Catholic Colleges Failing the Church
The Cardinal Newman Society has released the results of an important new study showing that Catholic colleges and universities are failing to have an impact on the moral formation of students. Indeed, it seems that they are even exercising a negative impact on the moral formation of students. It was found that students, after four years of Catholic college education, tend to have diminished support for the Church’s teachings on gay marriage and abortion, and on other key issues. Of course, not everything can be blamed on the administrations and faculties at Catholic colleges. Many students come to Catholic colleges so thoroughly inundated by the culture of death that there is not much that the institutions can do about it.
On the other hand, many Catholic colleges and universities have embraced the sexual revolution, or at the very least look the other way in regard to it. Most theology instructors at Catholic colleges reject Humanae Vitae and reduce Catholic social teaching to an apologia for Marxism. Indeed – and I have witnessed this firsthand on several occasions — they reduce the figure of Christ to a political messiah, precisely opposite to the Christ of the Gospel who rejected, in no uncertain terms, Satan’s offer to give Him political power. And there is a pronounced anti-papal attitude among many instructors of theology at catholic colleges.
Students are no doubt left thinking that to be a Christian, or at least to be a Catholic, is to be a political Marxist. The abstract concern of “care for the poor” replaces concrete discipleship and understanding of the tenets of the faith.
At any rate, here is a basic summary of the survey, as well as pertinent results:
For the current study, CNS commissioned QEV Analytics, which conducted an analysis of the Catholic vote for Crisis magazine prior to the 2000 presidential election….
QEV President Steven Wagner, a former researcher for the U.S. Information Agency, has conducted studies for several federal agencies and the National Center on Additional and Substance Abuse….
“Most respondents say that the experience of attending a Catholic institution made no difference in their support for the Catholic Church or its teaching or their participation in Catholic Sacraments,” Wagner writes in his report.
* Nearly 1 in 5 knew another student who had or paid for an abortion
* 46% of current and recent students—and 50% of females—said they engaged in sex outside of marriage
* 84% said they had friends who engaged in premarital sex.
* 60% agreed strongly or somewhat that abortion should be legal.
* 60% agreed strongly or somewhat that premarital sex is not a sin.
* 78% disagreed strongly or somewhat that using a condom to prevent pregnancy was a serious sin.
* 57% agreed strongly or somewhat that same-sex “marriage” should be legal.
* 57% said the experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their participation in Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation.
* 54% of respondents said that their experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their support for the teachings of the Catholic Church.
* 56% said their experience had no effect on their respect for the Pope and bishops.
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While my children go to a great Catholic elementary/middle school, at the high school level it seems the school’s only goal is to get children into a good college. Theology and application are lost.
Comment by Renee — November 6, 2008 @ 6:56 PM
Something else that needs to be taken into consideration here is that many Catholic colleges are not doing a proper job recruiting solid Catholic students. University of St. Thomas, where I am, has excellent Theology professors and pretty solid faculty in general. However, because it is a small school in Houston, it attracts a lot of people who are even hostile to the Church and view their required Theology classes as a burden. So, in these cases, the fault lies with the admission’s office and not with the Theology faculty. It would be interesting to know how students viewed the Church coming into college, and their own Religious background.
Comment by Imelda Cribbs — November 7, 2008 @ 10:42 AM
Well part of the problem is that Colleges and Universities have become nothing more than glorified trade schools. The point for most students is not an education, but to get a marketable degree after 4 years and $80,000. Its even pitched as an investment in your future (meaning exclusively your earning potential). Learning for the sake of learning does not exist, at least not at most colleges.
Comment by c matt — November 7, 2008 @ 12:35 PM
I’d have to look at the study more closely and see how many students interviewed for the survey were self-identified Catholics. It is truly a difficult task to teach required theology courses to undergrads who are hostile to the Church. I have experienced this firsthand. One can easily understand how it is that some teachers are tempted to reduce the Gospel to a Marxian apologia: it makes the material less controversial and accords with what the rest of the faculty is teaching the students.
Also, all colleges and universities are big businesses now. It is very difficult to keep a college or university going, from a competitive standpoint, without technizing it or opening up admission to it to students who are not worthy of higher education.
The liberal arts and humanities are in grave peril. The knowledge class is incapable of recognizing the uniqueness of human nature. How can this be turned around?
Comment by hierothee — November 7, 2008 @ 10:35 PM
I wish I could have gone to a Catholic school. Instead, I went to Loyola College in Maryland.
Comment by Cygnus — November 17, 2008 @ 8:46 PM