In his recent column, Ben Patterson repeats several misconceptions about the Roman Catholic Foundation and the court rulings about our funding status. I would like to clarify some of them.

First, Mr. Patterson asks if a Muslim student would be welcomed by our staff and students. The answer is an unequivocal yes! We welcome all students who respect our beliefs and mission, even if they don't agree with all of it. We hope that they will thoughtfully consider what we believe, but respect is all that is necessary. Many non-Catholic students have participated in events here, such as our musical productions and retreats. When students of other religions participate respectfully in our activities, it is a good learning experience both for them and for us.

Second, Mr. Patterson misunderstands how the courts, from ASM Student Judiciary to the Supreme Court, apply the First Amendment. Several years ago, a conservative student, Scott Southworth, sued the UW because he did not believe he should be required to pay student fees which would be distributed to groups that existed explicitly to promote viewpoints he disagreed with, such as Sex Out Loud, the LGBTCC, and WISPIRG, among others. To summarize a long court ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that he did have to pay for those groups even though he disagreed with them. However, they also ruled that any group with a specific viewpoint, religious, political, or otherwise, must also be funded in proportion to the services it provides to the campus.

Essentially, the courts argue that just because Catholicism is "religious," we are not significantly different from the groups mentioned above in promoting a viewpoint others disagree with. So the RCF must receive funding, or other Catholic students and I should be able to withhold the portion of our student fees going to groups we disagree with. We could then donate it to the RCF instead. Also, only student fees, not tax dollars, are going to the RCF. The courts have consistently ruled that taxes, paid by everyone, have much stricter rules with regards to religious activities than student fees, which are only paid by UW-Madison students, and may be used for a wider range of activities.

Finally, Mr. Patterson says that we would be hypocritical and "purely political" if we supported other religious organizations in their efforts to receive funding, because according to him, we believe that all non-Christian people are going to hell. This is false. Where other beliefs directly contradict ours, we believe that they must be mistaken, but we can agree to disagree. The Catholic Church teaches that there is much truth in other religions, even if they are wrong on some points. In fact, the Church explicitly teaches that Jews, Muslims, Hindus, other religious believers, and even atheists may achieve salvation by seeking what is right. It teaches that it is more possible to lead a fulfilling life on Earth and to achieve salvation afterwards within the Church. Therefore, people should consider what they believe and give Catholic teaching a fair shake rather than holding to other beliefs out of pride, habit, or selfishness, but no one is punished if they never had a genuine opportunity to consider Catholicism. The RCF recognizes the good work other religious organizations do on campus, and believes that they deserve funding in proportion to the number of students they serve and the quality of service they provide.

I hope this addresses some of the concerns of Mr. Patterson and the student body at large.

Alex Wagner

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