3/2/17 In Review

Speaker: Mindy Wolfrom

Editor’s Note: Below is a new, shortened format of Chapel In Review with collective points and takeaways instead of individual contributions. Let us know if you prefer this style or the previous style of the blog by emailing us. Thanks!

Highlights & Best Moments:

• During her speech, Wolfrom reflected on her relationship with religion and observed that at one point she believed devoutly and excluded people who did not share her belief system from her life. Since that point, however, Wolfrom began to discredit parts of religion that did not align with her core values, and moved towards individual spirituality. We applaud her for analyzing her beliefs in a way that happens far too rarely, and declining to support aspects of religion that she disagreed with.
• Wolfrom recognized that death, while tragic, gives life significance in an otherwise meaningless universe, a position that many club members who are not people of faith agree with. The knowledge of a limited lifespan, our mortality, and a deadline to accomplish goals puts life in perspective and encourages individuals to take risks and be daring.

Points of Information:

• The invocation delivered prior to the speech was a quote from Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th century philosopher with an eccentric belief system. Although he was critical of organized religion, Kierkegaard was deeply spiritual, and is well known for his views on subjectivity and leaps of faith. These views are roundly criticized by several members of our club, hence the categorization under bad, but if you’re interested in learning more, click here for the Wikipedia article on Kierkegaard’s philosophy.
• Even after noting her own previous devotement, Wolfrom expressed that she no longer has prejudice against organized religion, and instead views it as a positive force. While our club neither agrees or disagrees with this, such a simple generalization of religion is a trivialization of the massive problems that religion created throughout history and in the present day.

Takeaways & Final Thoughts:

• This week’s chapel promoted reflection, discussion, and civil discourse, and sets a good standard for future chapel services in terms of content. Kudos to Mindy Wolfrom, Rev. Ned Mulligan, and the student organizers.
• We remain perturbed by the inclusion of so many Christian prayers, etc. as aspects of chapel services attended by a diverse group of students. The school’s statement on chapel services can be viewed online here.

This post will be updated with any additional thoughts we receive. To share your perspective on a recent chapel service, send Freethinkers Club an email.