Comments (23)

Actually, I thought that God cheered for Notre Dame. ;)

Mr. Coleman listed only four Jesuit schools because he probably doesn't count Georgetown among them.

Posted on March 21, 2008 07:03

Patrick L Coleman:

This was not nice, why i do not trust you, yet another mocking.

According to some Catholics back in 1963, the content of the third, secret Letter of Fatima was: "Hire Ara Parseghian."

Sorry, Patrick L. Coleman, but there are actually FIVE Jesuit schools in the tournament this year: Georgetown, Marquette, Gonzaga, Xavier and St. Joe's.

And they're nicely distributed, so I was able to create my all-Jesuit Final Four bracket!

While Temple was indeed founded as a night school to train Baptist ministers, and was named for the Baptist Temple on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, it has long ago lost any religious affiliation. It is a state-related public university, equivalent to the Univeristy of Pittsburgh.

As a happy RC, I must admit that I have a soft spot for the teams of Catholic Univ's. The affinity is unconscious and light-hearted. No, I don't believe God cares who wins. But it is kind of fun to back the "Catholic" teams.

Here's why I loved your article: it respects the faiths and yet sees some healthy humor in the "competition". That is evidence of a culture of tolerance. Intolerant people can't laugh about things like that.

Thanks for the article!

Below is a piece I sent to the LA Times, suggesting they publish it the morning of the last Notre Dame v. USC football game. It was not published.

Why God, If He Exists, Will Be Rooting For SC On Saturday

USC and Notre Dame tee it up at the Coliseum this Saturday.

Despite graduating from Notre Dame in 1970, I'll be rooting for SC. I believe that if there's a God, He'll also be shaking cardinal and gold pompoms, for the same reason I will.

In February 1999, Notre Dame's Trustees, huddling in London to avoid campus protests, voted down a motion to include sexual orientation in the University's nondiscrimination policy. The vote flouted recommendations to the contrary from the Student Senate and the Faculty Senate.

USC, like most private and almost every public university and college in the country, officially does not discriminate against gays and lesbians. Maybe Notre Dame doesn't either, but only unofficially.

There is no doctrinal basis for Notre Dame's stance. Consider the nondiscrimination policy of another large Catholic football-playing college. "Boston College commits itself to maintaining a welcoming environment for all people and extends its welcome in particular to those who may be vulnerable to discrimination, on the basis of their race, ethnic or national origin, religion, color, age, gender, marital or parental status, veteran status, disabilities or sexual orientation."

From a theological perspective, is it any wonder that the Eagles won five of the six games played after the Trustees' vote, before Notre Dame unilaterally dropped them from the football schedule?

Some Catholic colleges go even further. "Saint Louis University prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability or veteran status. In addition, based on our Catholic values and tradition we are committed to protecting the dignity of each person and therefore extend our nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation."

I am proud to have been kicked out of the Alumni Association after Notre Dame Magazine published the following letter from me:

One of my daughter's friends wears a bracelet with the letters "WWJD," which stands for "What Would Jesus Do?" I'm not enough of a theologian to answer that question in most instances, but I do know what He wouldn't do - consult the lawyers, as the administration did before deciding against including sexual orientation in its official nondiscrimination policy.

Those who bask in the reflected glory of the University's accomplishments in athletics, academics and social justice must now wallow in Her shame.

Now it's possible that I was ejected not because of my letter, but because I wouldn't send in the fifteen dollars the Alumni Association started charging for the magazine. But I haven't received any requests to contribute to Notre Dame in the 6 years since the letter was published. Based on Descartes' observation, "Non solicitum, ergo non sum," I think the booted-from-the-bleachers-due-to-the-letter explanation makes more sense. Or at least a better story.

There is a whiff of change in the air that might allow me to return to the ranks of Irish partisans, and to the ground floor of our house with my wife, who banished me upstairs after she couldn't take me rooting for whomever was that day's opponent of the Irish. My exile is for game-watching purposes only. Unless Notre Dame loses.

Father John Jenkins became President of Notre Dame on July 1, 2005. He has taken a nuanced stance when it comes to issues that pit Notre Dame's Catholic character against secular trends that the University cannot keep at the campus gate, such as the students' insistence on presenting a Queer Film Festival and the "Vagina Monologues." His position on those issues managed to irritate not only students, faculty and alumni, but also the bishop of the Fort Wayne – South Bend diocese, who ostensibly oversees the operation of Catholic institutions within his diocese.

Perhaps Fr. Jenkins might be open to leading Notre Dame into re-thinking its position as to nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation, which currently has it in the company of Bob Jones University and Hillsdale College, along with other, lesser, institutions of higher learning.

Especially if he wants to encourage God to look down and let Notre Dame win another national championship.

Oops...mybad. Vandy was a Methodist school. That's OK. Virginia has had two national champions in the past 3 years with Division II's Virginia Union (Baptist) and Division III's Va Wesleyan.

Amusing take on the whole March Madness process. I remember when SI had a cover story on the Big East when they dominated the college basketball scene. It had a picture of Patrick Ewing (G'Town), Chris Mullins (St. John's) plus a 'Nova and a Providence player all on a stained glass background. I started wondering if all this was a Vatican conspiracy to take over the NCAA, but I then I thought, naw, just enjoy the games.
Incidentally, I believe Vanderbilt is a Baptist school. It is actually close to the SBC headquarters in Nashville, but I'll have to double check.

All the "whose side is god on?" questions were answered way back when Notre Dame played BYU and Danny Ainge of BYU went straight through the ND defense to score the game winning basket.

Duke was originally named Trinity College and trained Methodist ministers until moving to Durham around 1890 from Randolph county about 50 miles to the west. Raleigh wanted it too, but Durham had a better "incentive package", especially donating the town racetrack (now East Campus) as a site. Duke didn't start playing football until the 1920s because the Methodists disapproved. The name changed to Duke in the 1920s after a massive endowment from the Duke family who owned American Tobacco. Formal ties with the Methodist Church were dropped in the 50s but there is a graduate level Divinity School, where I think you can still become a Methodist minister if you want.

Old timers still call the athletic field area around Cameron Indoor Stadium "Methodist Flats".

Wonderful! Can't speak for other denominations, but this (seriously lapsed) Catholic girl ALWAYS picks "God's Teams" ;-) in the pool. And sorry Patrick, but unless the Augustinians get their act together at Villanova, the Jesuits will remain on top.

Hey, It's Good Friday and as usual your dealing in secular ridicule. In you cautionary description a concerning what you limit blogers to write you mention..."personal attacks or other inappropriate comments will be removed...
It is truly courious the Post does the "personal attacking" yet denys that attitude to us...lol

Hey, it's Good Friday, and your as usual dealing in ridicule...how like the WP.

Hey, it's Good Friday, and your as usual dealing in ridicule...how like the WP.

The WP is such a lol. The socalled "Faith" Column a double lol...such jerks. Faith as the WP would have it is meant as a source of amusement. I smell the hating devout secular rampant. Sally, why not take some gas.

I enjoyed this article. I was meant to be lighthearted and funny. As a former Catholic school girl, I enjoy hearing of people views on religion and think it is great when they want to mix it with sports. Why not write a fun article like this? If you don't like the Post, then don't read it!

Psst! Just between you and me, among Catholics we are always looking for an RC school that can beat the Jesuits. It's not easy; they have four in the tournament this year, but it only takes one.

-plc

PS--Some RCs thought that Belmont was an RC school, confusing it with Bellarmine.

Drake Univeristy of Des Moines, IA is not a "Christian" university.

Where did you get your information? I went there 40 years ago and was in a Jewish fraternity founded decades before I was on campus. It was decidely a non-Christian school, non-sectarian as it is today.

This "on faith" stuff must be your research philosophy. This is lightweight stuff, but you're the friggin' Wash Post, come on!

http://www.drake.edu/about/

Why is this in the Washington Post?
Is this how far our national dialog has degraded?
America needs to come first before any cult affiliation. Our Founding Fathers knew this, but after seven years of W the dim wit, it seems our entire nation has been dragged down to his base sectarian level.

I remember Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz was once asked if he thought God rooted for his team. Holtz answered: "I don't think God cares who wins a football game, but I'll bet his mother does..."

Wasn't USC a Lutheran school once?