It was the topic of debate at an on-campus forum Wednesday night, and there were surely diverse and well-argued opinions.
We won't express our thoughts on Christianity's merits in an editorial. We will, however, commend the Pastafarians for putting on such a forum.
The anonymous comment boards on our Website are proof enough that folks on this campus have strong opinions. We often get more than 5,000 views on an opinion column. The comments vary all over the place.
Sadly, most of the users are anonymous, and civil discourse that doesn't personally attack others rarely occurs. So it's refreshing to hear a debate in a public setting. It's nice to hear logical arguments and rational, tough questions.
The best part — forums show that our generation cares about the issues, wants solutions and is willing to leave the couch to let its voices be heard. Yes, we're being eternal optimists in this editorial, but they can bring about new ideas and change.
There are problems with student forums. There often are few students in attendance, sometimes they aren't advertised well and occasionally they fall apart into personal attacks in less than honest arguments.
But overall, they're part of what makes a college campus special. So, hats off to the Pastafarians for hosting a forum. We only hope other student organizations follow the lead and turn this campus into a progressive bastion of ideas.
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