Un. of Notre Dame Rejects a Porn Filter


Some conservative Notre Dame students requested the University install a porn filter on the campus internet system. The President rejected their request. This is typical of why there is tension between Catholic universities and Catholic clergy.

I believe some state universities have or have had porn filters. This includes North Dakota State University. I haven't looked at Harvard but I suspect it does not.

Nearly all of what we refer to today as "major" private universities were started by churches or religious leaders. As time went on these universities and their church founders began to disagree on what should be taught and how. When the universities had enough money they began to ignore a lot of the pressures from church sources.

I remember a story from decades ago about a new young history professor at a small denominational college. Shortly after he arrived, one of the prominent alumni and a donor was dispatched to have a talk the the young fellow. "We who donate here just want to be certain you will be teaching history from a Christian point of view," the prominent man said. The young professor replied, "Yes, I will teach history from a Christian perspective the same way the mathematics professor teaches math from a Christian perspective."

I've read the statement of purpose of several colleges and universities who carry the name of a branch of Christianity. They all have a phrase that says approximately, "We come from the X faith and carry that faith with us in all that we do here at University Y." But mostly they do not pay any attention to the founder's faith.

Long ago they stopped treating and teaching myths their faith treats as history and started treating myths as myths.

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