How would you feel in this circumstance--offended? What?

Question

You go to a large Catholic university, and there are a large number of Mulims students there as well. As you may know, most Muslims are celebrating Ramadan now and are not allowed to eat until sun-down.

In one of your classes, your professor asks that you (and other students in his classes) not eat in front of your Muslim peers. He also encourages you to possibly fast as well.

Would you be offended?
Would you be happy that he embraced a different religion?
Is he being too PC?
Would you speak up and say something?
Would you not eat in class?

How would YOU react?

(psssst---this didn't happen to me. This was brought on a similar site and the reactions of others amazed me)

"Best Answer" isn't going to be based on whether or not you agree with me--it's how well you back up your opinion.

The prof told you this in class, where you are able to eat and drink at will.

Answer 1

No, I wouldn't be offended. I think that's it kinda cool that the professor is willing to try new things from different religions. Being religous means to know you beliefs, but still be willing to learn from others. I think that it would be a great experience and agree whole heartidly with the professor.

Answer 2

1. I would not be "offended" per say but I wouldn't be that happy about it.

2. I'd be very happy for him. Embracing different religions is a very good thing, so long as you don't force others to embrace it.

3. Yeah, definitely. I mean if we're going to be PC here then why not go the whole way? All women have to cover their heads, no more revealing clothes, guys and women can't touch each other anymore, the list goes on. I'm all for respecting cultures; when I visited Egypt I always wore long sleeves, a long skirt or pants, and socks even though it was flipping hot there. I think it's just disrespectful to do anything else. But this is America, Muslim beliefs are not part of our culture.

4. No. I don't like to argue with professors in front of the class unless it's something really really wrong, which I don't see this as. However I might approch the professor after the class is over.

5. Um, yeah, if I got hungry, but I wouldn't make a POINT of eating in class. I don't usually eat in class anyway and really I doubt most Muslims care whether or not you're fasting with them if you're not Muslim yourself. Sure, I wouldn't go and sit down next to a Muslim during Ramadan and start eating but that's as far as I'd go.

Answer 3

It wouldn't be that the professor had embraced a different religion. But he is trying to be respectful of others that attend his class. I'm not sure why Muslims go to Catholic school, but they do have the human right to be respected as much as the Catholics that go there. While this may not mean that you should have to fast, it does mean you should try to treat others as you would want to be treated, as Jesus said. I'm sure if you were fasting till sundown, you wouldn't want people disrespecting your beliefs or langoriously eating in front of you. I would say the best course would be to show respect for the Muslims by not being a jerk when you eat near them (you know, eating the fries like they are the best fries that the world will ever know) and by not trying to tempt them to eat or completely ignoring them.

Answer 4

1. Offended? Absolutely not.
2. Yes. I think everyone should learn about others' cultures and should be very respectful of them.
3. Too PC? Definitely not.
4. I wouldn't say anything to the professor, but would wish the Muslim a Blessed Ramadan.
5. I wouldn't eat in class.

I am a Jew.

.

Answer 5

I really wouldn't think what I do would affect what the Muslim students did, so I would eat if I were hungry, but eating in class is a bit rude in general. If someone specifically asked me not to, I would understand and try to help them in their religious experience.

As for the professor, I kind of think that is UN-PC. It's nice that he is not downing Islam, but what on earth do my actions have to do with someone else following their religious ritual? He doesn't seem to be showing particular tolerance for the other students' religions besides Islam. He is basically suggesting they follow the religious rituals of a belief system they do not follow, which seems little dumb to me. It just seems kinda weird that he would feel the need to say anything and the concept seems kinda useless.

I wouldn't be offended, though.

Answer 6

I would not be offended, because I would do as I pleased about eating, which would be not to eat in a class, trashy to do so, and I would do my eating in the normal way in the normal places. If a person is a Muslim and is fasting til sundown, it is his look-out to be around people who can eat whenever - it's his religion, not mine.

But certainly, I would not go out of my way to eat in front of him, crude and rude.

People should be respected. Christians should not gang up in a public hallway to have a prayer session and thereby obstruct other people from passing through, and then complain about being disciplined for obstructing the hallway ["picking on
Christians!"], as has happened. Muslims should not expect to be shielded from the sight of food just because they are required to fast.

I live in an area where there is a very large Hassidic community, and the women cannot accept things from the hand of a man who is not their husband, like change, etc. So when the cop gives them a ticket, he has to put it under the wiper so she can go get it - they hired an Hassidic for the police force so as to have someone to consult about these things. Little accommodations like that help people get along.

The professor who asked people not to eat and to fast and so on was out line, in my opinion, none of his business who eats, who is Muslim, who is not, and so on. But why get exercised over such a dumb lapse? Life's way too short...

Answer 7

I'd eat and drink if I wanted to. That's their religion and their choice. I'm sure they see people eating and drinking all the time. Should everyone on the planet stop what they're doing and worship the Muslims way?? Heck no. When I was in grade school, Catholics were still only eating fish on Fridays. No one told all the kids of other religions that they HAD to eat fish too.

Answer 8

I would not be offended.
I would be neither happy nor unhappy .
I can't determine whether or not he's being PC, because I don't know the professor's motivation for suggesting it.
I doubt that I would be moved to say anything.
I would eat in class if it were allowed and I was hungry.


Generally speaking, I'm not going to get in the way of anyone's religious practices, but I will also not change the way I behave in order to accomodate some else's religious practice.

Answer 9

It was not the lunchroom so it wasn't all that much of an affront but, the thing is I don't think that was the real complaint. There is too much of putting good Catholic Doctrine aside for the sake of ecumenism (downplaying Mary's role etc.). There was an article just recently about De Paul University and it's catering to Masons so I don't blame Catholics for being a little defensive. I have been there myself.

Answer 10

Hi. I'm not a Muslim. I would do anything that would not offend people of different cultures within reason. Would you wear a burka? Cover your ankles? Avoid the pool? Eat a hamburger in from of a Hindu? In answer to your question, I believe that PCness can be, and often is, carried to the point of silliness.