This cult, or new religion issue, has many important ramifications for student services.
The Moon - Maryland case again puts some real questions before us. Some of these, in my opinion, are:
1. How do we promote critical thinking by students?
2. How do we expose paternalistic manipulation of any sort on campus?
3. How do we facilitate the sound development of faith systems, a task currently slighted at best.
In my opinion, the church - state separation in the states and the sacred - secular separation in Canada are false denial fronts raised to prohibit the valid quest for spiritual development and public support for it. We need a more honest and open approach for healthy development of integrated spirituality. Student support by institutions needs a more overt approach to the human core, the heart or soul as the seat of human life's integration of person.
Court cases raise more fences to isolate by law. That's so sad about this court approach in this case.
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- -- Ed Den Haan, Campus Minister at the University of Guelph (posted 8/19, 11:25 a.m., E.D.T.)
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