At Convocation, Student Body President Noah Riner '06 delivered a speech that has since stirred public debate. Riner discussed Jesus' actions in the Bible as an excellent example of character. As a Jew, I have been repeatedly asked over the last couple days, "Weren't you offended?" I had a simple answer: "No."
For as long as I can remember, I have been told to, "write what you know." I am not commenting on the effectiveness of Riner's speech, but clearly one of the topics Riner knows best is his religion. While his speech may have been preachy, he certainly has the right to make his point. Riner clearly feels Jesus was "on the cross, for us." Many of us in the Dartmouth community proudly disagree with that and other aspects of Riner's religious beliefs, but our disagreements do not give us the right to limit his speech.
Recently, religion has become a dividing factor in our great country. It need not be. Our society is squeamish about even the mention of religion in a public space, and hearing a sermon-like speech surely qualifies as such. However, we cannot and should not quash the voice of religious people. We cannot tell them that their views do not qualify under the First Amendment, while any areligious remarks made are quite alright. Riner's mentions of Jesus do not constitute a passive endorsement of Christianity by the College.
Convocation is about the opening of the academic year. Its speeches are often dull and unremarkable. However, most of those present on Tuesday will remember Riner's remarks, if only for its references to Jesus and its stories of Dartmouth grads gone astray. Riner sparked a great deal of public debate. Nonetheless, this debate should not be on the right of a public figure to discuss his religion, but on our inward reflections on our own character.
Let us not forget the words of President Wright on Tuesday, "The world is in good hands -- and if ... the cynical and the selfish, get the headlines, they do not represent us, so long as we insist that we will not allow them to do so ... They are not our future ... You are." Our generation has a great deal of promise, but bickering over a speech will accomplish nothing. We must realize it is more important that we build bridges, forget about trivial differences, and realize that it is our mission to make the world a better place. Aesop once wrote, "United we stand, divided we fall." There is no reason that we should make Riner's speech into a divisive issue. It was just one opinion on a model of character.
