Evaluating arguments
Mike Chandler
sophomore
Over the past week there have been a number of articles printed in The Observer discussing the topic of sexual relationships. This is a topic that has displayed many different opinions of the student body. I have to say that some have had great arguments to be considered while others, in my opinion have been poorly prepared.
The matter of sexual relationships is an important one that should, in my opinion, be discussed as it has been. However, I believe that the authors of the past articles have been taking the wrong approach to explain their views on the topic of sexual relationships. The first article in this series of articles was written in response to the statement saying, "Notre Dame is in trouble." Just in case it is not obvious, the University of Notre Dame is a Catholic institution. This University is called to instill an education not only in the classroom, but also through a moral aspect. I find it slightly odd that a student would attend a Catholic university if that person does not follow the beliefs of the church.
I realize that there are many students that believe premarital sex is not wrong, while others believe it is wrong. In my opinion, this should not even be an issue. Any student who attends a university is not only asked, but also expected to follow the rules of that institution. Arguing whether premarital sex is right or wrong is a valid argument, however not when it is dealing with Notre Dame's value code. It seems ridiculous to me that a person can say Notre Dame is having problems due to the lack of sexual activity present on the campus. Most Catholic institutions have a system of values that say premarital sex is wrong. Why would anyone be a part of an institution if they do not agree with the values the organization stands for? I find it somewhat disturbing that a person would publicly state their ignorance of these values in the University newspaper.
I do not feel that it is important for me to go into my beliefs on premarital sex. I feel that enough opinions have been addressed on that topic. It just seems important that a person knows what he or she is arguing and has a significant amount of information to back it up.
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, November 16, 2001
