Finding a Morally Upright College

Marian
Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:32:26 +0000

One could argue indefinitely on how strictly religious Christians, Jews, Muslims, or members of whatever other group must follow the guidance in their respective scriptures.

But I don’t see the relevance to college choice – unless the college is sponsored by the religious group.

At a public college or a non-religious private one, it does not seem reasonable to expect ethical rules derived from a specific religion and not necessarily endorsed by American society as a whole to be enforced. The usual expectation is simply that the college should make an effort not to place students who follow religious rules in a position where they have to violate them or face serious consequences (e.g., colleges usually provide students who cannot take an exam on their Sabbath for religious reasons with an opportunity to take the exam on an alternate date rather than failing the exam).

Expecting a non-religious college to enforce a “moral principle” that much of American society does not endorse – such as condemnation of homosexuality – does not seem reasonable.