Interfaith Council

The Interfaith Council consists of student representatives from the various religious, secular, and spiritual organizations on campus, including student clubs and organizations, that collaborate together on exciting, engaging, and dialogical experiences. Such events and activities explore the relationships between between interfaith, non-religious, and secular worldviews in order to make connections, form communities, and explore deep questions of purpose, meaning, and value.

The mission of the RIT Interfaith Council is to promote engagement that

1) empowers students to connect with the religious, spiritual, ethical, existential, and philosophical resources they need to be successful in their education and life;
2) leads to graduates who are capable of engaging and eager to work with diverse groups of people on civic issues within a religiously plural society;
3) promotes the overall spiritual wellbeing of RIT within its local community;
4) holds discussions with the intention of learning and teaching each other about the RIT-represented spiritualties and religions;
5) plans interfaith events and act as a resource for all groups within Spirituality and Religious Life.

Originally conceived in 2019 as Department 42 and rebranded in 2022, the Interfaith Council supports students as they explore the big questions of life, the universe, and everything in between. Such questions are explored like "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose?" "What is a good life?" and "Is cereal soup?," all through the lens of interfaith relations, non-religious topics, and secularism. We provide activities, resources, and people to support your exploration of yourself and the various subjects within and surrouding the universe. Welcome to the Interfaith Council!

"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
It was a long time before anyone spoke.
Out of the corner of his eye Phouchg could see the sea of tense expectant faces down in the square outside.
"We're going to get lynched, aren't we?" he whispered.
"It was a tough assignment," said Deep Thought mildly.
"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"
"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."
"But it was the Great Question! The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything," howled Loonquawl.
"Yes," said Deep Thought with the air of one who suffers fools gladly, "but what actually is it?"
A slow stupefied silence crept over the men as they stared at the computer and then at each other.
"Well, you know, it's just Everything . . . everything . . ." offered Phouchg weakly.
"Exactly!" said Deep Thought. "So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means."

-Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (New York: Del Rey, 2009), 161-162.