<p>Where I went to college, the campus chapel was designated as “interfaith”. In practice, the label “interfaith” actually meant non-denominational Protestant, since the Catholics had their own building (also called a “chapel”), as did the Jewish students. I attended services at this interfaith chapel a number of times because of the convenience of proximity, but felt that in the effort to be accommodating to every Protestant Christian group, the services were bland and watered-down. Still, the school did the best it could to address the needs of the students attending back then. Times have changed. Looking back from a position in 2007, we could be critical because there was no religious space on campus for the Muslims, the Hindus, or the Wiccans. My point is, that was OK since the social realities back then were different. </p>
<p>W&M is trying to adjust to new realities. America is now a very diverse place. Having a cross in the campus chapel may have been appropriate for some of the last 70 years, but it isn’t now unless there are other buildings on campus designed for religious use by people of non-Christian faiths. I think displaying the cross in a case is a reasonable compromise because it makes Christian feel less like there’s something wrong with a cross. It is, after all, a part of the chapel’s history. </p>
<p>I respect some of Dorothy’s frustration in that I do think our society is over-doing it in trying to “sanitize” everything using modern ideas of political correctness. We are trying to “correct” decisions that were made a couple of hundred years ago when different realities and understandings were in play. Take, for example, the issue of college mascots that are American Indians (Native-Americans, First Nation peoples, or whatever we’re calling them these days). There has been such an uproar over this issue instigated on some campuses by non-native-Americans who presume to know what offends Native-Americans. In general, the Native-Americans themselves have not complained, mind you. To the contrary, in some cases they have come out strongly in favor of the use of the mascot! They consider it an honor. But still the activists must protect them from their ignorance and demand the college be purged of these “offensive symbols.” They complain that depicting an American Indian in a feathered headdress is stereotypical and thus insulting. Funny, I’ve seen several newspaper photos within the last year of tribesmen wearing exactly that sort of traditional dress as they sealed tribal business deals.</p>
<p>These same sanitizing forces want to strip George Washington of his honor as a revolutionary hero and first President because he once owned slaves. And there are many similar soapboxes people want to stand on. It’s silly, really.</p>
<p>As we go forward, we should strive to make the best decisions we know how to make that respect our diverse population. We cannot and should not, however, “clean up” every historical relic of our past. Our past is how we came to be who we are.</p>