2 ms·

It was interesting that the author was the chairman of the religion department at Columbia. If ever there was a college curriculum that was not worth having a s

It was interesting that the author was the chairman of the religion department at Columbia. If ever there was a college curriculum that was not worth having a student spending many thousands of dollars and four years or more of one's life "studying" it would be that.

dagw 16y ago
Given that religion both has been and continues to be one of the bigger driving forces behind just about every major event in human history, I'd say that understanding it is paramount to any serious analysis of, not only history, but any number of current events.
- mkramlich 16y ago
  So read some books about religion from a local public library for free. No need to spend 4 years and $40,000. When someone gets a college degree in Electrical Engineering I think the goal is not really to learn electrical engineering or electronics -- again you can learn those things faster and cheaper on your own -- the goal really is to get a document whereby an institution declares you are fit to enter the electrical engineering field as a working professional. If you get a degree in Religion, what "field" are you certified to work in? The religion field? The priesthood? Professorship of religion? Do we honestly need more of those and/or to the extent we do could it not be done cheaper and faster, outside a university? Perhaps done by a church-related organization? Also, though I agree that religion is influencing some things, I don't think religion really "drives" most of anything that's really important anymore, like inventions and innovation, like building things, like creating new products and services, developing new technologies. The vast majority of that activity is totally perpendicular to religion. If anything, one of the biggest areas where I see religion making an impact is as an anti-science, pro-superstition, anti-education, anti-progress force, especially in areas of medicine and biology. But you could easily never take a class or read a book on religion and go on to become an excellent businessman, scientist, engineer, inventor, programmer, musician, etc. And still read or talk or think about religion, in your free time, whenever you felt like it. And again, for free.
  - dagw 16y ago
    This falls back to the discussion on what the role of a University education is. Personally I fundamentally disagree that Universities should be relegated to glorified career training and certification bodies. Why should universities deal with certifying that someone is "fit to enter the electrical engineering field as a working professional". Couldn't that be done cheaper and faster by some sort of professional society of electrical engineers? A degree should be seen as a certification of knowledge, not a certification you are qualified to work in a certain field. There is nothing inherently wrong with going to university for love of learning and knowledge without focusing on what job it will lead to. But you could easily never take a class or read a book on religion and go on to become an excellent businessman, scientist, engineer, inventor, programmer, musician, etc. And still read or talk or think about religion, in your free time, whenever you felt like it. And again, for free. You can replace "religion" in the above statement with just about any other university subject and the statement will still be true. I'm not arguing that religion is necessary or important for everyone to study, just that it is a valid field of academic inquiry and study and as such very much belongs in a university setting.

dagw 16y ago

Given that religion both has been and continues to be one of the bigger driving forces behind just about every major event in human history, I'd say that understanding it is paramount to any serious analysis of, not only history, but any number of current events.

mkramlich 16y ago
So read some books about religion from a local public library for free. No need to spend 4 years and $40,000. When someone gets a college degree in Electrical Engineering I think the goal is not really to learn electrical engineering or electronics -- again you can learn those things faster and cheaper on your own -- the goal really is to get a document whereby an institution declares you are fit to enter the electrical engineering field as a working professional. If you get a degree in Religion, what "field" are you certified to work in? The religion field? The priesthood? Professorship of religion? Do we honestly need more of those and/or to the extent we do could it not be done cheaper and faster, outside a university? Perhaps done by a church-related organization? Also, though I agree that religion is influencing some things, I don't think religion really "drives" most of anything that's really important anymore, like inventions and innovation, like building things, like creating new products and services, developing new technologies. The vast majority of that activity is totally perpendicular to religion. If anything, one of the biggest areas where I see religion making an impact is as an anti-science, pro-superstition, anti-education, anti-progress force, especially in areas of medicine and biology. But you could easily never take a class or read a book on religion and go on to become an excellent businessman, scientist, engineer, inventor, programmer, musician, etc. And still read or talk or think about religion, in your free time, whenever you felt like it. And again, for free.
- dagw 16y ago
  This falls back to the discussion on what the role of a University education is. Personally I fundamentally disagree that Universities should be relegated to glorified career training and certification bodies. Why should universities deal with certifying that someone is "fit to enter the electrical engineering field as a working professional". Couldn't that be done cheaper and faster by some sort of professional society of electrical engineers? A degree should be seen as a certification of knowledge, not a certification you are qualified to work in a certain field. There is nothing inherently wrong with going to university for love of learning and knowledge without focusing on what job it will lead to. But you could easily never take a class or read a book on religion and go on to become an excellent businessman, scientist, engineer, inventor, programmer, musician, etc. And still read or talk or think about religion, in your free time, whenever you felt like it. And again, for free. You can replace "religion" in the above statement with just about any other university subject and the statement will still be true. I'm not arguing that religion is necessary or important for everyone to study, just that it is a valid field of academic inquiry and study and as such very much belongs in a university setting.