Celebrating Religious Diversity

December 5, 2003

During this holiday season, it may be appropriate to reflect a moment on the rich variety of spiritual convictions that characterize our society. Members of our campus community belong to many different organized religions or follow their conscience outside of any recognized religious group. We are proud of this delicious mix of beliefs, and we strive to learn from it, and we work to protect it.

I know that all of us -- students, faculty, and staff -- want to be sensitive to others' convictions. We want to make sure that students in our residence halls are not being proselytized. We want to help our students to be excused from class on days that are holy to them. We want our public prayers to come from a variety of religious leaders, and we don't want these messages to offend any listener.

For many members of the University community, Christmas is a vitally important spiritual time. As Christians celebrate, I know that they will remember that there are other observances -- Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan, to name only three -- that are significant to many people on campus.

During these next few weeks as well as throughout the year, I hope that we will share each other's joys, learn from each other's religious beliefs, and celebrate religious diversity's important role in our community.

Best wishes for a restful and enjoyable holiday season!