I don't have much to say about this, but as the theology requirement basically saved my relationship with God, I'm really distraught that Notre Dame may drop it from the curriculum.
At first I dreaded the theology requirement when I decided to come here. I was nominally Catholic but not invested in my faith; years of terrible catechesis convinced me that Christianity wasn't an intellectual exercise at all, but rather a banal exercise in trying to force yourself into feeling affection for a God up in the clouds somewhere. Therefore, being required to take theology was the best thing that could have possibly happened for me--whereas I was near rejecting the faith, other than for fear of the possibility of hell, after taking even just Foundations at Notre Dame, I really started taking my faith seriously intellectually, which opened me up to a relationship with God. I did not major in theology eventually. (I ended up double majoring in Math and Medieval Studies, in the College of Science, so I would not have taken this class if not for the University Requirement.) However, the Foundations of Theology class was one of the few ways attending Notre Dame radically changed my life. I really, really hope other people will have a similar opportunity.
That's not to say that the Foundations classes don't need to be changed--from what I have heard, they vary widely in quality. But reducing the theology requirement or eliminating it all together would be a terrible shame.
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