I'll start by saying that I have nothing against gay people. If that's the way that God made you, then that's the way you are. The Catholic Church states that there is nothing immoral about being homosexual: only immoral to practice homosexuality. In other words, being gay is acceptable, but openly practicing it is not. However some believe that Notre Dame needs to adjust its non-discrimination clause to include homosexuals ("Clause needs updating;" Oct.6).
I offer the following thoughts. I think that Notre Dame should endorse the same policy as the United States military when it comes to admitting gay students: Don't ask, don't tell.
This policy prohibits anyone who "demonstrates a propensity to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces. If people don't openly practice homosexuality, then we shouldn't hold their sexual orientation against them in admissions. But allowing gay students to openly practice homosexuality on the campus of Notre Dame only makes us more secular.
I thought that Notre Dame had peaked in secularism with our choice of Commencement speaker last spring. Having the biggest pro-choice advocate in the world justifying abortion on the platform of the University of Notre Dame was a disgrace. It's about time for Notre Dame to honor the teachings of the Catholic Church, not contradict them. The University of Notre Dame ought to be the gold standard of Catholicism in higher education. We should not adjust our policies to fit societal norms so that people can feel better about their sin. One thing will be certain, if Notre Dame adjusts the clause to include openly practicing homosexuals, then we will have no right to consider ourselves a Catholic university anymore.
How could we when we don't honor even the most basic of Catholic social teachings in abortion and homosexuality? So no, I don't agree that the clause needs updating to include gays. If you're a homosexual student applying to Notre Dame, you should keep your sexual orientation to yourself.
We are, or at least were, a Catholic university.
Sean Mullen
sophomore
Keough Hall
Oct. 6
