The University of Wisconsin-Madison Badger Catholics debated fundamental religious issues with the Atheists, Humanists, & Agnostics Tuesday evening at Memorial Union.
The four topics included universal morality, abortion law, the use of “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and whether reason and faith are compatible.
Kevin Mauer, a Badger Catholic pastoral intern, defended universal morality and said people’s understanding is limited in scope but progressing in morality over time.
Chris Calvey, AHA co-volunteer chair, said he does not believe universal standards exist, but added humans desire a standard and that religion provides “comfort.”
“Every religion disagrees in fundamental ways … how are we to know which one is the correct source to appeal to for a sense of universal morality?” Calvey asked.
Progressing to the question of abortion laws, Margaret Babe, AHA outreach chair, addressed illegal “back alley” abortions and mother mortality, saying statistically one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime.
“Abortions will happen no matter what,” Babe said. “The only differing factor is whether or not women die.”
Badger Catholic panelist Rachel Schumacher, the Students for Life vice president, said she believes abortion perpetuates sexism and supports laws about a woman’s right to know and waiting periods.
“Telling women [childbearing] is a weakness is telling her she needs to be made like a man,” Schumacher said.
Discussing the Pledge of Allegiance, Caroline Klinker, Badger Catholic peer mentor director, said the phrase ‘under God’ does not violate the law because children have the right to not recite the pledge and because it is fundamentally patriotic, not religious.
AHA President Sam Erickson said he believes the pledge is “brainwashing” and excludes polytheistic religions. He added children face social outcasting by not participating in public and the issue is indicative of the larger issue of separation of state and church.
“We are not just a Christian nation,” Erickson said.
Finally, the groups debated whether reason and faith are compatible. AHA said the two do not coincide because faith is firmly believing in something without truth while reason is logically justified by evidence.
Badger Catholic said faith is not based on emotions or superstition but rather understood to be a “gift from God.” The group said faith doesn’t stop short of reason but goes beyond it.
WUD Society & Politics presented the debate.
