The first Veritas Forum started at Harvard nine years ago as a conference devoted to discussing Christianity in an academic way.

This weekend's Veritas Forum-the first at Harvard in two years-maintained some of its academic roots, but also tackled such hot-button issues as abortion, sex, homosexuality and euthanasia.

While some of the forum's panels were scholarly discussions about Christianity, many others took on a casual, more spiritual atmosphere.

Events ranged from a symposium at Harvard Law School (HLS) talking about the legal history of abortion and euthanasia, to a performance by Caedmon's Call, a Christian rock band.

The biggest draw of the five-day conference was a lecture series on Friday night by Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, and Fritz Schaeffer, professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia, filling Science Center B lecture hall, with an overflow crowd in lecture hall C.

One of the most popular workshops, drawing a crowd of 50, was entitled, "The Radical Call to Love: Homosexuality and the Church," with Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and head minister at Memorial Church Peter J. Gomes.

Panelists discussed what Benjamin D. Grizzle '03, a key organizer of the forum, called one of the "thornier" issues in the Christian community: homosexuality.

All of the panelists said they considered being homosexual compatible with being Christian.