From CNA: Georgetown students react to White House request to cover Jesus’ name

Georgetown University’s decision to comply with a White House request to cover up the —IHS— monogram representing Jesus’ name at President Obama’s speech on Wednesday is drawing fire from the Cardinal Newman Society and Georgetown students, who are charging the university with —sacrificing— its —Catholic and Jesuit identity.—

Reports surfaced today from attendees at President Obama’s speech on the economy that the White House asked Georgetown University to cover up several emblems, including an IHS monogram above the president’s head during his speech at the Jesuit university.

Although President Obama focused his speech on his administration’s plans to spur economic growth, some in attendance noticed that the IHS monogram—”an early 3rd century abbreviation for the name of Jesus—”was covered up for the speech.

CNA attempted to confirm the report with Georgetown officials, but no one available for comment before press time.

However, Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at the university, told CNSNews.com that the covering up of Jesus’ name was prompted by —logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event.— According to Bataille, —Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage.—

She said the —signage and symbols— were covered up because —the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross— and that it seemed more —respectful to have them covered— so that viewers wouldn’t see them —out of context…—

Frankly I do not blame the Obama Administration. They are being true to who they are and to what they represent. If they believe they have the savior on-hand why bring up the name of the other One.

I could say that the real fault lies with the Administration at Georgetown. By covering the name of Jesus they are not being true to who they are. But, is that so?

As Christians we hope that other Christians will be true to who they are. We feel a great sense of disappointment when our brothers and sisters fall short of our expectation. We hope and wish that Christians in academia, in politics, in ordinary life will set an example in relation to the immutability of their Christian faith. When they do not meet our expectation, as in this case, we are left to sort out who is being true to their beliefs. We point to the martyrs who chose death over denying Jesus, and we are left to wonder.

Our conclusion does not yield blame. Our conclusion must free itself of expectation, of false notion. The early Christians had a system of codes so that they would know their fellow travelers. We need to re-establish the outward marker, the sign by which we will know. Intellectual faith, the faith of the academics, has its place, but that doesn’t make one a Christian. The sign on the wall does not make one a Christian. Hanging a cross in the classroom doesn’t make one a Christian. What we do (or don’t do), for all to see, makes it so.

It is easy to quote scripture in relation to what has been done. This scripture is key:

“So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 10:32-33

What does our doing and not doing say? This scripture is the measuring stick. I do not think that our Lord will count the number of Ph.D.’s we have obtained, or the number of books and scholarly articles on our C.V. Here is the test. Did you acknowledge Me beforeIn front of and above. men?