Fighting Irish Pre-laws?

[TheHardestPart]

The school's politics are no mystery, but i'm trying to get a feel for what the incoming class might be like.... vote if you're seriously considering, even if you haven't sent a deposit.

[mccapj2]

I'm a socially liberal fiscal conservative.  I define myself as Catholic, but I'm still struggling to figure out if I even believe in God.  I felt comfortable at Notre Dame during the open house.

[...]

I'm a moderate/liberal athiest. Very pro-choice (only mentioning bc I feel like it's something that probably sets me apart from the majority of the school's population, likely moreso than the athiesm thing), very sure of and firm in my beliefs, and I felt very comfortable at the open house I went to. I like the idea of the influence of religion on the school and its students; not the religion itself guiding things, but just an overall good naturedness underlying everything. I mean, I like to consider myself a good person, and I'd like to be surrounded with others who care about the people/world around them. I really got a sense of that there.

[talula8828]

I'm a liberal atheist for the most part and I didn't feel uncomfortable at the admitted student day.  I actually met quite a few students who weren't religious.  They did say it wasn't a good school for those who are against organized religion (which I'm not) because the catholicism is definitely present but students can be as involved or not involved as they'd like.  I liked Cornell better for other reasons but I wouldn't be scared off too much by ND's politics.  It's nothing like Regent.

[nate]

pardon my confusion, but what exactly are notre dame's politics? i was under the impression that the school was mostly liberal, spare a few social issues (abortion, gay rights, etc.). i read an article about how involved the students have been in the social justice and anti-war areas, but how many students feel torn when it comes to the two major political parties simply because of the abortion issue.

that being said, if notre dame is socially-conservative and fiscally-liberal, then a few of those who have posted here will probably feel out of place, considering that runs completely opposite of your own views.

[champ84]

I am a Notre Dame undergrad with friends/relatives in the law school and I am considering ND for law. I am a practicing Catholic and very conservative. Notre Dame and the student body is very Catholic (85%).  Honestly the few people I do know who are Jewish or not Catholic do not so much feel uncomfortable, but are more bothered by the amount by which the Catholic nature of it affects the policies and operations of the university and grad schools.  THe school has a crucifix in every classroom. Some law professors say an Our Father before class every day. On Fridays during Lent the dining hall doesn't serve meat and a priest or a nun lives in every one of the single sex dorms. On the anniversary of Roe v Wade they put up 1,000 white crosses on the quad in front of the law school to commemorate the lives lost each year. The students as a whole are pretty religious and conservative and not willing to budge for the most part. SO i wouldn't suggest going there if your agenda is to change people's minds -- I think you'll just be frustrated as most liberal people are at ND.  The administration is not going to change its policies.   
I'm not saying anyone who isn't Catholic wouldn't like it, I just think people should know what they're signing up for, and that is an excellent school that embraces Catholicism.

[talula8828]

None of the faculty I met were uber-conservative at all.  The way they described the religious aspect of ND was that, unlike other law schools where the topic of religion and morals might be more taboo, if religion is brought up, they don't shy away from it.  It is true that the NDLS website does not link to pro-choice organizations and other liberal entities that are against the church's position.  BUT it's not hard to find those resources either.  You can easily find links to pro-choice organizations from other means, just not from the career services page.  That's just something that they respect.

I've had a lot of issues with the Christian right lately and did not feel the least bit uncomfortable.  Yes, there were a few extremists (I met one, actually) but very few.  

[nate]

this is a good topic. thank you thehardestpart.

walshie-

you mentioned that you are a conservative catholic and that you fit in well at notre dame. what would you say to a more liberal catholic? if a catholic student is an economic and foreign policy liberal, but not too excited by liberal social issues such as abortion, gay marriage, etc., would they have a problem at notre dame? i've heard that many students feel this way there, but would love to hear an opinion from someone who actually goes there.

it always seemed to me that it would be a benefit in attending a catholic school as opposed to a hardcore evangelical christian one. not only do i have much more respect for catholicism, but it always seems that catholic schools are much more open to important issues (war, welfare, healthcare, etc.) than the evangelical schools, which seem to blindly towe a partisan line.

[mccapj2]

I think that growing up in Catholic school and going to college I learned a couple of things about myself and about my views towards religion.  I feel like the biggest thing is that it doesn't matter if God exists or not in regards to being a good person.  That being said, I take in a lot more of the love your neighbor, as oppossed to the love your white christian heterosexual christian neighbor.

I grew up pro-life and heard all about the fiery rings of hell for gays.  In the end though, I think that the Catholic church strives for morality.  To me being moral means accepting others for who they are.  I love gay people.  I violate most of the tenets of catholicism, but it doesn't mean that I can't be a good person because in the end that is what it is all about. 

I wasn't slutting around in clubs at the age of 14 and I haven't slept with 100+ women.  Probably because I grew up with the idea of morality and made my decisions in life at a time when I was capable of doing it.  I just lived life in a moral way but that didn't restrict who I was as a person.  As far as ND goes, I understand their positions and I accept their way of doing things.  In the end it is the healthy debate between two sides that leads to change. 

[kingofspain]

i was at the open house last weekend and i got the sense that the only people who would have a problem are people who have a serious problem with religion.  i'm not religious at all, i believe in god but i haven't been in a church since i was maybe 10 years old other than for weddings and funerals.
i got a copy of the student newspaper and there was an ad looking for people to join a new council for gay and lesbian students.  if you're devoutly catholic, than nd would have an added attraction for you, otherwise i think it would be just like any other school for the rest of us.
i'm a rudy giuliani type in terms of politics and i'm sure i'll feel comfortable there, if anything the student body/faculty will probably  be to my left on econmic and foreign policy issues.