Roy,
On the most part, I agree with you and I do appreciate the respect that you give in the areas that you do not agree with me. Thank you.
I would like to give examples of the type of changes that I am looking for, by quoting what the New Pope, Frances, has said recently soon after he became the New Pope.
" I do not believe in a Catholic God" “I believe in a God of all people.” ( I like that).
“I am not changing doctrine with what I am about to tell you.” I am only changing the direction which I believe we should be headed,"
"I believe we spend to much time arguing over issues like “The Right To Choose and the Gay issues, when that time and that energy would be better spent, helping those that are unable to help themselves” Do good onto others.
My point is that we do not change our beliefs or our priorities, but we examine the way we expose those beliefs and priorities.
ND does not force LDS players to take Catechism in college or go to Confession. That does not mean that they do not believe in taking Catechism or in going to confession. They do expect the athletes to live an honorable life that would not bring shame to the University.
ND does not force LDS to take wine for sacrament, but they do encourage them to live an honorable life and not bring shame or embarrassment to the University.
The same type of things can be said about Boston College,. Baylor, TCU, SMU,
and the many other Catholic Universities and Methodist and Baptist Universities.
We do not need to feel that we are diluting our faith and our beliefs by giving others, not of our faith, their own free agency to abide by them or not, as long as they live an honorable life and do not become an embarrassment to the University.
So am I asking for double standards? Nol !!!
I am saying that LDS students know what their standards are and they should continue living by those standards but at the same time, they must realize that non LDS kids that choose to share their 4 star / 45 star athletic abilities with us may do so without pretending to be a Mormon while they are with us, as long as the live an honorable life and bring no shame to the University.
In fact, they, with their free agency to choose how they live their honorable life without bringing embarrassment to the University, may actually make the University itself, look more honorable.