{"id":1212,"date":"2016-12-23T10:50:53","date_gmt":"2016-12-23T09:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/?p=63564\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:06","slug":"what-does-the-pope-say-about-such-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/12\/23\/what-does-the-pope-say-about-such-things\/","title":{"rendered":"‘What does the Pope say about such things?’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGeisje van der Linden<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Name: Guido Berens<\/p>\n

Position: Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication<\/p>\n

Faculty: Rotterdam School of Management<\/p>\n

Religion: Catholicism<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery once in a while \u2013 but really not very often \u2013 combining the practical aspects of my career as a scientist and my religion makes me feel a little uneasy. For instance, in RSM\u2019s Business-Society Management department, we are looking at the United Nations\u2019 sustainable development goals, which state that everyone should be entitled to birth control. This basically means they are promoting promiscuity.<\/p>\n

When situations like this arise, I try to assess my own beliefs. Are the beliefs I have always held actually correct? How do I deal with my own opinion on such matters? Are they at odds with each other? And what does the Pope say about such things? I am often able to put things into perspective. Obviously, it is vital that we have good condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS.<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\u2018It\u2019s the output that matters, and no one gets involved in what it\u2019s about.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

My religion hardly ever clashes with my academic work. Most research areas concern issues that are close to us, rather than ethical issues or our purpose on this planet. This is particularly the case with STEM subjects and social sciences.<\/p>\n

Als mijn religieuze achtergrond invloed op mijn onderzoek zou hebben, moet ik dat uiteraard melden. Maar ik hoef onderwerpen niet te mijden. Wetenschappers hebben veel vrijheid, zeker bij RSM: de output telt, niemand bemoeit zich met waar het over gaat. Zolang je geen schandaal veroorzaakt is het prima.<\/p>\n

Op de EUR ben ik bezig met mijn geloof door eens in de twee weken samen te komen met andere christelijke medewerkers. Dan praten we over een bijbeltekst die een van de groepsleden heeft voorbereid. Zo\u2019n bijeenkomst, meestal tijdens lunchtijd, sluiten we af met een kringgebed. Iedereen is daarbij welkom, maar op het moment zitten we alleen met wetenschappers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t