THEREAT TO TALKS CRISIS REACHED - Trinity News Archive

’,WHICH WAY HEAVEN?To be at a11 " to be re lig" ous...trinity news thursday february 15--page five--Dick Waterbury.Trinity was established in 1591 for "the education, training andinstruction of youths and students .... in the cultivation of virtue andreligion." The tradition of sixteenth century virtue seems to have beenstrongly in the minds of the powers-that-be throughout much of Trinity’shistory, such that as little as fifty years ago women students were notallowed to talk to men students in Front Square; even to-day it is reflectedin the regulations concerning lodgings. But what about religion?How great a part has it played in Trinity’s history, and how relevant isit in College to-day?Until 1873, Trinity was the exchsivereserve of the Church ofIreland and was, from a Catholicviewpoint, " aggressively and blatantlyProtestant." After this dateTrinity became multi-denomination,but the attendance of religiousservices remained compulsory.Regulations stated that any studentliving in College who did notattend was liable to lose his rooms.Catholics were obliged tO presenta note from a priest as proof ofattendance. It is interesting to notethat this regulation continued toappear in the College Calenderuntil a year ago.- The Deans ofResidence, however, will go togreat pains to point out that ithad not been enforced for severaldecades.In fact, although Trinity admitsstudents of all religions, it still hasthe appearance of being a denominationaluniversity in so far as ithas a Church of Ireland chapeland Divinity School. One is inclinedto ask whether there is anyjustification, for having an " established" religion in Trinity, if forno other reason than the decline inreligious participation generally.It is, admittedly, hard to get anaccurate picture of the degree ofreligious involvement, but certainlythe attendance at theCollege Chapel and the membershipof the religious societies wouldseem to indicate that it is not verygreat.Dr. O. Sheehy Skeffington, whohas always taken a keen interest instudent affairs, thinks that thestudent ethos tends towardsFree-Thinking. He says: "Therewere quite a lot of Free-Thinkersin my day," but adds, significantlyperhaps, that " at least one of themis now a Bishop." In fact, a recentsurvey conducted by the ChristianUnion revealed that 63 O/o of thoseinterviewed did not believe "thatGod is dead." Another interestingfact which emerged was that 80%were sceptical of the Christianfaith. These figures would seem toindicate that there is a largenumber of people who are uncommitted,some obviously in the processof working out a belief, andothers merely drifting along. It isthe apathetic attitude of so manystudents that Rev. P. Hiscock, oneof the two full-time Deans of Residence,find depressing aboutTrinity: "There is far less discussionof fundamental issues thanI would expect in a university"This apparent lack of interest inreligious practice has led somestudents to think that the time hascome to "disestablish" all religionin Trinity. The more extremeof these feel that, as theCollege Chapel serves such a smallminority, and in view of the shortageof buildings in Trinity, itwould serve a better purpose ifused for something else--a lecturehall for example. Similarly, theysay that the Divinity Schoolshould not be a part of Trinity, butshould become a separate and independentestablishment, a Churchof Ireland "Maynooth." Dr.Skeffington is one who shares thisview: " Divinity is not a legitimateuniversity subject. I thinkthat the teaching of religion shouldbe removed from College. However,I do think that a secularuniversity education as well is mostvaluable to Divinity students."With the merger looming large,one wonders what the futureposition of religion will be inTrinity. There are bound to bechanges, and it may be that Trinitywill eventually become a trulysecular university.Francis Ahern.Worshippers in the College Chapel. Can Trinity a[ford an establishedreligion?...more or less- S. ButlerHumanism is humanitarianism. scribed to no religious belief at allHumanism is Christianity minus has fek completely isolated--lost inprofile 1 dick warner God. It is escapism, a fancy name the wilderness. But in Trinity, forfor free love and decadence, a convenientlabel for those who shirk gets a better deal. Any universityvarious reasons, the unbelieverthe Truth (i.e., belief in and worshipof God). These are hut five as such ideas, which may be un-should be a liberal institution and"There’s ?rin un£, ink instead q journalism. Dick had only been a of many common attitudes towards palatable to the community atmember of the T.C.D. Publishing Humanism. The first two are large, are at least tolerated withinCo. for one term when he was factually incorrect, the others a it. Thus while the Laurentianelected editor, and during his term matter of disputable opinion. So and other religious societies areblood in my veins"changed "T.C.D." to an offset then, what is Humanism?flourishing, there are also severallitho printing process, wherestudents and lecturers who arethey could do more of the work For a start, one discounts any paid-up members of the I.H.A.,To the uninitiated, Dick Warner --Dick Waterbury themselves and so cut costs drastically.This saved "T.C.D." which an agnostic or atheist. Most peoplebelief in the supernatural. One is and who do not have to put upmust appear merely the scruffy, ~::i~i~’~i~i~ii~::iiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiii!ili’:i~’::~with the pressures which disapprovingelements of societyone-time editor of "T.C.D.", ...........................................................................................................................~:~:~i~::~::i~ii~i~i~i~i~iiii~i~iiii~ii~i~i!~i~i~i~i~i~ii~iii~i~i~iiii~i~ii~Ihas seemed seriously in danger of are aware ’of this, but, alas, manyperhaps just loping down to theclosing because of the large debts people stop at this point. All exert on Humanists outside theMod. Lang. block to go to one ofprevious editors had incurred. atheists and agnostics are Humanists,they say, which is fallacious.liberal framework of Trinity. (Inthe few lectures he honours withcase anyone should feel that thishis presence. But on closerThe issue of which he was However, those people who think is yet another indication ofacquaintance you can break theproudest was the exposd of the rather than emote are prepared to Trinity’s godlessness in a Christianouter shell, mostly image, and findSpecial Branch. Threat and listen further. Humanism has a country, I would point out thatunderneath a very honest, talented,counter threat leaked up and code of ethics. This is not a set other members come from theperhaps conceited person. To-down the grapevine between the of doctrines and dogmas derived N.U.I. constituent colleges, as wellgether with a bizarre literarySpecial Branch headquarters and from ancient writings and disseminatedunder the seal ofas all walks of adult life.)background (his mother was sub-~the T.C.D. offices: a lawyer eveneditor of " The Scotsman "), histried to get a writ served on the Authority, to be obeyed or else. In the Republic, organisedRather, the individual commits Humanism is a new phenonemon.own experiences make him what~ ~~he is.came out complete and uncensored himself to a rational approach to North of the Border the Belfastbut only after "TCD." magazine life, facing problems armed with Humanist Group has been goingfor three years and has beenHis father, a journalist cum .... ~,~:~:~i~::~:::~:~ staff had ~ ~ sat ~:,:,,~ up all night inking in his own moral and intellectual resources,without looking for aid making quite a name for itself inteacher, took the family off to I~,:~ ......... ili i~ .~i:ii Provost. the names Eventually of the Special the Branch issueAbyssinia when Dick was eleven.Addis Ababa provides the material DICK WARNERmen exposed, which the printer from, as absolute authority, various ways, through social actionhad been afraid to publish.whether supernatural or not. In and public meetings. In time, nofor his most flamboyant and impressivestories. He tells the story threat of an approaching earth- Now that the term’s office is adults of sound mind should have similar status. However, it is earlyto halt an O-level exam under thebrief, the Humanist believes that doubt, the I.H.A. will attainof his unflusterable mother serving quake,over, he has gone into partnership "perfect freedom, legal and social, days yet. Eventually it is foreseenwine and sandwiches to the threewith Maeve Donelan, ex-editor of to do the action and stand the consequences" (J. S. Mill) provided-over the country. Trinity now hasthat there will be local branches allhundred refugees that she had After four years of this really the U.C.D paper "Awake," andorganised into bridge parties duringone of the revolutions. " How with the Emperor’s grandsons to Co. The hard apprenticeship in harmful to others. The goal that to make the formation of a societycurious life--he played cricket opened the Crazy ~Iane Publishing of course, their conduct is not a sufficient number of Humanistselse could she keep them from make them into " proper English the "TCD." cellars has now is sought is human happiness and a practical proposition. Whether itpanicking? And anyway they gentlemen" -- the family roved startted to pay dividends and they fulfillment for oneself and all would ever achieve the samecould all get under the card tables across Europe f r o m Vienna, have already made enough money others.position as the Oxford University.when the bullets got too nearY "where I enjoyed being a bum," to buy an I.B.M cold type comtoBelfast, " where I had to go to positor and with it hope to revolu- Ireland is a Christian country-- tell.Humanist Group only time canAnd then there is the story of hisfather wondering whether or not B.R.A. and re-sit all the exams I’d tionise printing in Dublin.by a large majority it is predominantlyCatholic. Nevertheless,Stephen Dewar.failed in the ’bum’ period.Before he left he made all the there is a sizeable if, at present,The Trinity period of his life is standard Profile -type quotes somewhat ineffectual non-Catholicperhaps the least exciting, but then on Bey., drugs, the J.D and the minority which includes Humanists,some of whom formed theat the same time he has achieved Northern Irish and, as a partinga great deal. All his energies, since shot, he turned and said: " Oh yes, Irish Humanist Association inthe very first term when he was and I’m also contemplating mareditorof the infamous " Uncle," riage "--a pause--" but not as he who has felt somewhat of anOctober of last year. In the past,have been poured into College urgently as last week"outsider, and he who has sub-