The Religion Issue - The News Record 11.19.14

NOV. 19 — NOV. 25, 2014

Café creates community sanctuary pg. 3 Student not defined by expectations pg. 8

Religion Issue

Religion Issue

November 19, 2014

ASK THE EDITORS

What role does religion play in your life?

I went to a private Catholic school kindergarten through eighth grade and was accustomed to going to church twice a week growing up. Now, I am very fortunate to have Saint Monica-Saint George so close to campus. I also read the Bible and pray at least once a day. My faith life and a strong relationship with God are incredibly important to me.

I was raised Catholic, but I haven’t practiced any organized religion since I was a kid. My version of going to church is gawking over nature or watching the Discovery Channel. Have you seen BBC’s “Planet Earth” documentary series? Nature is a miracle in itself and that’s all the religion I need.

SPORTS EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ellen Hadley @ellenhadley

I don’t subscribe to any specific religion, and wasn’t raised in a household that did either. But I do keep an open mind about all religions and try to take a little bit from each one. In spite of this, I have never considered myself faithless.

ARTS EDITOR

Elizabeth DePompei @edepompei

While raised Catholic, I really only went to church growing up because they served donuts and chocolate milk after mass. It wasn’t until high school when I started taking my faith more seriously. Now, as a busy college student trying to balance school, work and a social life, my faith is what keeps me sane. Aside from weekly mass, I try to maintain a constant conversation with God, thanking him for everything. Without my faith, I’d be so lost.

NEWS EDITOR

Katie Coburn @_katiecoburn

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THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH MOREHEAD ST. VS. CINCINNATI MEN’S BASKETBALL - 7PM @ FIFTH THIRD ARENA SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD EAST CAROLINA VS. CINCINNATI VOLLEYBALL - 1PM @ FIFTH THIRD ARENA SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD EASTERN ILLINOIS VS. CINCINNATI MEN’S BASKETBALL - 5PM @ FIFTH THIRD ARENA

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November 19, 2014

Religion Issue

OPINION

LOSING MY RELIGION CHANDLER BONN | STAFF REPORTER

MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR

Many of the ingredients in Rohs’ coffee are harvested from Guatemalan beans. It is common for volunteers at Rohs to visit Guatemala to meet the coffee farmers.

Rohs Street Café brews coffee, creates community MACKENZIE BOWER | STAFF REPORTER

A

bustling coffeehouse popular with University of Cincinnati students has much more to it than its appealing aesthetics.

Rohs Street Café is connected to and owned by University Christian Church (UCC) and strives to become a comfortable and appealing center for all, whether they use it as a space for studying, meeting friends or simply enjoying the coffee.

There are currently about 15 student volunteers at the café, which sits at the corner of West McMillan and Rohs Street.

Many of those students are unaffiliated with the church.

Nine of the baristas started out as volunteers and were customers of the café before that.

The space began as a small performance site the UCC used once a month until the “original Rohs Street crew” — a group of guys with a passion for coffee and bringing people together — asked to use the space.

“I think part of the start of it was to recognize that [coffee] is a big commodity, especially in the urban community, and not dehumanize it,” said Anthony Jones, UCC pastor.

The church was looking for a way to connect with the surrounding Clifton community, and Rohs Street Café was the perfect opportunity to reach outside of its walls.

With high ceilings, books, cozy chairs

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and local art, the café presents a welcoming environment that keeps the little shop booming.

To Keaton Neely, manager of Rohs Street Café, specialty coffee is not only a job, but also a passion and a craft.

“At Rohs, coffee is more than a commodity — it is a personal expression of the hard work of the [coffee] farmers,” Neely said.

“From a spiritual side of things, we are saying that [farmer] has value; specialty coffee is a rebellion against consumerism and against a selfish acquisition of what you think you need, and instead becomes a celebration of who these farmers are and what they do and this incredible drink.”

Neely is just one of the members of the church and the café who has had the chance to travel to Guatemala to meet the coffee farmers who create the drinks that Rohs serves. He has been pushing for more singlecup brewing, rather than batch brewing, which he believes depersonalizes the craft.

Rohs Street Café partners with a group of coffee farmers in Guatemala in the interest of high-standard, fair-trade coffee, and through the church, the café has been able to partner with communities there to help build water filters that are 99 percent effective at removing bacteria for up to 75 years. “[The café] has become a way for us to make the building more of a community center and have real estate and space in this area because it is in high demand,” Jones said. “We try to keep it open to the community and host many events which have no Christian focus at all to try to give our building away.”

UCC promotes and believes in “third place” ministry — the idea that every person has three places or communities they are a part of. For example, an individual might have a home life and job life, but still needs a third place where he or she doesn’t need to contribute in the same ways.

Rohs Street strives to be that third place for anyone who wants it to be.

“We are going to make sure there is a community here to welcome you — you don’t even have to buy anything,” Neely said. “This is primarily a ministry of hospitality in that we don’t want to be a place where you are preached at that God loves you — we want to show you that.”

In this way, Rohs aspires to be a sanctuary for people in the area.

“This is a community of people trying to wrestle with the toughest conversations in life,” Jones said. “This space has given me and others an opportunity to be open and honest.

We are trying to promote authenticity, people being real with the kinds of questions they are asking and vulnerability, which is scary, but is producing meaningful relationships.”

Along with its mission to minister to the public through hospitality, the café places emphasis on sustainability by composting and reducing its waste to only approximately 15 percent.

“From a Christian perspective, we believe strongly in taking care of the Earth and being good stewards with what we have been given,” Neely said. “And [sustainability] is a huge part of what we are doing here.”

I lost my religion while sweeping the floors of God’s house.

Over the course of three years, working as a janitor at an Evangelical Christian church helped lead me away from faith and toward skepticism.

I didn’t lose belief in an instant, but over a long period of time. There wasn’t a precise “a-ha” moment while wiping a mirror or locking a door, rather a slow burn of increasing curiosity, doubt and selfrealization.

I began questioning the plausibility of God when I recognized the church I worked at to be a business. It had a controller’s office, relied on other people’s money to pay employees’ salaries, rental space for music lessons and even a bookstore at one point. This isn’t a condemnation of the church, just a reality that made me look at religion from different vantages than I had previously.

As a business, the church needed to be sustained. I had to keep it clean to be presentable and comfortable for the congregation. It needed its doors locked at night and security cameras monitored to protect the people and property in its confines. As I cared for the church, I began seeing it as a building like any other.

Of course the actual church wasn’t the building: It was the people in it.

While working at the church I met some of the most intelligent, kind and diligent individuals I will probably ever meet. I observed my boss wear his body out trying to maintain the building, spoke with a guidance pastor as he cultivated an atmosphere of positivity and understanding, and listened to intellectual talks conducted by the lead pastor. Why didn’t these people — who are assuredly more thoughtful and smart than I am — come to the same godless conclusion I was nearing? Faith was enough for them.

For the staff members and pastors working at the church, faith was what drove them and gave them a purpose. It was the building blocks of their lives. For me, faith was something cultivated, created and presented through testimony. It was an atmosphere predicated on other people, one I needed to marinate myself in to believe.

Observing the dedicated believers prepare for each Sunday sermon, I saw the atmosphere that my faith relied on being created. It was like watching Toto pull back the curtain, revealing the Wizard of Oz to just be a normal guy with an elaborate machine.

SEE RELIGION PG 7

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Religion Issue

November 19, 2014

Diverse certificate program explores religion across cultures Religious studies helps students understand various faiths, stresses acceptance, discussion of beliefs RUSSELL HAUSFELD | STAFF REPORTER

By creating an open and accepting area for dialogue between students and professors, the University of Cincinnati’s religious studies program removes the negative stigma that typically surrounds discussing religion in the classroom.

The religious studies program began in the College of Evening and Continued Education (CECE), consisting of a variety of religious courses in addition to a certificate. CECE disbanded in 2002, and the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences voted not to adopt any major, minor or certificate in religious studies, but the certificate reappeared in 2011 and is now housed within the department of Judaic studies.

“The main differences [between Judaic and religious studies] would be that Judaic studies concentrates on Judaism or how other religions interface with Judaism,” said Greg Griffith, one of the professors in charge of the day-to-day management of the religious studies certificate.

“Religious studies is broader in focus in terms of religious traditions — it encompasses all religions and aspects of spirituality.”

Griffith also emphasized the work and persistence of Judaic Studies Department Head Gila Safran-Naveh in regard to the certificate’s restoration.

John Brolley, the other professor in charge of the certificate program, explained that the religious studies program is unique to UC. Nowhere else in Cincinnati will students find an educational program focusing on religion from a public-education perspective, Brolley said.

“The broad goal remains the same as it was 20-odd years ago,” Brolley said. “We want to offer courses about religion that are non-confessional, courses that do not favor or reflect any particular religious perspective or orientation, courses that encourage, or even demand, open dialogue about big human questions and deeply held beliefs.”

The appeal of unbiased courses on life’s biggest questions draws in students from a multitude of backgrounds, creating classrooms full of culture and discussion.

Many Judaic studies students, such as Laura Peterson, are active participants within the religious studies program.

Peterson is a fourth-year student and a teacher’s assistant in Brolley’s class on the historical Jesus. Through these classes, she said she has gained a heightened sense of tolerance toward her neighbors and classmates.

“I find the religious studies classes take you deeper than any other classes,” Peterson said. “They give you a new perspective on issues that are important no matter how religious you are. In a globalized world, knowing about other religions is crucial. If we want to be successful inhabitants of today’s world, understanding of all people is important.”

The variety of students who enroll in these classes consistently grows to include more non-traditional college students. It is not uncommon to find another professor or UC graduate in class.

Julie Skare, a retired Procter & Gamble Co. toxicologist with a Ph.D in biochemistry, is just one example.

Skare said her lifelong interest in continued education is what keeps bringing her back to these classes. She said

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MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR

The university’s religious studies program opens up a platform for discussion within the classroom, stressing that nothing is taboo as long as it is not offensive. This statue stands tall in front of the St. Monica-St. George Parish on West McMillan Street.

she leaves class with a deeper understanding of her own religion, as well as the traditions of other religions.

“The courses I have taken have satisfied my desire to balance my strongly science-oriented education and professional career path with learning about religion,” Skare said.

The classes stress the importance of acceptance and understanding of other people and their religions. Several students participating in the program all mention an appreciation for the fact that nothing is taboo or off-limits in discussion, as long as it is not offensive to another culture or religion.

“I imagine it’s rare for anyone to raise a hand during a linear algebra class and say, ‘I believe that answer is correct, but I’d like to offer a completely different answer that’s just as correct and just as valuable,’ ” Brolley said. “Given the nature and mission of public universities in this country, we can encourage everyone to share those opinions without worrying about judgment, derision or retribution.”

In order to offer courses that provide wide varieties of opinions and beliefs, the program is always looking to branch into other departments that are not religious by nature, but have the potential to cover religious territory.

Examples of religious study through other departments include observing the literary structures of certain religious texts, exploring gender issues that occur within religion and looking at how certain societies use art as a form of worship.

Another important way the religious studies program continues to grow is by acknowledging the fact that students have interests in subjects that are not currently offered at the university and attempting to provide for those interests.

“What you say you care about is what gets us to write the

next [religious studies] course. Seriously,” Brolley said.

While the picture of a religious studies course is painted as one of tolerance and understanding, that does not mean that students have to assume a completely secular outlook when entering the classroom.

The courses hope to offer information to students seeking an understanding of other religions or their own, but they in no way discourage the belief in a single religion.

Nick Burnett, a third-year criminal justice student, illustrated exactly what the program hopes to offer students.

“By taking many of these classes and meeting some wonderful people along the way, my faith has become much stronger and I can humbly say that I am ‘all in’ [as a Christian], but it has also given me more of an open mind,” Burnett said. “While I have a strong faith, it is easier for me to communicate with people that believe differently. We need to be more accepting and loving to the people that hold different values and beliefs than us to make this world a better place.”

Nikki Arde graduated from UC with a minor in Judaic studies, English, and the religious studies certificate. She was a teaching assistant for both John Brolley and Greg Griffith. Arde said that the classes within the program are some of the best she has ever taken and have helped her become a “better human” outside the classroom.

With what appears to be a growing fan base for the religious studies program, can students expect to see some sort of major in the future?

“With the rate we’ve grown and the continued interest we’ve seen on a very modest budget for promoting it, I think it’s safe to say there’s a demand for the major,” Griffith said. “It’s certainly something we’ve discussed in the Judaic Studies Department.”

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November 19, 2014

Religion Issue

UC volleyball players talk balancing sport, spirituality TAYLOR RHOTEN | STAFF REPORTER

Christianity is a popular religion practiced throughout the country, in and out of the pews. For two University of Cincinnati volleyball players, Christianity isn’t something to turn off and on; it is a commitment and a mission.

When speaking with Morgan Allred and Caitlin Ogletree, one may get an unanticipated scripture lesson while also learning what it means to be a Christian Division 1 athlete.

When asked who her role model is, Allred, a third-year volleyball player at UC, replied, “Jesus. He is the only person I compare myself to and strive to live and be more like every day, on and off the court.”

Quoting 1 Peter 2:21, Allred elaborated on the fact that she does everything for Christ, offering up her successes and her failures on and off the court to him. She believes that she would not be the person she is today without her faith. Allred said she wants to “live a life that oozes Christ’s qualities forever.”

Ogletree, a third-year communications student from Montgomery, Texas, said she used to be known as “Caitlin, ‘The Volleyball Player’ ” back home. It was during her first year in college at the University of Houston when she said she found Christ. Ogletree stated that she always believed in God, but she didn’t really know who he was. When she found God, Ogletree’s “heart was changed and transformed” and now she says, “My faith lies in Christ alone, not my sport.”

Allred reflects a similar attitude.

“I am a Christian that happens to be a collegiate volleyball player, not the other way around,” she said.

Their faith in Jesus has an even bigger role off of the court.

Every day both observe a time of prayer, read scripture and worship God. Ogletree said that the most important thing about her faith is to have a humble heart. She stipulated that she is constantly asking, “What can I do for you, God?” instead of what can he do for her.

Ogletree went on to say, “I am called to love God and to

love others.” In love for others, she has tried to become the best person she can be through her faith. Athletically, academically and spiritually she said she has found successes through Christ.

The Bearcats women’s volleyball team is an even 14-14 on the year. Allred stated that to finish the season, her goal is to win the last four games. What drives her is “being out there on the court with my team, knowing that we are working as hard as we can … for every point.”

Allred and Ogletree make it clear that there can be a lot more to a sport than just participating; whether it be competitive drive, the thrill of succeeding or in the case of Allred and Ogletree, faith in Christ, everyone is out there for a reason. This Texas tandem believe that the reason is a higher power, and they will always put him first.

“I am not Christian because it makes me happy or because it will bring me success,” Allred said. “I am Christian because my life is not my own, it belongs to God and the least I can do is glorify him.”

Women’s golfer says campus lacks religious communities KENSINGTON WIELAND | CONTRIBUTOR

In the world of college and professional sports, it isn’t uncommon to see players forming prayer circles, pointing into the sky after a big play, thanking God on Instagram or writing Bible verses on their gear, but what does it really look like to be a Christian student-athlete?

As University of Cincinnati students, we are lucky to go to a school that holds so much diversity and culture with hundreds of students on campus identifying as Jewish, Muslim, Christian and many others. While there is such a large presence of religious diversity on campus, there is a very small presence of organizations supporting these students and their religious beliefs.

It seems like a zeal for religious community is lacking on campus. There are 510 registered student organizations at University of Cincinnati, with only 21 — just over 4 percent — of those classified as religious student organizations, according to the Student Activities & Leadership Development website.

It’s wonderful that UC has such a large and diverse population, but the lack of religious representation on campus is shocking. Specifically, in the athletic department, popular groups like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or Athletes in Action don’t have chapters at UC. Because of this, many entering athletes who identify as Christian have almost no group or community they can immediately join to share their faith with other athletes.

The numbers are clear to sophomore swimmer Emma Gresser.

“You take the number of students at UC, then you narrow that down to the number of student-athletes, then you narrow that down to the number of Christian studentathletes, then narrow that number again to the number of Christian student-athletes who want to take action and it’s down to a handful,” Gresser said.

You could say that here, at UC, being a Christian studentathlete is more of an individual sport than a team effort. Yet, many players are beginning to find out that glorifying God

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together can be more powerful than being alone.

While athlete organizations like Student Athlete Support Services, and Student Athlete Advisory Committee do an excellent job of bringing student-athletes together to form bonds, there is no doubt there is an absence of a faith-based sports community.

In previous years, former Bearcats football staff member Antrione Archer led an athletic department Bible study that was widely popular with many football players, but Archer was fired in September after the university discovered he was arrested and charged with sexual assault. In his place, Pastor Brian Taylor with Bethel Cincinnati Church has started leading a voluntary Bible study for any players who want to continue meeting.

Rebekah Osteen, a campus minister also with Bethel Cincinnati Church, helps lead a first-year bible study for female athletes co-founded by Gresser and myself called Bearcats for Christ. Christina Gloor, a first-year member of the women’s golf team from Switzerland, said Bearcats for Christ is a religious community that makes her feel at home.

“As a student-athlete you are often pretty busy,” Gloor said.

“Some things take place on weekends, which ultimately means you are not able to go to church. For me that is not always easy as I really enjoy the communion with the people from church and learning new things from God’s word.”

Bible study and Bearcats for Christ are currently the only Christian groups specifically for student-athletes.

While athletes have the opportunity to worship in groups outside of their athletic department peers, with many taking advantage of those and participating in groups on campus like Cru Campus Ministry, and YoungLife College, there is something to be said about worshipping with those you are closest to.

“I feel really lucky to have some teammates who share the same beliefs as me and who constantly encourage me in my faith,” said Hayden Moore, a first-year football player. “We try to hold each other accountable, and just give glory to God, on and off the field.”

While strides are being taken to increase the presence of Christian community and overall religious community in the athletic department, athletes are figuring out what it means to them to strive to be a Christian first and student-athlete second.

“In my hometown, everyone I knew was a Christian and coming here, it was a shock to see that some people were not religious,” said fourth-year golfer Baxter Reeves. “It took a little bit of adjustment, but ended up really strengthening my faith.”

While we are lucky to not have to worry about severe religious persecution in America, there are still forms of persecution that take place across religions. Athletes deal with this in different ways, some being brought down by negative comments, and others finding comfort in community.

Fifth-year track athlete Sarah Rasnick recounts the “large battle” that is being both a Christian and a college athlete. “(My faith) changes the way I look at my opponents, my teammates, my schoolwork,” Rasnick said. “Suddenly, I’m not competing simply to win. My work, my relationships, my whole life is being changed by him.”

Many people might look down at this point of view in a lot of ways, but the truth of life is that everyone is driven by something. Everyone has a purpose and a motivation to achieve their goals. This could be one’s lifelong dream, their family, their friends or themselves. In the case of Christians, it is God. Christian athletes don’t claim to be better or do anything better than anyone else, they are just working for a purpose of someone. Rasnick said her main goal is “to please God because I love him, not because it’s what I’m supposed to do.” Gresser relates the two worlds by “giving thanks for the opportunity to not only represent the Bearcats, but also Christ as we compete.”

So, while most Christian athletes are known for bible verses printed on gear and pre-game prayer circles, those only scratch the outer surface. The real examples of Christian student-athletes are those who play for an Audience of One.

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Religion Issue

November 19, 2014

Word on the Street: Students discuss religion on campus PHOTOS BY MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR

“I don’t practice a religion.

I’m just spiritual in general,” said D’asia Conley, a firstyear exploratory student.

“Religion is completely different than being spiritual in my opinion, because when you think religion, you think Christians or Muslims or people who have a specific thing that they practice.

But when you think spiritual, you don’t think group.”

“I consider myself spiritual — Christian,” said George Carpten, a second-year graduate music performance student.

“Basically it means to me that I have a moral duty to live by what I practice, so I practice what I preach as far as treating people right and doing good things. I’m not a person that pushes religion on people. I think everybody has their right to believe what they want to believe. You can’t really press your beliefs on anybody … I guess in class I don’t think it’s ever been an issue because it’s never come up ... I don’t think anybody came to the University of Cincinnati to go to a chapel every day. I think it’s just a personal thing. I go to my church on Sundays, and throughout the week I’m just a student.”

“I’m Catholic,” said Veena Anand, a first-year graduate information systems student. “We’re not actually too invested in practicing it on campus. It’s something personal. So I prefer practicing it where I am comfortable So, campus is usually just for studies and academic things. It’s for my personal benefit.”

“I am Catholic. I’m not very religious, but it’s part of my family,” said Matthew Nortmann, a first-year mechanical engineering student. “I went to a Catholic grade school and a Catholic high school.

It’s just been a huge part of my life ... Since this is a public campus, no one’s oppressing you, but [religion] is just not readily available to you.”

“I practice Christianity. For me, it’s about my personal relationship that I have with God,” said Madelyn Nemann, a third-year physical therapy student. “I have experienced him a lot through my relationship with my younger sister because she has special needs. I feel like through her, that was like a gift to me and I found him that way. I am in leadership for the Navigators, it’s a leadership ministry on campus. It’s a group of Christian students, a friend group to have for people that are trying to do the same stuff that you are ... I feel like it’s always been really open. I kind of wish that people that do practice Christianity would be more positive about it and not make other people feel judged or insecure if they don’t believe the same thing. It’s about being accepting to everybody.”

“My dad follows Hinduism and my mom is a Christian; I’m kind of in between. I just follow what my mom and dad do,” said Sai Madadi, a second-year operations management student. “I’ve seen many organizations for Christianity ... I don’t see a lot of organizations about other religions. That’s definitely not a problem.

If someone is interested in starting [one,] then that’s a good thing.”

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November 19, 2014

OPINION: No faith in government

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Timothy Webster, center, and Shelley Midyette protest the defense of marriage bill under debate at the North Carolina Legislature Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, in downtown Raleigh.

Legislation puts religion before equal rights, same-sex couples demand equality BECKY BUTTS | MANAGING EDITOR

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld anti-gay marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee on Nov. 6 – the first time a federal court has ruled against same-sex marriage since the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013.

Following many state-level victories, this ruling is disappointing. It is disappointing that a federal court refuses to see the discrimination it perpetuates by denying people rights based on sexual orientation.

It is disappointing to see laws and legislation that are so clearly influenced by religion in a society that boasts of religious freedom and separation of church and state. It’s disappointing that in the year 2014, in “the land of the free,” our government is still allowed to tell us who we can marry.

The next step is to take the case to the Supreme Court, where the nation could

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finally have a consolidated ruling.

Same-sex marriage is already legal in 33 states, and the arguments against legalization are flimsy at best. Some opponents argue that changing the traditional definition of marriage from being between a man and a woman is a slippery slope that may lead to polygamy and interspecies marriage. Ridiculous.

The “traditional” definition of marriage has obvious religious roots. This Old Testament philosophy has no place in government legislature.

I could go into how the institution of marriage is in shambles regardless of the court outcome — how only 51 percent of adults were married in 2011, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, or how 40 to 50 percent of married couples eventually divorce, according to the American Psychological Association — but I won’t.

Instead, let’s shine the light on the faceless same-sex couple who were married in Massachusetts, but then moved to a different state that refused to acknowledge their marriage. On the gay man who wants his late husband listed as married on his

death certificate so they can be buried next to each other. On the same-sex couple struggling to build a family because of discriminatory legal restrictions.

Why is it that politicians and some of the American public don’t want these people to have equal rights? Because of an unwelcome presence in our legal system — religion.

I am not against religion — I was raised in a Christian household and still have ties to my old church. But I believe that religion has no place in our government. A democratic government with the power to tell me who I am allowed to marry has no place in the 21st century.

According to a September poll from the Pew Research Center, 50 percent of the American public view homosexuality as a sin, a 5-point jump from 2013. Eighty-two percent of white evangelical Protestants and 77 percent of black Protestants are the two most prominent groups that view homosexuality as a sin.

It’s important to note that not all religions and not all religious people are opposed to gay marriage. The majority of Catholics and white mainline Protestants favor legalizing same-sex marriage, according to the poll.

Overall support for gay marriage has decreased to 49 percent in 2014, dropping 5 points since February. According to the Pew Research Center, it is too early to know whether the drop in support is just an anomaly or the beginning of a reversal.

Fifty-seven percent of people who identify as Republican or lean that way oppose gay marriage — which isn’t surprising.

Once the newly elected officials take office in January, the Republican Party will have majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

The legislation they propose will reflect the views of the party — a party that has been slow to evolve with the changing social climate.

Now, perhaps more than ever, the U.S. needs a unified, official ruling from the Supreme Court on gay marriage. A ruling that will allow that gay couple from Massachusetts to move wherever they want without fear that the state won’t acknowledge their union as legal. A ruling that will give homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.

We live in a country where 80-year-old convicted murderer Charles Manson is allowed to marry a woman while still serving his life sentence.

But for gays to marry? No, that would ruin the sanctity of marriage.

Religion Issue FROM RELIGION PG 3

Most believers struggle with their faith at some point during their spiritual journey.

Pastors admitted to me they had periods in their lives when they rejected God due to disinterest or the allure of “sin.”

None of them struggled with the idea of faith, however. They were eventually either able to keep faith and reason separate or had the luxury of their reason aligning with their faith. This increasingly wasn’t the case for me.

When telling believers I don’t think there is a god, I receive one of three reactions: 1) They interpret my loss of faith as Satan’s misguidance.

2) They ask if Christians in my life were mean spirited or hypocritical.

3) They just accept and respect my position.

I highly doubt Satan used his nasty tricks of logic and reason to persuade me to the dark side and, as established, the Christians who surrounded me were wonderful people.

It took a lot of thought and consideration for me to reach the conclusion I came to, that there is no god.

My lack of faith ultimately says more about me and my perception of the world than it does about the religion I rejected.

In attempt to salvage my faith, I had to create logical arguments to convince myself that my faith was valid. I realized if I have to question and reason with my faith, then it isn’t faith.

I saw many good things come from faith while vacuuming carpets and taking out trash at a church. Faith gave people in that church a purpose and a desire to do good in the world.

If faith can elevate people like that, then it has its place. But it wasn’t for me.

I couldn’t divorce myself from questions and logical loopholes found in the Bible.

I came to the conclusion that I only believed in the Christian God because I was raised to believe in him, not because it was the truth.

I have talked to others who were raised Christian and no longer believed who wouldn’t admit it to families and friends in fear of disapproval or even disownment.

Yet in many ways we live in a culture that is becoming increasingly accepting of varied faiths (not to diminish the persecution that does exists).

While “In God we trust” is written on our currency, I think this is still a culture that can accept individuals who lack faith too.

Even when surrounded by differently minded people, don’t be afraid to accept who you are and what you believe — or don’t believe.

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Religion Issue

November 19, 2014

University gives new voice to student silenced for beliefs Alamour appreciated the opportunity for diversity that living with Jewish friends presented him.

“People think we’re supposed to be enemies, but we just aren’t that way,” he explained.

Although joining the army was an option for Alamour, he opted to go to school after receiving a scholarship to BenGurion University in Beersheba, Israel.

“

I don’t accept the division of gender, and I am an extremist compared to my origins. I have my community divorcing me for who I am because I am so different.

— IZZAT ALAMOUR

PROVIDED/IZZAT ALAMOUR

In his home of Beersheba, Israel, first-year women’s gender and equality student Izzat Alamour felt silenced because of his beliefs and sexuality.

He came to the U.S. in 2011 and has since traveled the country in addition to pursuing his degree. BELOW: Alamour poses by the White House.

Challenged by atheism, sexuality, Israeli man finds refuge with Jewish friends before moving to U.S. SARAH URMSTON | STAFF REPORTER

It’s one thing to face challenges as a student pursuing a college degree, but it’s another to do it in a conservative nation in which you are restricted by who you are.

This was exactly the case for Izzat Alamour, a 24-year-old gay atheist from Beersheba, Israel.

In his home country, a nation Alamour said defines itself by specific cultural beliefs, Alamour stood out from the rest. Raised in an religious family and a conservative community, Alamour said he felt silenced.

“I don’t accept the division of gender, and I am an extremist compared to my origins,” Alamour said. “I have my community divorcing me for who I am because I am so different.”

Alamour also said he does not have a political standpoint. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and Hebrew.

“I am untied to nationalism,” he said. “I don’t want to take action to represent a country; it doesn’t fit my beliefs.”

Unable to be honest with the community or his family — which consists of divorced parents and 12 siblings — Alamour said he found an escape through Jewish friends who would take him to more accepting parts of Israel.

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After graduating with a degree in teaching, Alamour began his journey in breaking away from Israel.

He came to the United States in 2011, prepared to do and learn even more about himself and the world.

Alamour’s first stop was in Rhode Island, where he taught Arabic at Brown University for two years.

During this time, he was also the coordinator of ACCESS, an enrichment program that teaches English and topics such as the acceptance of others and coexistence.

“I wanted to find a job in the U.S. where I could teach on social issues, and ACCESS was such a good fit,” Alamour said. “They knew me and accepted me.”

Alamour then returned to Israel for one year to teach high school English, wanting to keep a balance between both his new and old homes.

In 2014, a friend who attended the University of Cincinnati told Alamour about her experiences at the school, and he was convinced.

Alamour returned to the U.S. and is now a teaching assistant and a first-year women’s gender and equality student at UC. Shortly after his return, Alamour became a member of the LGBTQ Center, which has the mission of promoting and supporting gender equality and the right each person has to feel comfortable in his or her own skin.

“It has been such a great resource for me,” Alamour said.

“People are given the opportunity to discuss things in a safe zone, and it really helps.”

Ohio and Rhode Island aren’t the only places Alamour has traveled to. Following his graduation, Alamour visited cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York City and Chicago.

“After traveling, I believe everyone should be more multicultural,” he said.

Alamour said he plans to travel more, and after completing the two-year certificate program at UC, he hopes to find a job in the U.S. where he can teach on social issues and topics that matter to him, such as the struggle people all over the world face of accepting who they are.

“I would tell those afraid to live openly as a homosexual to be themselves no matter where they are,” Alamour said.

“Even if their community and family disagree with what they say.”

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