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Harvard University has appointed a new chaplain who brings a fresh perspective to the role – as an atheist.
Greg Epstein, 44, took over as president of the university chaplains this week after the organization unanimously elected him.
The chaplains argue that as a man with no clear religious affinity, Epstein is the perfect candidate to organize the various religious group activities across the campus. As the president of the organization, Epstein will organize the more than 40 university chaplains from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and other religious communities.
(Harvard University/Youtube)
"There is a rising group of people who no longer identify with any religious tradition but still experience a real need for conversation and support around what it means to be a good human and live an ethical life," Epstein told The New York Times.
"We don’t look to a god for answers," he added. "We are each other’s answers."
The appointment is sure to strike a nerve, with some already taking to Twitter to express confusion or outright dissatisfaction with the appointment.
"Completely missing the point of the role of a chaplain," one user posted, saying that the decision made the Harvard label "less prestigious."
Greg Epstein attends the NY MAG + AE Host Married At First Sight Mixer at Troy Bar on March 12, 2015 in New York City. (Brad Barket/Getty Images for New York Magazine)
Another user asked why Epstein serves as a chaplain if he doesn't believe in God, with another user calling his appointment "a grift."
Epstein was raised Jewish but identifies instead as a humanist – an approach to life "based on reason and … common humanity," according to the American Humanist website.
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Epstein doesn’t oppose religious expression through text, ideas or practices, but he argues that people who doubt the existence of a higher power still need their way of developing values, exploring life and sustaining communities.
"Maybe in a more conservative university climate there might be a question like ‘What the heck are they doing at Harvard, having a humanist be the president of the chaplains?’ " Margit Hammerstrom, Harvard’s Christian Science chaplain, told the Times. "But in this environment it works. Greg is known for wanting to keep lines of communication open between different faiths."
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A survey conducted by the Harvard Crimson in 2019 found that the class comprised of 21% agnostic and 17% atheist students, compared to 17% Catholics, 10% Jewish and 3% Hindus and Muslims, The Daily Mail reported.
