50% of Christian College students no longer "born again Christians" after graduation

[Fischkoepfin 1]

Am I the only one who wavers between seriously bothered by and completely confused by the implication that a political liberal wouldn't/couldn't be religious?

No. It's one of the core problem with the religious right, namely pretending to have some sort of monopoly on religion that suggests if you believe in God you must agree with them.

Why are their classes in lesbianism?

There aren't. The classes are about the role lesbians in society, lesbian literature, etc. The idea is to acquaint students with different modes of experience.

[Lewis 0]

Is one purpose of a college or university education involved with solidifying and/or challenging personal religious beliefs? Possibly. I assume that's why we have a choice of institutions to attend and it's wise to do research (read the course catalog, visit the campus) on the institution before attending.

[chri'stina 190]

I guess I'm part of the 50% who remained a "born again Christian" after graduation. My faith was only strengthened through college. I had some classes that I'd consider pretty liberal because of my major being Sociology. I learned a lot of critical thinking which I am glad of. It wasn't always easy for me, being a minority in my classes-a Christian with conservative viewpoints-but still I was respected by my professors because I brought about my viewpoints in a respectful way. I did agree with some things and disagreed with other things. I liked it overall.

[Jenn! 918]

Why are their classes in lesbianism?

There aren't. The classes are about the role lesbians in society, lesbian literature, etc. The idea is to acquaint students with different modes of experience.

While I support these sorts of classes being offered, I would not say that these classes are solely to acquaint students with different ways of thinking and living. I had a college roommate who was a "Women's Studies and Social Construction" major (or something like that - it sounded crazy to me, the math major ), and by the end of her academic career, she was to the point where she couldn't tolerate anyone who WASN'T homosexual. I do believe certain people can easily become "brainwashed".

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... certain people can easily become "brainwashed".

For example, converts.

[pedroh 21]

I guess I'm part of the 50% who remained a "born again Christian" after graduation. My faith was only strengthened through college. I had some classes that I'd consider pretty liberal because of my major being Sociology. I learned a lot of critical thinking which I am glad of. It wasn't always easy for me, being a minority in my classes-a Christian with conservative viewpoints-but still I was respected by my professors because I brought about my viewpoints in a respectful way. I did agree with some things and disagreed with other things. I liked it overall.

yea! exactly!! if you are not close-minded and have ways to defend ur arguments.. there's no reason why you should be the ugly duck, or not get respect from teh teachers.. that's the main thing.. respect.. u don't have to tell a professor 'u god-hater gay lover liberal!! wahh!!'... there are ways to argue.. and, even if your points of view are not popular, they are gonna be respected no matter what

[Fischkoepfin 1]

Why are their classes in lesbianism?

There aren't. The classes are about the role lesbians in society, lesbian literature, etc. The idea is to acquaint students with different modes of experience.

While I support these sorts of classes being offered, I would not say that these classes are solely to acquaint students with different ways of thinking and living. I had a college roommate who was a "Women's Studies and Social Construction" major (or something like that - it sounded crazy to me, the math major ), and by the end of her academic career, she was to the point where she couldn't tolerate anyone who WASN'T homosexual. I do believe certain people can easily become "brainwashed".

Your viewpoint presupposes that you need to be "brainwashed" to become gay. I also know many people teaching in Women Studies and while some of them might be gay, they don't try to convince other people that they lead the only correct lifestyle.

I think that some of the extremism found among Women studies undergrads is a direct result of the attacks on their program rather than the result of what is taught in their program. If you constantly have to defend yourself against people deriding your degree then there's a fair chance you'll become an extremist in the long run.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not to mention a former "friend" of mine (a friend of a friend really) - who lived with one of my best mates finished an MA a couple of years back.

Yet whenever any conversation would stray into areas of politics she would basically trot out the same stale old ####### her parents probably told her. She came out to visit us at the end of last year - and managed to piss off both my wife and I by telling us about how crappy she thinks America is and how "stupid" Americans are (this being someone who hadn't previously travelled outside the UK and being the first time she had ever visited the US). Needless to say, she won't be invited back..

[almaty 19]

per the movie: animal house..." knowledge is good"

[Jenn! 918]

Why are their classes in lesbianism?

There aren't. The classes are about the role lesbians in society, lesbian literature, etc. The idea is to acquaint students with different modes of experience.

While I support these sorts of classes being offered, I would not say that these classes are solely to acquaint students with different ways of thinking and living. I had a college roommate who was a "Women's Studies and Social Construction" major (or something like that - it sounded crazy to me, the math major ), and by the end of her academic career, she was to the point where she couldn't tolerate anyone who WASN'T homosexual. I do believe certain people can easily become "brainwashed".

Your viewpoint presupposes that you need to be "brainwashed" to become gay. I also know many people teaching in Women Studies and while some of them might be gay, they don't try to convince other people that they lead the only correct lifestyle.

I think that some of the extremism found among Women studies undergrads is a direct result of the attacks on their program rather than the result of what is taught in their program. If you constantly have to defend yourself against people deriding your degree then there's a fair chance you'll become an extremist in the long run.

I did not intend to imply at all that one must be "brainwashed" in order to become gay. I probably didn't explain myself well either, and it was also a bit of an exaggeration that my roommate couldn't tolerate anyone who was not gay. In fact, she was not a lesbian (at least she was not "out" and had only heterosexual relationships), but she somehow developed this idea that for the most part, only homosexuals are open-minded people. While I wouldn't say that her courses were trying to "convert" her to homosexuality, they surely promoted the idea that people who are uncomfortable with homosexuality are not good people.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

While I wouldn't say that her courses were trying to "convert" her to homosexuality, they surely promoted the idea that people who are uncomfortable with homosexuality are not good people.

Hmmm... but would it perhaps be fair to say that was how she interpreted certain aspects of her course, rather than it being an implicit goal of the teachings?

[Jenn! 918]

While I wouldn't say that her courses were trying to "convert" her to homosexuality, they surely promoted the idea that people who are uncomfortable with homosexuality are not good people.

Hmmm... but would it perhaps be fair to say that was how she interpreted certain aspects of her course, rather than it being an implicit goal of the teachings?

That is, of course, a possibility. However, I do believe that there are professors with agendas, whether they be "liberal" or "conservative".

I think it would be very difficult to teach a course in social construction or feminism without letting your own beliefs dominate.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That is, of course, a possibility. However, I do believe that there are professors with agendas, whether they be "liberal" or "conservative".

I think it would be very difficult to teach a course in social construction or feminism without letting your own beliefs dominate.

That's certainly true. But just because your professor tells you something, it doesn't follow that the student slavishly accept it at face value. Again its about thinking critically about the ideas you are presented with as a means to refining your own opinions. According the proclivity of the individual, they will do that (or not) to a greater or lesser degree.

After all, an indirect goal of higher education is to challenge authority figures and the status quo.

Edited August 18, 2006 by erekose

[Jenn! 918]

That is, of course, a possibility. However, I do believe that there are professors with agendas, whether they be "liberal" or "conservative".

I think it would be very difficult to teach a course in social construction or feminism without letting your own beliefs dominate.

That's certainly true. But just because your professor tells you something, it doesn't follow that the student slavishly accept it at face value. Again its about thinking critically about the ideas you are presented with as a means to refining your own opinions. According the proclivity of the individual, they will do that (or not) to a greater or lesser degree.

After all, an indirect goal of higher education is to challenge authority figures and the status quo.

I suppose it is hard as usual to distinguish cause and effect. Are the types of students who enroll in such courses more easily persuaded? And I found Fischkoepfin's statemnet earlier about extremism in Women's Stuies program interesting as well.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That is, of course, a possibility. However, I do believe that there are professors with agendas, whether they be "liberal" or "conservative".

I think it would be very difficult to teach a course in social construction or feminism without letting your own beliefs dominate.

That's certainly true. But just because your professor tells you something, it doesn't follow that the student slavishly accept it at face value. Again its about thinking critically about the ideas you are presented with as a means to refining your own opinions. According the proclivity of the individual, they will do that (or not) to a greater or lesser degree.

After all, an indirect goal of higher education is to challenge authority figures and the status quo.

I suppose it is hard as usual to distinguish cause and effect. Are the types of students who enroll in such courses more easily persuaded? And I found Fischkoepfin's statemnet earlier about extremism in Women's Stuies program interesting as well.

Well I suspect most people going into a course will already have a bias towards certain issues before they even enroll in the course.

That point is of course lost on the author of the article at the start of the thread.

Edited August 18, 2006 by erekose