Cheers:
Professor John Cavadini
In our last editorial, we lamented the lack of responses of Notre Dame’s board of trustees to Notre Dame Philosophy Professor Gary Gutting’s dubious NEW YORK TIMES blog. According to Professor Gutting, the Obama administration’s mistake on the HHS mandate is not violating religious liberty but rather being foolish enough to think that bishops might be capable of articulating Church teaching.
Notre Dame Theology professor and ROVER faculty advisor John Cavadini, in contrast, offered his thoughts:
“Professor Gutting is not a trained ecclesiologist so perhaps he may be forgiven for making a mistake. I am not an ecclesiologist either, but I doubt that even the most liberal ecclesiologist could agree that the theory of authority implied in his statement is authentically Catholic. It is neither intrinsically impossible or even improbable that large numbers of people can be in error and can reject the truth, authoritatively taught. It could be that large numbers of people do not understand what they are rejecting.”
The ROVER would like to nominate Professor Cavadini for a position on the Notre Dame Board of Trustees.
Smacking down bad sociology
Cheers to Notre Dame Sociology and recent convert Professor Christian Smith for speaking his mind to fellow members of the American Sociological Association: “The time has come for American sociology to stop being so ignorant and dogmatic about religion. As someone who knows something about the real history, cultures, and organizations of religious traditions, I am regularly appalled by the illiterate prejudices about religion that are routinely expressed by sociologist colleagues. It is embarrassing for our discipline and galling for those who know better.”
Jeers:
The age of tolerance
This just in: Secular humanists and befuddled teenagers across our watery orb have effectively overturned centuries, nay, millenia, nay, eons of philosophical groundwork with the proclamation: to judge is judgmental. Through sheer force of number and mental inertia, they have succeeded in negating the basic dictums of rational responsibility. Rather than a fecund flip of the shovel, however, this overhaul stinks of detritus better left undisturbed. Vacuous gaze on face and packet of pills in hand, these unfortunate farmers query, “Like, why are you so down on me, man?” The rationally-inclined commit themselves Sparta-style to their respective philosophical shields, and vanish into the dim twilight of the soulless.
Overheard around campus
Not a freshman: Are there parietals in Lafortune?
Mr. Domer: Yes! They’re in my memory box under my bed!
Physiologist: If there was a swim stroke where you could only use your mouth, you could just say “wookie” a bunch.
Slim Shady: Hi, I’m Mike. Wait, no, I’m not.
Scholar: We should give out objective awards, like “longest thesis.”
Feminist: I think everyone should know and recognize that we bring forth the children.
Realist: Not without us you don’t.
Physicist: I really hate this sidewalk. It’s always got all this water running across it.
Human: You could walk on the dry road right here.
Physicist: Oh.
