Graduating in the name of the Trinity?

[Androsphinx]

Not quite sure what to do about this and am interested to hear opinions:

I graduate in about a month's time. The ceremony usually involves kneeling before the relevant official and receiving my degree "In the name of the father, etc.". I find this quite distasteful. There is, however, an option to have at section omitted on religious grounds.

Here's the catch. I'm (culturally) Jewish, and so could drop the whole thing without an objection, but the grounds don't include atheism, which counts as an "ethical" rather than "religious" concern. So my atheist friends, seething about this, have argued that it would be better for me to just have the Trinitarian formula like everyone else, to show that its inclusion is insignificant and irrelevant.

Thoughts?

[Elmca]

I find this quite distasteful.

So my atheist friends...

First, congratulations. You're about to enter the Real World, now. In the Real World, you get to make all your own decisions. And here's your first.

You are about to graduate. You find the ceremony quite distasteful. You make the decision.

Your friends are cowards. Sorry, but "do exactly what we're supposed to" is NOT a statement of revolution.

You've got three choices, since you didn't really think about this when you started at Trinity:
1) Drop the blessing because you're a Jew (culturally, anyway).
2) Fight the system and get "atheist" added as an acceptable objection. Not much time for that, I'm afraid. This is something you needed to start years ago.
3) Show your distaste for the whole procedure by...going through with it. Maybe you can keep your fingers crossed or something. That'll make you feel better, I'm sure. In a couple of decades, you can tell your grandchildren about the day you stuck it to those dang-nab Relevant Officials.

[Superman]

Personally, I'd just do the bullshit incantation crap and get the ceremony over with. If it's the religious aspect that you find offensive, how is refusing on the grounds of being Jewish any better? If this is an important issue for you, then definitely have it out and refuse. If it's really not, maybe just do it and move on.

[Broomstick]

Use your cultural Jewishness to drop the magic incantation for a god you don't believe in. Not quite as good as doing it based on atheism, but better than kowtowing to a ritual you not only don't believe in but that you find offensive.

[aimless]

have argued that it would be better for me to just have the Trinitarian formula like everyone else, to show that its inclusion is insignificant and irrelevant.

Is it insignificant and irrelevant (in the minds of most people)? And if it isn't, how would anyone know that you went through it because you wanted to "show that its inclusion is insignificant"? I'd say drop it based on the methods available to you (Jewish cultural background) but make clear to the school and to anyone who asks the real reasons behind it.

[Coyote]

Yeah, I agree with the general sentiment so far. You have a reason to drop it that won't create a ruckus, so do so and if it comes up, let folks know your real reasons. But also, don't be 'that guy' and go out of your way to tell everyone.

And then, learn from your experience. If you ever have kids, make sure they're forewarned and ready to deal with this when their time comes. Maybe it won't even be an issue at all by then.

[K. A. Pital]

I'd use the reason not to speak what is essentially a wired-in prayer, especially if I considered said prayer going directly against my convincions. The opinion of friends would matter jack and shit in that case.

[Covenant]

I'd try to get an exemption. It's improper for them to ask why I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, but I you nor anyone else should have to do more than just passively accept the religious ceremonies of others--you should never have to be forced to actively participate it. I really doubt this is the first time someone has objected, so they probably will be a little uneasy to do it, but I bet they'd rather have you just walk up, shake hands, and walk off than make a big stink about it and possibly undermine the process in the future.

[Lagmonster]

Are you graduating from high school or university? If the latter, what bullshit university did you elect to attend that asks you to recieve your degree in the name of any god?

Anyway, the option is there to omit it, so I say go for it. If you're proud of your academic accomplishments, why not make it adequately clear that you don't owe your success to anything but the hard work of your teachers/parents and yourself?

[Androsphinx]

Are you graduating from high school or university? If the latter, what bullshit university did you elect to attend that asks you to recieve your degree in the name of any god?

Anyway, the option is there to omit it, so I say go for it. If you're proud of your academic accomplishments, why not make it adequately clear that you don't owe your success to anything but the hard work of your teachers/parents and yourself?

Not quite as BS as you might think...

And for a previous comment:

First, congratulations. You're about to enter the Real World, now. In the Real World, you get to make all your own decisions. And here's your first.

No, I'm doing grad work.

[hongi]

but the grounds don't include atheism, which counts as an "ethical" rather than "religious" concern.

That's complete bullshit, and I can't believe such a prestigious university still has that sort of religious trapping, especially considering the diversity of people who must come through there.

[Androsphinx]

I'd just make three notes on that:

1/ Each college (or more particularly, each year's Praelector) does things differently for this, so it's only a minority who have this problem - most have moved to an opt-in system.

2/ For those who do things like my college, about 90% graduands don't get the whole formula, only a "I also admit you to this degree", so it comes up less often than you might think.

3/ Atheists usually finesse the system by technically being CoE.

4/ Even in these enlightened days, England is still 70+% Christian.

But yes, it is pretty objectionable. Though this is a university which got rid of their last all-male college in 1988.

[Darth Wong]

You still get your degree even if you skip the graduation ceremony, don't you? Assuming that's true (it was for me), then the whole thing is nothing more than pomp and circumstance, meaning nothing. If it were me, I would skip the ceremony and file a letter of protest with the people in charge, explaining that you are being discriminated against. Unless, of course, the ceremony means a lot to you.

My own ceremony did not involve any religious activities, but either way, it was no big deal. You do it only because your parents want to see it. It's actually a really boring event; you just sit there and patiently wait your turn, then go through a short ritual and get your paperwork, which they could just as easily deliver to you in many other ways.

[Solauren]

If you have to go to your graduation (I went to my high school, missed by college by accident and didn't care), and don't want to, I'd be tempted to go the Jewish route, and then afterwards, loudly, thank them for respecting your Atheism and not having you repeat the stuff about the Trinity.

I'd then walk off the stage with a smirk on my face.

But that's me. I enjoyed causing out-of-class-room irritations while in High School.

[Coyote]

DW's right, in fact, when I got my BA I asked the registrar's office to just send it to me in the mail. They seemed a little surprised that soneone would blow off the ceremony, but what really matters is earning the degree, then what you do with it afterwards. The method that the physical paper falls into your hands means nothing.

Could you just have them mail it?

[Thanas]

Can you gauge the reaction of the professors you'll rely on with your grad work?

[Alferd Packer]

Is skipping the entire ceremony an option? Or are you already locked in? Seems like an unneeded expense to me(getting the robe, tickets for family/friends, etc.), as you still get the degree conferred upon you in any case.

[Androsphinx]

To answer the most common question, my parents very much want to see me graduate, so that's that. As I said above, my initial inclination was to have the formula altered on Jewish grounds, which was quite comfortable to do, and I haven't been convinced otherwise.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and comments.

[Stuart]

The ceremony usually involves kneeling before the relevant official and receiving my degree "In the name of the father, etc.". I find this quite distasteful. There is, however, an option to have at section omitted on religious grounds.

Personally, its not the incantation I object to, the person who said words are cheap got it bang to rights. I might mumble it or slip an extra word or two in of course, been there, done that. But the incantation is meaningless.

Kneeling before an official, that I really, seriously, object to. That's cause enough for a "mail me the diploma and screw your ceremony" letter.

[Androsphinx]

Once the religious element of the ceremony is removed I don't actually have a problem with the kneeling, which is an Ancient and Hallowed element of both university and royal protocol (the official presiding over the service is a representative of the Chancellor, Prince Philip).

[Themightytom]

you could always just let them do it, and then whip out your Harry Potter wand and shout "Deletrius "!

I'm not even an atheist but I feel like sometimes i'd be good at it.

EDIT: I have the worst spell checking app ever, it picks up NOTHING!