“Catholics on Campus”, along with St. Patrick’s Campus Ministry, sponsored Coffee & Catholicism in Java. A number of Houghton students gathered, coffee cups in hand, to listen to Houghton College Registrar Keven Kettinger and Deacon Paul Ward of the Dioceses of Steubenville discuss Catholicism. It was an insightful evening as Deacon Paul Ward answered a number of both Kettingers and students questions, such as,
what are the Catholics Church’s teachings regarding faith and works? Why is Mary, Mother of
Jesus, so significant in Catholicism? Deacon Paul Ward also answered questions surrounding
the Eucharist and the tradition it holds within the church, as well as the importance of tradition
itself within Catholicism.
Attending this event I myself had a number of questions answered that have been swimming
around in my head since studying abroad last semester with the Houghton in Tanzania
program. In this program I learned and experienced countless amazing things, diversity in
religion was one of them. Every Sunday we would go to a different Christian Church, sometimes
hiking 45 minutes to a rural church with twenty members, where the majority of the service was
singing and dancing, and others driving to the city of Iringa to attend Mshindo Catholic Church.
There was a wealth of religious diversity in Tanzania, from various Christian denominations, to
Indigenous Religions, to Middle Eastern Religions such as Islam. That semester was my real
first exposure to the diversity within Christian denominations and religion, it was a fascinating
experience that left me wanting to learn more.
Here at Houghton College, though we are affiliated with the Wesleyan Church, there is a
diversity of denomination and religion among the students, and I hope to give those students a
platform to speak with the Religious Diversity in Houghton column. This includes every
denomination of within Christianity, as well as non denominational, and every Religion, or lack
thereof, within Houghton College.
The Religious Diversity in Houghton column hopes to explore this wealth of diversity on
campus and give students a chance to express their beliefs.This column isn’t meant to change
anyone’s faith or be an argument over who got it right, but to get a conversation started, and
give students a chance to share their faith, their beliefs and their passions regarding religion.
In chapel last Wednesday Dean Jordan challenged us to work hard, not just with our hands, but
with our minds as well. Expressing what you believe or even listening to a belief different then
your own can be hard work, but it could add both to individual knowledge and the knowledge of
the campus.
Throughout the semester there will be a series of articles that will present a different student
and their religious views on Houghton Campus. If anyone is interested, has any questions or is
would like to be featured please contact the Houghton Star.