ORONO – A diverse panel representing most of the world’s religions will explore the issues related to faith and sexuality for the next three weeks at the University of Maine.

Religion and Sexuality will meet from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. today and on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 in the Memorial Union. The program is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and the UMaine Religious Life Team.

Participants include a Reconstructionist and Orthodox rabbi, a Catholic priest, two Protestant pastors and a representative from Campus Crusade for Christ. In addition, followers of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam will participate.

The program was organized by Sandy Caron, whose human sexuality classes at the university are popular with students. Although Caron has had speakers representing many different faiths guest lecture in her classes, she has never before been able to gather so many practitioners of different faiths on one panel.

“Students are very interested in what religion has to say about sexuality,” Caron said Monday. “I’ve found in my classes that there is a lot of interest in the role religion plays in sexuality. Students have a lot of questions about how different faith traditions view sex outside of procreation.”

The first week will focus on birth control, abortion and premarital sex. The second week will cover sexual orientation and sexual identity issues. The third session will consider how faiths view the roles of men and women in society as well as in the clergy.

Not all representatives of the various religions participating in the series were available for comment Monday.

But the Rev. Mark Doty, pastor of Hammond Street Congregational Church in Bangor, said Monday that his denomination respects individual choice when it comes to birth control, abortion and premarital sex.

“The United Church of Christ believes that those issues should be a matter of choice for the individual,” he said Monday. “The church does not dictate to anyone. Our general synod speaks to the church but not for the church.

“We are a very democratic denomination,” he continued, “and believe in the right of personal freedom for all to make decisions. Each congregation is autonomous. It’s not as if we’re all in lock step with one another.”

For example, Doty said, the UCC allows the blessing of same sex unions but lets each congregation decide if ceremonies will be held in its church building or not.

Congregationalists also believe that the Ten Commandments provide moral and ethical guidance for how people should live, the minister said. He recognizes, however, that “adultery” does not necessarily apply to all sexual relationships outside of marriage.

“Well over half of the couples who come to me to be married have been living together before marriage,” Doty said. “That’s a reality of modern American life. Rather than talking about living in sin, my understanding of UCC principles is that I don’t castigate people for that, but talk with them about the importance of commitment and the virtues of monogamy.”

Rabbi Barry Krieger of Bangor is the adviser to Hillel, the Jewish student organization at the university. He and Rabbi Fred Nebel of Congregation Beth Abraham, Bangor’s Orthodox synagogue, will represent Judaism on the panel today. Rabbi Darah Lerner, Bangor’s only female rabbi, will replace Krieger on Oct. 30 for the panel on gender roles. Lerner is the rabbi of Congregation Beth El, a Reform synagogue.

“From a Jewish point of view,” Krieger said Monday, “I guess the most important piece is that we are encouraged to live a meaningful and fulfilling life and that includes our sex life. …. As far as planning for a family is concerned, often it is important for families to use birth control and that is fine. It’s wonderful to have sex to procreate and also wonderful to have sex in order to enjoy a significant loving relationship with one’s partner.”

Abortion, he said, is one place where Judaism differs from other major religions. The procedure is sometimes mandated by Jewish law, which requires an abortion be performed to ensure the mental and physical health of a woman. Krieger added that in the Orthodox tradition abortion would only be allowed for that reason. In the more liberal movements, including his own Reconstructionist movement, he said, individual choice also is recognized and accepted.

The Rev. Alvin Winslow, leader of Campus Crusade for Christ at the university, said that he will answer all students’ questions from the perspective of a conservative, evangelical follower of Jesus Christ.

“We believe that God loves people and his plan is the very best plan,” Winslow said Monday. “He designed sex. It was his idea. And when we listen to him, it’s the very best.

“The Bible’s very clear that any sex or lust outside the context of marriage is – well, we would use the word ‘sin.'” Without the ceremony, unmarried couples don’t have the same level of commitment, he said.

Winslow added that it would come as no surprise to most people who attend today’s panel discussion that he believes abortion should be illegal. Birth control is a matter of personal choice for most evangelicals, but a significant number do oppose artificial forms of birth control, he said.

The minister recognizes the perspective he’ll represent on the panel runs counter to current American culture, but said that students still seek him out to ask questions about religion and sex.

“There’s always an interest among students in talking about human sexuality,” he said. “People will seek you out from a whole variety of perspectives to ask you questions when you’re in ministry.”