Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Quest for Knowledge in a University Setting

Disclaimer: The following remarks are not based off of any statistical or scientific research. They are purely speculative and represent the author's personal observations of homo sapiens throughout academia. 



A large percentage of young men and women educated in the university system become shaped by their respective institution. If a person attends a school where liberal faculty dominate the classroom, it is likely that he or she will espouse liberal dogma. The same example can be applied to an individual who attends a conservative institution. Of course, this phenomenon is practically unavoidable. Where else is a student supposed to acquire knowledge. Hopefully not Wikipedia or any other pseudo-scholarly Web site. The main problem is that many students take to heart what their professor's spew out in class. Undoubtedly, one should have faith that his or her professor is presenting the truth in lectures. Nevertheless, a student should never base his or her entire belief system on the authority of a teacher. Sadly, as we move further into the twenty-first century, a disturbing number of university students are shedding their belief in Christ in favor of "rational" thought and empirical evidence. Personal convictions are replaced with feelings of confusion and uncertainty. Relativism reigns in many university circles, and truth has become obsolete. Is this a problem? With an emphatic YES, I believe so. The following is a story to convey my point:

John Berkeley believes that he knows all about religion, politics, and science after taking courses related to the three topics. John loves to flaunt his newfound knowledge to all of those around him. He is, of course, now an authoritarian on all subjects relating to the aforementioned topics. He cannot believe how ignorant he was prior to entering college, and laughs at all of the uneducated people he meets. If only those ignorant people could take a class on comparative religions from Dr. Pompous. After all, Dr. Pompous received his doctorate from Princeton University! 

Unfortunately, John feels empty inside. He wins most arguments that he partakes in, or so he thinks, but they bring him no lasting fulfillment. What's more, Dr. Pompous died yesterday. Dr. Pompous spent the majority of his life attempting to prove one simple truth: that truth cannot be known . He wrote thirty-seven books and two hundred articles in peer-reviewed journals that were read by approximately one thousand people. What legacy did he leave behind? Oh yes, the legacy that lives on in students like John Berkeley. John is eternally grateful to Dr. Pompous, and he has a bright future in the field of academia. How blissful it will be when he too faces mortality and reunites with Dr. Pompous at the clear oasis of reason, enlightenment, and logic. 

John hopes that he will be able to witness the prevalence of reason over faith in his lifetime. What a glorious day that will be! When he has children, John will make sure not to brainwash them with fairy tales and myths of an all-loving and all-powerful God. Instead, he will brainwash his children with reason, and science books will line their book cases. If his son or daughter asks him what created all of the magnificent things in nature, John will make sure that he or she realizes that it all happened naturally by chance--and that the earth and human beings are not that special or unique. John fails to realize that children six thousand miles away in China are raised in the same way that he plans to raise his kids. He also chooses to disregard the fact that many of them jump for joy when they learn that there is a God--and that He walked this earth, was crucified, and rose again over two thousand years ago to pay a ransom for their sins. John would like to believe that such a tale really occurred, as it would fill a significant void in his soul. Unfortunately, John is a product of reason, and doing such an act would be akin to suicide. Imagine what his fellow colleagues would do if they found out that he believed in such a thing. Besides, for the most part, John likes being his own god. He does not have to answer to a higher authority, only himself--and that is so liberating! Thus, John will continue to allow his faith in reason to trump his deep-rooted and unceasing longing for faith in God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Amen. 



"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 
    
    'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, 
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.'

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." (1 Corinthians 1:17-21 NKJV)