Religious groups should be able to express their political beliefs

When reading Monday’s issue of The Hatchet, I came across Justin Peligri’s column, “Campus religious groups are no place for politics” (Oct. 15, p. 4). As an alumna of GW and the Newman Center, I wanted to point out that while Peligri makes it quite clear that he believes that the Catholic stance against abortion and same-sex marriage is oppressive, his declaration that GW Catholics should stay out of the “political fray” is quite alarming.

Rather than merely disagreeing with a teaching of the Catholic Church, he goes a step further and says that Catholics who hold the beliefs of the Church should not participate in the public square. Peligri declares, “But GW Catholics, it’s not your job to enter the political fray…”

I wonder if Mr. Peligri takes issue with the public expression of all world views, or just the Catholic one.

If it isn’t the place of a Catholic student to participate in political debates, then which world view would make the cut? Jewish? Muslim? Protestant? Hindu? Sikh? Atheist? Agnostic? Apathetic? Or the ever growing “spiritual but non-religious” perspective? How can there be a true exchange of ideas when you have to pass an ideological litmus test just to have a seat at the table?

Michelle Huntley is a 2008 alumna of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and a former member of the GW Newman Center.