14.10.23 - Catholic University Launches Pagan Student Club

Mother Teresa once said in a Time Interview (1989 with Edward Desmond) that “All is God—Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, etc., all have access to the same God.”

Mother Teresa is also quoted as saying, “If in coming face to face with God we accept Him in our lives, then we are converting. We become a better Hindu, a better Muslim, a better Catholic, a better whatever we are .... What God is in your mind you must accept” (from Mother Teresa: Her People and Her Work, by Desmond Doig, [Harper & Row, 1976, p.156]).

Furthermore, “If the individual thinks and believes that his or her way is the only way to God, then that is their way of salvation” (pp. 74-75). (Mark Michael Zima, Mother Teresa: The Case for the Cause)

John 14:6 says, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This Biblical truth is not negotiable. There is no other way to salvation except through the one true God.

Knowing this, is it Biblical to mix religions? Can all religious people access the same God, and therefore the same salvation, by any means they deem appropriate? Consider the following news story of a Catholic University that has launched and supported a Pagan club.

Loyola University Chicago recently christened a new pagan student club, with its student organizer saying the group aims to help pupils at the private Catholic college find the God they seek, not just the one featured in the Bible.

“Loyola’s mission states that ‘seeking God in all things’ is one of the main tenants of the university,” said the group’s student president, Jill Kreider, in an email to The College Fix. “While the mission primarily focuses on the Abrahamic God, there is no reason a Pagan student (or a Hindu, Baha’i or Sikh student) cannot seek using his or her own faith, regardless of which god they are doing it for.”

The alliance initially defined itself on its Facebook page as seeking “to unify Pagan, the spiritual but not religious, those seeking faith or religion, minority faith students (including but not limited to: Buddhists, Taoists, Shinto practitioners, Santeras, etc…) pluralists and those students interested in New Age religions on JillKreiderLoyola’s campus. If you don’t have a faith group on campus, we’re here to fill that gap!” One of the most common beliefs often associated with paganism is also Wicca.

The Loyola Student Pagan Alliance was granted official recognition by the university earlier this month by its Student Activities and Greek Affairs board.

However, shortly after the group’s approval, it changed its name and deleted a reference to the word “pagan” on its Facebook page, which is only accessible by Loyola University Chicago students. The alliance now calls itself the “Indigenous Faith Tradition Alliance.”

“The name change was necessary because the term pagan does not sit well with the administration,” Kreider said in an email. “The club’s mission is still the same, and the religions and faith traditions which we practice are indeed pre-Christian, and indigenous to the region or society to which they belong.”

Christensen, the campus spokesman, said the group’s existence is not antithetical to the Catholic-Christian nature of Loyola.

“At Loyola we welcome and foster an open exchange of ideas and encourage debate and sharing differing views and opinions to advance education,” he told The College Fix. “We believe that discussion around complex topics results in deeper critical thinking skills and well-rounded citizens.”

“Loyola already has a Muslim Student Association, a Hindu Student Organization, as well as other non-denominational or Protestant Christian groups on campus,” she said. “Including a Pagan group does not go against the ideas held within the mission of the university. There is nothing stating that any Pagan faith actively is ‘antithetical’ to the Catholic faith.”

Read the original news story here:
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES PAGAN STUDENT CLUB