajid Ahmed, prayer coordinator for the Muslim Student Association (MSA), told the Phoenix that Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, is “a bit dampened” at Loyola.

[KarlInOhio]

It was founded by the Jesuits, so they are as Catholic as the Pope... for what that's worth.

[faithhopecharity]

A non-Christian should be appreciative to be invited to study at a Christian school. And attend knowing there will be some Christian symbols or content. And certainly not complain about it. He chose to attend a Christian school, after all. These students are Islamic Enemy agents imho and should be told to leave forthwith.

[Parmy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Christ born as well as predictions of his coming long before Mohammed and Islam even thought of?

[samadams2000]

The Chancellor should fall on his sword and resign.

[ladyjane]

Something is wrong with their admissions office.

Admit students who want a Catholic education. Send the rest of them back to the public schools.

[KC Burke]

Muslims might be more comfortable at Dearborn Community College or in Mecca.

[seawolf101]

The morons go to a Catholic school and are upset about the Christan teachings. You can’t make up this shit.

[Ancesthntr]

“Students at a major Catholic university are upset at the school’s emphasis on Christmas, saying they wish other religious holidays would receive equal attention on campus.”

---

I’m Jewish, but went to Georgetown University, a school founded and run by Jesuits. At no time did I ever expect that there would be an emphasis on any holidays other than Christian ones, with a specific emphasis on Catholic holidays. I was not surprised to see that my expectations were met. After all, it was a Catholic University. They did not hide this. Similarly, my father went to Loyola Dental School in Chicago in the 1950s. He expected and got similar results. Neither of us cared, as we were there for the secular education, not the religious one. Both of us made many friends among our Catholic classmates.

Excuse my French, but how phucking stupid are these people?

[Steve_Seattle]

The other day I got the annual report from my former Catholic elementary school. It is a slick, well-produced magazine of about 20 pages. Nowhere in those 20 pages did I see any reference to Jesus, nor any particular emphasis on religious instruction. But they were very proud of the $10,000 they spent on new, energy-efficient water fountains.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Admit students who want a Catholic education. Send the rest of them back to the public schools."

Even at the elementary school level, a large number (20-50%) of students in Catholic schools are not Catholic. For this and other reasons, the Catholic identity of the schools has been watered down, in some cases almost to the vanishing point. These schools are becoming prep schools for the affluent, people who want an alternative to the dumbed-down public schools, and can afford it.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

It’s a Catholic university named for St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

Duh!

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I’m so old I remember when I knew the answer to the question “Is the pope catholic?”

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Personally, I believe that Resurrection Sunday should be celebrated more than Christmas. AFA satanic holidays such as ‘Eid al-Fitr’ and any other muhamedan holy days? The staff at Loyola should expose Islam as the false religion that it is! End of story!

[faithhopecharity]

Answer today: no?

[Mears]

Easy to solve-—————don’t admit Muslims.

.

[laxcoach]

I find the complaints offensive.

My son is a freshman at a catholic high school. He is Jewish. He might be one of 5 total Jews there.

I cannot imagine him, or us as parents, demanding equal time for Chanukah.

That would be obnoxious. These people at Loyola are being rude, obnoxious, and ungrateful. Pick a different school.

[ravenwolf]

Dumb as fence posts.

[vooch]

SFS ‘81 here also not Roman Catholic myself; essentially same experience as you at GU - entirely positive.

let’s turn the argument around - imagine a Southern Baptist who attends say Hampshire College or Reed College making a stink about co-ed showers and porn night ?

[Salvation]

Many Jesuits are saints. Check your facts.