Why does this make me so incredibly sad?
Does it you?
Georgetown Says It Covered Over Name of Jesus to Comply With White House Request
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
By Edwin Mora
Photo of Gaston Hall stage that shows symbol "IHS" that was covered up during President Obama's speech to accommodate a White House request. (Wikimedia photo)
(CNSNews.com) - Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram "IHS"--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ-because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the "IHS" monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown's Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.
President Obama is greeted by Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia as he arrives to deliver remarks on the economy, April 14, 2009, at Georgetown University.
Georgetown had covered the symbol "IHS" on the pediment above and behind the two men. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) "In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday's event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage," Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.
"The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches," she added. "Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."
Pediment in Gaston Hall with "IHS" covered as photographed by CNSNews.com, April 15, 2009. (Photo by Penny Starr,CNSNews.com)
On Wednesday, CNSNews.com inspected the pediment embedded in the wall at the back of the stage in Gaston Hall, where Obama delivered his speech. The letters "IHS" were not to be found. They appeared to be shrouded with a triangle of black-painted plywood.
Pictures of the wooden pediment prior to Obama's speech show the letters "IHS" in gold. Many photos posted on the Internet of other events at Gaston Hall show the letters clearly.
The White House did not respond to a request from CNSNews.com to comment on the covering up of Jesus' name at Gaston Hall.
President Obama speaking at Gaston Hall at Georgetown on April 14 with the "IHS" covered up on the pediment behind him. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Georgetown, which is run by the Jesuit order, is one of the most prestigious Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.
Roman Catholics traditionally use "IHS" as an abbreviation for Jesus' name. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "St. Ignatius of Loyola adopted the monogram in his seal as general of the Society of Jesus (1541) and thus became the emblem of his institute." The Society of Jesus is the formal name for the Jesuits.
Gaston Hall stage as it looked on the afternoon of April 15 with "IHS" still shrouded. (Photo by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com) Although the monogram was covered over on the wooden pediment at the back of the Gaston Hall stage where it would have been directly above and behind President Obama as he spoke, the letters "IHS" are posted elsewhere around the hall approximately 26 times on shields representing different parts of the United States and the world.
Obama did not mention the name of Jesus during his address. However, he did mention Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
"There is a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells a story of two men...‘the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house...it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock,'" Obama said.
"We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand," he added. "We must build our house upon a rock."
Comments
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I don't know, why?
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Shirley it doesn't make me sad - it makes me mad - that the Jesuits are so two-faced that they would give in to these secular demands. I wonder if the White House paid Georgetown a fee to use their location? If so - then the school is acting in a secular marketplace with a secular government and SHOULD give in to the demands. I don't blame the White House - but I do blame the Jesuits. BTW - my dh is an alumnus of Georgetown........we know the university very well.......it has changed so much since he was a student back in the 70's...........it seems more and more secular. ..........it's all about money and image these days and THAT makes me sad!
BTW - you can read a lot of comments about this news story at the following link:
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=46667
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".....before the cock crows, you will three times disown me."
Actually, I think this is a nauseating example of pc run amok. FWIW
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Because political correctness has run amuck in our society...we all know this is a free country, we all know we are free to practice whatever religion - or no religion, we choose. I don't understand why we feel the need to sanitize everything (money, symbols, pledge of allegiance, statues) so that there is no visible display of religion in our society. ALL religions should feel free to display their symbols and honor their background. Any private institution that covers up such things at anyone's request should be ashamed. Be proud...and just say no.
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Thanks for your responses. I have read some of the comments from CNS News.
I blame all who are involved in this request...the White House to the Jesuits. It never should have been requested, nor ever should have been agreed upon. Will Notre Dame cover up all they symbolisms of Christianity when the president speaks at their commencement ceremony? I believe too many of us have compromised our values and traditions. And the MSM has underreported or slanted many news worthy events happening in our country.
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The more I read about this the more upset I get. Where does all this madness end? Shame on Georgetown!
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33194
The President at Georgetown: Did this Catholic University Deny the Faith?
By Deacon Keith Fournier
4/17/2009Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/)
By their actions the leadership of this Catholic University effectively denied the central claim of the Catholic faith by covering these symbols.
What occurred at Georgetown University is one of those symbolic moments in history which speaks way beyond any single incident.WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - As we walk through the Easter season the readings from our daily Catholic Liturgy set before us the heroic missionary witness of an early Church truly living the implications of their Resurrection faith. The first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles.It includes a recounting of the fidelity of the early followers of Jesus Christ.They were unashamed of stating clearly that Jesus Christ is the only name by which men and women can be saved. (Acts 4:12) These Christians were certainly not confused concerning their Catholic identity.
As the story of these courageous witnesses unfolds we see several of their leaders, led by Peter, brought before the Sanhedrin and told, "We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:28, 29)." This struggle between the law of God and the laws of men is not a new experience for the Christian Church. We must always "obey God rather than men" when confronted with a conflict of loyalties. While Christians are to be good citizens we must first, in the words of the great evangelist Paul whose year we now celebrate, remember that our lasting "citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20). St. Paul told the Christians in Rome: " I am under obligation; that is why I am eager to preach the gospel also to you in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel! It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes"(Romans 1) We are still "under obligation".
Now consider what occurred on April 14, 2009 on the campus of Georgetown University where President Obama was invited to speak. The invitation caused an understandable controversy since, under his leadership, the Federal Government of the US has clearly signaled an institutional opposition to the fundamental Right to Life and its intention to silence those who disagree. The US Bishops made their position clear "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." The controversy over the President speaking at the Notre Dame Commencement and receiving an honorary Doctor of Law Degree is still front and center.
What occurred at Georgetown University is one of those symbolic moments in history which speaks beyond any single incident. The administration literally covered over the Cross of Christ and the "I.H.S.", both of which were engraved on the backdrop against which the President spoke on the Gaston Hall stage. The reaction to this censorship of Christian signs at a Catholic University was immediate. The associate Vice President of Communications of Georgetown gave her spin: "In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday's event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage... The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches... Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."
Out of context? This is a Catholic University! It is clear what was done, the symbol of Christian faith was covered over. The University could have refused. It is a part of the Church, an ecclesial community. The White House weighed in: "Decisions made about the backdrop for the speech were made to have a consistent background of American flags, which is standard for many presidential events... Any suggestions to the contrary are simply false."
"I.H.S." is derived from singling out the first letters of three Latin words, Iesus (Jesus), Hominum (of men) and Salvator (Savior). In this symbol is contained the very core of our Catholic identity.We proclaim that Jesus Christ is sent from the Father as the Savior of all men and women. Whether this White House requested the Christian symbols to be covered is a fitting subject for further investigation, particularly in light of the Department of Homeland Securities' announcement the next day that overtly Pro-Life Christians (read every faithful Catholic) could be terrorists. However, what is scandalous about what occurred at Georgetown University is the behavior of Georgetown University.
By their actions the leadership effectively denied the central claim of the Catholic faith by covering these symbols. With the Passion narrative still echoing in our Catholic ears we should recall the two men who did so on that night when Jesus was arrested. The one named Peter repented and turned back to the Lord. He was forgiven and became the very Rock upon which the Church, the Body of the Risen Jesus Christ, was built. The other named Judas suffered a horrid death and has become synonymous with every act of apostasy since. The Question now faces the leadership of Georgetown University. Which one are you? -
Only thing that makes me sad is how much vitriol so many people put behind this. Seems a whole lot of fuss and bother about superiority, which, as I recall, was one of the things that really PO'd the Great Rabbi. Georgetown is a CATHOLIC University. But if they want fed money, they gots to play by secular rules. These rules are in place to prevent OVER-ZEALOUSNESS on the part of those who believe (and ACT) as if anyone who doesn't agree with them is not only wrong, but should be bullied, badgered and beaten into submission. Not that the Jesuits would do something like that. Not that it would EVER get out of hand. Not that something like the inquisition could happen. Not that 500 years later, the Catholic Church wouldn't be penitent about it. I for one am tired of having such hypocrisy shoved down my throat. Galileo and science. The Holocaust. The Troubles in N. Ireland. Israel & Palestine. All killing in the name of righteousness delivered directly by the Almighty and All-Powerful. When New Orleans was wiped out, it was because "God" was punishing NOLA for a gay-pride parade. But when the (homophobic) Boy Scout camp in Iowa is destroyed by tornadoes, then "God" took the good ones home to him.
Don't blame secularism for the problems in our society; the problem is that people have no respect for anyone who isn't their clone. Those folks come in both the secular AND "sacred" communities. "The problem lies not in the stars, but in ourselves."
PEACE,
Beth
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All I can say, Beth, is man, NOT God has caused the hypocrisy. One thing I've been taught and have learned through the years IS do NOT keep your eyes upon man. Man will disappoint you every time. It is NOT God's fault that some people say or do ignorant things. It is not God's fault that man is hypocritical. It is not for ME to judge. It is up to ME to live my values and standards and MY moral and religious convictions.
I am not a Catholic. I am a Baptist. We have different beliefs, but our most common belief is that Jesus is our Savior, and to me that's what's important.
As far as Georgetown taking fed money..you are so correct. When one takes money from the fed one answers TO the feds. They can come in and tell you what to do..how to run your school..what you can or cannot teach. They can tell you that you cannot discriminate because of race, sex orientation, creed, etc. Can you imagine having a Muslim teach in a Baptist school? My three dauthter's attended a Baptist school until the ninth grade. Our school/church took no money from the federal government BECAUSE they could tell them what they could or could not do.
As far as Georgetown...shame on the WH for not wanting the symbol to show. I don't understand what the big deal was. I doubt anyone would have even noticed. Now, a big thing is being made out of it. I just don't understand.
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shirley says:
We have different beliefs, but our most common belief is that Jesus is our Savior, and to me that's what's important.
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A 2008 Pew Forum survey found that 65 percent of Americans believe many religions lead to eternal life -- and that 52 percent of American Christians believe salvation can be found in at least some non-Christian religions.
American belief is shifting toward religious pluralism, welcome to the 21st century, shirley, hope you tag along!
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And what if President Obama had allowed a star of David, or a Muslim crescent and star, or even a pentagram, to be visible in the background. Would that still apply?
You say:
"I don't understand what the big deal was. I doubt anyone would have even noticed. Now, a big thing is being made out of it. I just don't understand."
I say the same thing. He chose to make the setting religiously neutral. What's the big deal? It's better to be in a neutral setting, if the topic is a neutral one. A completely different scenario from his upcoming commencement speech at Notre Dame.
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I won't tag along. But thanks anyway.
In order to be a Christian there is only ONE way. Besides, this subject is not about religion/s. It's about why would one (the White House) want this symbol to not show, and why would one cover it up. -
Analemma wrote:
And what if President Obama had allowed a star of David, or a Muslim crescent and star, or even a pentagram, to be visible in the background. Would that still apply?
If Obama had been at a Temple or a Mosque I have no problem. I am not against other religions. I just don't agree with them. This is a free country and one can worship or not worship in any manner they choose.
As far as a pentagram...hmmm...don't know if Obama would want to be seen with that one.
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shirley says:
this subject is not about religion/s. It's about why would one (the White House) want this symbol to not show, and why would one cover it up.
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my sympathies to you for not understanding why the white house wants to embrace all religions.
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like i said:
WELCOME TO THE 21ST CENTURY.
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shirley says:
In order to be a Christian there is only ONE way.
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that is your problem, deal with it.
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Shirley, I think the question of why to cover it up is easy to answer. It is to not give the subtle endorsement of any religion during a secular speech.
Why is that hard to accept or to understand? I'm glad he covered it, though I didn't know it until seeing this thread, and I did watch the speech. I might have noticed had it been visible, and I think it would have been a distraction, and a slight insult to non-Christians.
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Shirley, why is this hard to accept or to understand?
The changing face of religion has believers re-examining their spiritual roots, and non-believers growing at an increasing rate.
A new survey indicates two major trends:
A summary report of 54,461 respondents in the 24-page American Religious Identification Survey released last month by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., revealed the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 percent to 15 percent.
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the fast growing religious group is unaffiliated and yet you wonder......
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I CAN imagine a Muslim teaching at a Baptist school, and there is nothing at all scary about it. But you can't even IMAGINE it (presumably without something terrible happening.) Maybe your children would be raised with more open minds. Maybe they wouldn't be easily bamboozled by christianist scare tactics that make all Muslims (and JEWS) the devil and say, "Hey wait, my sixth grade math teacher was a Muslim, but SHE wasn't like that."
But then, when it came to religion, I sent my children to a school that actively sought out ALL faiths and cultures (including both Southern and Northern Baptists.) No one ever tried to convert them to anything. But my children understand that you don't offer pork rinds to the Jewish kid, and when we make a vegetarian pot-luck, we don't use refried beans made with animal lard out of respect for our Hindu (and other vegitarian) friends.
PEACE!
Beth
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Shirley, step back for a moment here. Obama gave a speech that I am going to assume you didn't agree with. What if they had kept the Christian symbol up behind him? Wouldn't you have been offended that he appeared to be saying that his words were endorsed by the church, or Jesus? These symbols are very important to you. Why would you want them associated with words you don't agree with?
My assumption through all of this nonsense was that President Obama was actually being respectful of Christianity and Catholicism by ensuring that no one would think he was trying to say his words had the imprimatur of that faith. We have a separation of church and state out of respect for religion and people of faith (which I consider myself to be, though I don't share your faith). This is why politicians don't generally give secular speeches in houses of faith but rather talk of more universal themes like brotherhood and such. How would you feel if Obama gave a speech about stem cell research in front of a cross? You would be outraged! And rightly so.
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MOTC, well said. Thank you.
Shirley, if reading about this upsets you, you should quit reading about it. It's spring, time of planting, of rebirth. You don't need to be angry.
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ShirleyHughes wrote:
It is NOT God's fault that some people say or do ignorant things. It is not God's fault that man is hypocritical. It is not for ME to judge. It is up to ME to live my values and standards and MY moral and religious convictions.
Hmmmm--thank you for helping me better understand you, Shirley. So, if you are stating your opinions about politics and religion--that falls under being hypocritical. And if I am stating my opinions about politics and religion that don't agree at all with you and the Baptists--that falls under you not judging me! And the final sentence above falls under you living your own life to your own standards and moral, etc.--and not imposing them on me. AND, I'll do the same.
Glad we got that straightened out.
grace
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shirley I completely understand what you said and what you mean. It is sad. We have to remember that Satan is loose in this world and evil is gonna happen. I am not judging anyone, its not my place but I also know in my heart that God loves us all and he gave his son so we could have eternal life. that is the bottom line.
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From the book, The Shack:
"Mack, the world system is what it is. Institutions, systems, ideologies, and all the vain, futile efforts of humanity that go with them are everywhere, and interaction with all of it is unavoidable. But I can give you freedom to overcome any system of power in which you find yourself, be it religious, economic, social, or political. You will grow in the freedom to be inside or outside all kinds of systems and to move freely between and among them. Together, you and I can be in it and not of it."
"But so many of the people I care about seem to be both in it and of it!" Mack was thinking of his friends, church people who had expressed love to him and his family. He knew they loved Jesus, but were also sold out to religious activity and patriotism.
"Mack, I love them. And you wrongly judge many of them. For those who are both in it and of it, we must find ways to love and serve them, don't you think?" asked Jesus. "Remember, the people who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda."
"Is that what it means to be a Christian?" It sounded stupid as Mack said it, but it was how he was trying to sum everything up in his mind.
"Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian."
The idea struck Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn't keep himself from grinning. "No, I suppose you aren't."
They arrived at the door of the workshop. Again Jesus stopped. "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious instititutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."
Peace Out.
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I just read the book, the shack, but we also have to remember it is a wonderful work of fiction. The bible is the book of truth. Peace to you also.
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Shirley -
I completely understand where you are coming from here. I am so very, very sick and tired of being "politically correct" all the time. I also totally agree with you that I find the whole thing very sad. I am Catholic. I don't impose my beliefs on others but the school is what the school is. If Obama did not want that displayed, he should find another place for his speech (and believe me, I am an Obama supporter). I am very tired of self-righteous, self-imposing, anti-this, anti-that, pro-this, pro-that idiots. This does not feel like a free country anymore at all. Just look at these boards and how such a simple statement can rile everybody up....Ha! Come to think of it, if he wanted a neutral setting, then he should have chosen one, right?
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Shirley, I get what you mean ............ ignore the people who wish to fight.
My mom would ask me, "If Susie jumped off the bridge, would you?" So, no it doesn't make sense to me either to start believing in plural gods just because 52% of the people do.
I think GU should never have accepted money, if that's what they did ... I thought Obama was about embracing all faiths -- catholism as well as islam. I think if the situation was that this was held at a mosque, he'd be flamed if he covered things up .........
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hi daisy, long time no see!
i have no idea...
[i]If your president wants to embrance all religions then don't you think it was a little funny he wanted a symbol of Catholism covered up? Why did he not want to embrace it?[/i]
send him an e-mail, the white house is excellent about reponding to citizen's questions.
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Cheryl wrote: If Obama did not want that displayed, he should find another place for his speech (and believe me, I am an Obama supporter). I am very tired of self-righteous, self-imposing, anti-this, anti-that, pro-this, pro-that idiots. This does not feel like a free country anymore at all. Just look at these boards and how such a simple statement can rile everybody up....Ha! Come to think of it, if he wanted a neutral setting, then he should have chosen one, right?
Right on the money girlfriend!
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