After reading the Texas Republican Platform 2012 statement featured on the
 Washington Post, Ms. Alison Purpera’s Campus Ministry class was asked to respond. In summary, the Texas GOP rejects critical thinking skills that could potentially undermine parental authority- a statement that the majority of Campus Ministers opposed.

The discussion began casually- students continued to fidget with their iPads while Ms. Purpera quieted the others. As the platform was read, however, the once calm demeanor of the students quickly shifted. It seemed as though the statement had clearly made an impression.

Senior Taylor Walsh, the first to raise her hand, said, “All we want to do, or should want to do, is open our minds to the knowledge available to us. This closes our minds to knowledge, to faith.”

She sat back down only to usher in a variety of other comments. Senior Nicollete Marrota described her childhood in relation to the platform. “I grew up with debate being acceptable in my family – you can’t know your own values unless you are taught them through life experience and personal learning,” she said.

As each student contributed to the discussion, Ms. Purpera made sure to moderate and lead the discussion into contemplative thought. “As a teacher at a Catholic school and a Catholic myself, I know that it is important to support the church. I do already support the church’s decisions, but also make sure to respect the school as a teacher there,” she said.

She continued to explain that the complete ban on critical thinking seemed harsh, and the entire issue was delicate.

Eventually, the conversation led to a comparison between life, morality, and faith. Maddi Hendrix started off the topic. “We can personalize our moral values and live good lives but simultaneously be reasonable,” she said.

The entire class agreed that reason and morality should never be contradictory. They understood that good reasoning leads to good morality; good morality to good faith. The discussion came to an end after considering rebellion.

Students under the platform, the class concluded, would most likely rebel after being so sheltered.

Catherine Haynor summarized the class perspective. “The platform may work until students experience life outside of the rules- there is no way some
(students) would not rebel at new exposure to the outside world,” she said.

With a lack of exposure, it was quickly decided that the platform could only work for a limited amount of time. At last, the ministry class seemed to relax as they had before. Each comment was made, the topic exhausted, and the class ready to continue their previous lesson.

These students used their own reason, the very precious skill they have acquired over their high school careers, to carry on such a deep discussion.