Greetings. This is my opening blog, and it is the first time I have done this, so please bear with me. I am a theology professor at a Catholic university in the Midwest United States. Like most Catholic colleges and universities, we are in the midst of an epic struggle over our Catholic identity. In my theology classes, I publicly teach what the Church teaches, explaining to my students (the majority of whom are not Catholic) that I do this out of obligation and out of conviction. I have been warned not to "force" my students to be Catholic, and have even been accused of grading my students according to whether or not they "agree with me." In short, I am suspected of proselytizing.I draw a distinction, however, between the lay apostolate and proselytization. As Catholics, we are called to constant witness to the Truth as revealed through the Church. Am I supposed to cease my apostolic activity when I enter the classroom? I think not. Moreover, this is not the same thing as actively seeking to convert people to the faith (proselytization). For an analogy of what I attempt to do in the classroom, I cite a passage from Benedict XVI's Deus Caritas Est: "Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism. Love is free; it is not practised as a way of achieving other ends" (II.31). I teach the faith of the Church for its own sake, for liberal education is an end in itself, just as charity is in the order of service to one's neighbor. Teaching the Catholic faith does not have proselytization as its end. Any thoughts?