Freedom of Religion. . .?
Coffee and Conversations
OUCRL Program Coordinator Mike Zimmerman joined First Amendment Expert Prof. David Hudson to engage with Vanderbilt students in informal discussion about Religious Liberty as part of the “Coffee and Conversations at Moore” series hosted by Dr. Jim Lovensheimer, Faculty Head of Moore College, a part of the College Halls at Kissam. Bringing together students of Moore College Hall, sophomore, junior and senior class students, C&C aims to discuss current world issues with faculty and experts in an open format.
With a large turnout, the discussion ranged from discussion of the difference between “Freedom of Religion” to “Freedom from Religion”, to current events such as Kim Davis and the SCOTUS decision on same sex marriage, to how this relates to current issues on Vanderbilt’s campus. Discussing federal law, court cases, and real world examples, Zimmerman and Hudson engaged students in thought provoking dialogue and exercises that challenged per-conceived notions, opened the doors for other issues, and brought the context home.
Students of different backgrounds and identities engaged in the topic from a variety of standpoints and sought ways in which to honor the past and also be open to new issues in the future. While some disagreements were had, the discussion left everyone with more to ponder, more to understand, and a new way of thinking about our current world issues. With many questions left and stones left to turn, there is sure to be follow up opportunities to continue the dialogue.