<p>Thanks for posting, I hadn’t heard that. E-mail sent to Dr. Christ.</p>
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<p>Dear Dr. Christ:</p>
<p>I am appalled at the story in the Sophian that Smith College is contemplating eliminating the chaplains as a budgetary measure.</p>
<p>The notion that eliminating chaplains can be spun as promoting diversity is ludicrous. The dominant beliefs at Smith are secular; it’s the practicing religious students who contribute to diversity and who should be receiving support. </p>
<p>Indeed, when one Smithie heard that my daughter was a practicing Catholic, she gasped and said, “You can’t be Catholic…you’re <em>smart</em>!” Substitute terms pertaining to race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation for “practicing Catholic.” I would say that religiously inclined students deserve all the support the chaplains can provide.</p>
<p>Moreover, the Smith chaplains serve a broad spectrum of religious belief and are extremely ecumenical in their practice. I was very pleased when on a trip to the Maryknoll retreat house in New York, a trip arranged and coordinated by chaplain Liz Carr, my daughter was accompanied by a Jewish student and an atheist…seems to be the kind of diversity and tolerance-building activity that should be encouraged.</p>
<p>This proposal should be shelved indefinitely for “further study.”</p>